Millville, Delaware Short-Term Rental Market
Millville, DE STRs averaged $269/night in April 2026; July peaks at $6,743 monthly revenue in this Delaware Quiet Resorts corridor.
Quick Answer: Millville, Delaware is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Delaware/Maryland Beaches market area is 68%. average monthly revenue in the Delaware/Maryland Beaches market area is $6,346. average daily rate in the Delaware/Maryland Beaches market area is $409. the top operator in the Delaware/Maryland Beaches market area is Vacasa with 2,692 listings. market score is 49/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Delaware/Maryland Beaches regional market, which includes Millville. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Millville.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Millville is a small incorporated town of approximately 2,430 year-round residents in southeastern Sussex County, Delaware, located about 4 miles west of Bethany Beach within the Delaware ‘Quiet Resorts’ corridor. The corridor is marketed by the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce and encompasses Bethany Beach, South Bethany, Fenwick Island, and Ocean View. Visitors come primarily from the Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Northern Virginia metros, drawn by Atlantic beach access, tax-free shopping, bay and state park recreation, and golf. Large master-planned communities such as Millville by the Sea have expanded the area’s vacation-rental and second-home inventory significantly.
In April 2026, a spring shoulder month for this beach market, the STR market posted an average daily rate of $269 and an occupancy rate of 35.2%, with RevPAR of $95. The historical seasonal average for April is 38.9% occupancy, and April is among the six lowest-occupancy months of the year in this market. Year-over-year through April 2026, occupancy declined 12.2 percentage points, ADR increased 9.0%, and revenue declined 9.0%. Full-year 2025 performance provides more useful context: the 2025 annual average monthly revenue of $3,827 is the highest on record for this market, continuing growth from $3,634 in 2023 and $3,712 in 2024.
The listing mix is approximately 99% entire-place rentals, reflecting the vacation-ownership character of the market. The bedroom mix skews toward larger properties suited for group beach vacations: two-bedroom units lead, followed by three-bedroom, one-bedroom, and four-bedroom properties.
VRBO is the dominant channel in this market. A majority of properties cross-list on both Airbnb and VRBO, with VRBO-only listings also a substantial share. This contrasts with most other markets in this dataset where Airbnb leads.
The StaySTRA composite score is 48.7. Revenue growth leads all dimensions at 91.3, reflecting the strong multi-year revenue trend. Regulation scores 67.1, investability 69.6, rental demand 47.4, and seasonality 42.6. The low composite and seasonality scores reflect the extreme summer concentration, where July and August alone generate more than $13,000 in combined monthly revenue.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 25% |
| Feb | 35% |
| Mar | 39% |
| Apr | 39% |
| May | 46% |
| Jun | 70% |
| Jul | 79% |
| Aug | 78% |
| Sep | 45% |
| Oct | 26% |
| Nov | 25% |
| Dec | 31% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Millville are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Delaware/Maryland Beaches market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Delaware/Maryland Beaches market as a whole, which includes Millville, so these counts are not Millville-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 2,692 | 62,701 | ★ 4.37 |
| 2 | Coastal Resort Rentals | 357 | 1,649 | ★ 4.39 |
| 3 | Shoreline Properties | 349 | 1,835 | ★ 4.28 |
| 4 | Central Reservations | 328 | 4,812 | ★ 4.53 |
| 5 | VacayHome Connect | 314 | 594 | ★ 4.07 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Millville?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Millville are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 17.3% |
| vrbo | 27.3% |
| both | 55.4% |
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Millville — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Millville requires a Town Residential Rental License for each rental unit before any property is listed for short-term rental. The license costs $50 per unit and runs on the town’s fiscal year (May 1 through April 30), renewing annually. Renewal invoices are mailed around May 1 and are due by June 1. Applications received after November 1 are prorated to $25, and after March 31 to $12.50, with a $25 late fee.
Operators owe Millville’s local gross rental receipts tax of 2% of rent, remitted twice yearly on June 1 and November 1. Delaware’s statewide short-term rental lodging tax of 4.5% (effective January 1, 2025) applies to stays of 31 nights or fewer, bringing the combined effective lodging tax to approximately 6.5%. Platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO typically collect and remit the state-level tax; operators should confirm local tax handling directly.
Sussex County enacted a separate 3% short-term rental tax in 2024, but this applies only to unincorporated areas. Properties within the incorporated Town of Millville are exempt from the county tax. Investors should verify city-limit status of any property before assuming the county tax does not apply.
There is no owner-occupancy requirement, no primary-residence requirement, and no annual night cap. Occupancy is limited to two persons per bedroom plus two additional persons. Parking is restricted to one vehicle per bedroom, with off-street parking required first. Property owners are responsible for preventing guest noise and disorderly conduct.
Enforcement is moderate. Operators who collect payments outside a marketplace platform must also obtain a $25 Delaware accommodations-intermediary business license to collect and remit the state lodging tax.
Market Comparison
The US median annual STR occupancy is approximately 55%. Millville’s 2025 annual average occupancy of 44.2% is below the national median, driven by the deep winter trough (January and November at 25 to 35%). During peak summer months, occupancy reaches 78 to 79%, well above the national median. April’s 35.2% occupancy reflects the spring shoulder period specifically.
ADR of $269 in April 2026 exceeds the national median of approximately $220. Summer peak ADR of $342 to $349 from June through August is significantly above the national median, reflecting premium beach resort pricing in a constrained Delaware shore corridor where buildable land is limited.
Top operators in this market include Vacasa (2,692 listings, 62,701 reviews, 4.37 average rating), which dominates with more than seven times the listing count of the next largest operator. Coastal Resort Rentals (357 listings, 1,649 reviews, 4.39 rating), Shoreline Properties (349 listings, 1,835 reviews, 4.28 rating), and Central Reservations (328 listings, 4,812 reviews, 4.53 rating) are the major regional operators. VacayHome Connect (314 listings, 594 reviews, 4.07 rating) rounds out the top five.
The composite score of 48.7 primarily reflects the low seasonality score (42.6) driven by extreme summer concentration. The revenue growth score of 91.3 and 2025 annual average revenue of $3,827/month are the standout investment metrics, describing a market with strong ADR-driven revenue growth despite a winter-heavy vacancy pattern.
Frequently Asked Questions About Millville, Delaware
What is the average daily rate for Millville, DE short-term rentals?
When is the peak season for Millville, DE STR income?
Are short-term rentals permitted in Millville, DE?
What taxes apply to Millville, DE STRs?
What is the typical annual revenue for a Millville, DE STR?
How far in advance do guests book Millville, DE STRs?
Why does Millville have such extreme seasonal variation in STR revenue?
Analyze Millville Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Millville.
Free Millville STR Calculator →
