Clewiston, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
Clewiston-area STRs averaged $181/night at 46.5% occupancy in June 2026, per Florida Heartland region data.
Quick Answer: Clewiston, Florida is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Florida South Central Area market area is 47%. average monthly revenue in the Florida South Central Area market area is $2,328. average daily rate in the Florida South Central Area market area is $181.
Market data reflects the Florida South Central Area regional market, which includes Clewiston. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Clewiston.
Market Overview
Clewiston, known as ‘America’s Sweetest Town,’ is a small city of about 7,496 people on the southwest shore of Lake Okeechobee, the second-largest freshwater lake in the U.S., in Hendry County, Florida. Short-term rental data for Clewiston is tracked at a shared regional level: StaySTRA’s monthly series for Clewiston is identical to three other towns in Florida’s Heartland region (Arcadia, Avon Park, and Moore Haven), so the figures below describe the Heartland region’s STR market rather than Clewiston alone. In June 2026, the Heartland region STR market posted an average daily rate of $181.25 and 46.5% occupancy, for a RevPAR of $84.35 and average monthly revenue of $2,328 per listing. Occupancy is down 2.75 percentage points year over year, ADR is up 3.33%, and revenue is down 1.71% year over year, a softer month than a year ago despite the higher rate. Bedroom mix, channel split, listing-type counts, and top property manager rosters are not published for Clewiston at a city-specific level in the current dataset, so this profile omits those figures rather than estimate them. Clewiston’s own tourism draws on Lake Okeechobee sport fishing, largemouth bass tournaments held year-round, boating, and the roughly 110-mile Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail atop the Herbert Hoover Dike, plus agri-tourism at the Sugarland Express sugarcane tour and the historic Clewiston Inn. Visitors skew toward sport-fishing enthusiasts, outdoor and nature travelers, and winter snowbirds, with no official city-specific visitor count published.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 67% |
| Feb | 79% |
| Mar | 65% |
| Apr | 44% |
| May | 46% |
| Jun | 51% |
| Jul | 54% |
| Aug | 45% |
| Sep | 46% |
| Oct | 51% |
| Nov | 52% |
| Dec | 55% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Clewiston are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Clewiston — 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
Short-term rentals are legal in Clewiston and are becoming a regulated activity rather than a prohibited one. In spring 2025 the City Commission adopted Ordinance 2025-04, creating Code of Ordinances Chapter 22, Article VIII (‘Vacation Rentals’), in response to growth in Airbnb and VRBO properties tied to Lake Okeechobee fishing tournaments and outdoor tourism. The ordinance establishes a city registration and permitting program with safety compliance (smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and similar life-safety items), periodic inspections, and a decal so first responders can identify registered rentals. City officials also want to prevent vacation rentals from operating on lots zoned strictly for single-family use, though Florida law (Fla. Stat. 509.032) preempts local governments from banning STRs or regulating stay duration or frequency unless a pre-2011 ordinance existed, so Clewiston’s framework is registration-and-safety rather than a ban. Operators must also hold a Florida DBPR vacation rental license and collect and remit taxes: the state’s 6% sales and transient tax plus Hendry County’s 3% Tourist Development tax, a combined roughly 9% on stays of six months or less. Exact city registration fees and renewal cadence were not available from primary ordinance text; the annual-inspection posture implies annual renewal. No owner-occupancy requirement, primary-residence requirement, or maximum-nights-per-year cap was found. Enforcement is rated moderate, reflecting an active, newly formalized program.
Market Comparison
At 46.5% occupancy, the Florida Heartland region STR market that includes Clewiston is running below the commonly cited U.S. STR median occupancy of roughly 55%. Its $181 ADR also sits below the national median of roughly $220, reflecting its role as a small, inland, fishing-and-agriculture-driven market rather than a coastal or resort destination with pricing power of its own. That combination of below-average occupancy and below-average ADR is typical of small, seasonal markets built around a single strong draw, in this case winter bass fishing on Lake Okeechobee, rather than year-round tourism demand. Top property manager rosters are not published for Clewiston at a city-specific level in the current dataset, so this profile omits operator rankings rather than estimate them from broader regional totals.
Frequently Asked Questions About Clewiston, Florida
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How is the Florida Heartland region STR market trending year over year?
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