Cocoa Beach, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
Cocoa Beach STRs averaged $239/night at 60.2% occupancy in April 2026 across roughly 6,500 active listings.
Quick Answer: Cocoa Beach, Florida is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 60%. average monthly revenue is $3,956. average daily rate is $239. the top operator is Happy Palm Stays with 408 listings. market score is 62/100 (grade C).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Cocoa Beach is a small Atlantic Coast city in Brevard County with a permanent population of about 11,377, known for surfing, the Ron Jon Surf Shop, and its position near Kennedy Space Center. The STR market covers approximately 6,537 active listings, overwhelmingly in the entire-place category: 5,976 are whole-property rentals, 558 are private rooms, and 3 are shared rooms. The average daily rate in April 2026 was $238.87, with occupancy at 60.2% and RevPAR of $143.77.
The bedroom mix leans toward smaller units consistent with a beach condo market. Two-bedroom properties lead with 2,328 listings, followed by one-bedroom units (1,718), three-bedroom homes (1,529), four-bedroom units (602), and five-bedroom-plus properties (347). The one and two-bedroom concentration reflects the significant condo inventory along the beachfront.
By channel, 3,550 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, 2,260 are Airbnb-only, and 727 are VRBO-only. Year over year, occupancy declined 3.5% and revenue dropped 4.0%, while ADR gained only 0.5%. This combination of falling occupancy with near-flat rates is a meaningful signal of increased supply and softer demand. The rental demand market score of 88.96 is the highest in this batch, but revenue growth at 48.29 is the lowest, suggesting the demand base is strong but existing operators are not yet capturing it through pricing growth.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65% | $173 | $3,058 |
| Feb | 81% | $187 | $3,585 |
| Mar | 81% | $213 | $4,525 |
| Apr | 63% | $200 | $3,428 |
| May | 61% | $187 | $3,168 |
| Jun | 71% | $209 | $3,958 |
| Jul | 72% | $201 | $3,984 |
| Aug | 56% | $179 | $2,915 |
| Sep | 49% | $160 | $2,254 |
| Oct | 56% | $163 | $2,531 |
| Nov | 57% | $166 | $2,433 |
| Dec | 59% | $176 | $2,695 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Cocoa Beach
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Happy Palm Stays | 408 | 13,709 | ★ 4.82 |
| 2 | Beachside Vacation Rentals | 284 | 8,885 | ★ 4.70 |
| 3 | Evolve | 111 | 5,255 | ★ 4.69 |
| 4 | Beachside VR | 65 | 1,862 | ★ 4.49 |
| 5 | Vacasa | 63 | 1,562 | ★ 4.32 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Cocoa Beach?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,718 |
| 2 bed | 2,328 |
| 3 bed | 1,529 |
| 4 bed | 602 |
| 5 bed | 347 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $249 |
| Luxury | $410 |
| Professionally Managed | $272 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $3,627 |
| Entire Place | $4,157 |
| House | $4,364 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 34.6% |
| vrbo | 11.1% |
| both | 54.3% |
Investment Analysis
Cocoa Beach shows a tension between strong underlying rental demand (market score 88.96) and a recent period of revenue contraction: occupancy fell 3.5% and total revenue declined 4.0% year over year in April 2026. The average monthly revenue of $3,956 projects to approximately $47,477 annualized. With a typical home value of $455,543 (Zillow, April 2026), the implied gross yield on a typical property is approximately 10.4%.
The median sale price of $430,917 is about 5.4% below the typical home value estimate, and the sale-to-list ratio of 0.917 indicates buyers are negotiating meaningful discounts from list price. With only 290 active for-sale listings and 55 median days to pending, this is a thinner market with moderate transaction pace. Buyers with patience may find better entry points than the peak years.
Tier ADR data shows meaningful upside in the professionally managed and luxury segments. The all-listings ADR of $238.87 rises to $272.46 for professionally managed properties (a 14.1% premium) and to $409.54 for the luxury tier (a 71.4% premium). House listings generate $4,364 per month versus $3,627 for apartment-type units, a $737 monthly gap. Entire-place listings average $4,157. The investability score of 77.89 is solid, suggesting the current revenue softness may be a cyclical trough rather than a structural decline — particularly given the strong demand score.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Cocoa Beach guests book an average of 54.5 days in advance, a shorter booking window than the Gulf Coast markets in this batch. This may reflect the market’s mix of spontaneous rocket launch viewing visits and planned beach vacations, as well as the large condo supply that reduces the urgency of booking far ahead. For operators, shorter lead times require sharper near-term pricing discipline: holding rate too high in the 30-day window risks empty nights in a market with over 6,500 alternatives.
Average length of stay is 4.92 nights, essentially a 5-night stay. This suggests guests are booking a full beach week or a long-weekend-plus-days trip rather than a simple 2-night getaway. A 3-night minimum policy is reasonable for this market and reduces cleaning frequency without meaningfully constraining demand. During peak months (February-March), operators may find the market supports a 4-5 night minimum for prime beachfront units.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Cocoa Beach maintains an active and strict STR regulatory framework under City Code Chapter 26.5, adopted in 2020 and amended in 2023 and again in 2025. All operators must complete four steps: (1) register the property with the City of Cocoa Beach and pay an annual registration fee, (2) obtain a Brevard County Business Tax Receipt, (3) hold a Florida DBPR Vacation Rental License, and (4) register with the Florida Department of Revenue.
As of April 2025, the city restructured its registration fees to a per-guest-per-year model: approximately $219.45 per guest per year for single-family homes and $146.30 per guest per year for multi-family units and condos. Registration runs October 1 through September 30 and renews annually. Maximum occupancy is capped at the lesser of two occupants per bedroom plus two, or eight total. On-site vehicles are limited to four. A local responsible party contact is required. There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement, so non-resident investors can operate.
The combined lodging tax rate is approximately 12%: 5% Brevard County Tourist Development Tax plus 7% Florida state sales and use tax. Effective October 1, 2025, the Brevard County Clerk of Court took over TDT collection from the Tax Collector. Enforcement is strict: first-day fines for operating without valid registration start at $250, escalating to $500 per day and then up to $1,000 per day. Investors should verify the current per-guest fee calculation for their specific property type with the city directly.
Market Comparison
Cocoa Beach’s April 2026 ADR of $238.87 is modestly above the U.S. STR median of approximately $220, reflecting the market’s beach-location premium offset by the high proportion of smaller condo-style units. Occupancy at 60.2% is above the national median of roughly 55%, though the year-over-year decline of 3.5% is a signal worth monitoring. RevPAR of $143.77 is below the national STR average, reflecting the combined effect of moderate ADR and softening occupancy.
Happy Palm Stays leads the market with 408 listings (13,709 reviews, 4.821 average rating), the highest guest rating among the top operators in this group. Beachside Vacation Rentals holds 284 listings (8,885 reviews, 4.701 rating). Evolve manages 111 listings (5,255 reviews, 4.687 rating), Beachside VR has 65 listings (1,862 reviews, 4.486 rating), and Vacasa rounds out the top five at 63 listings (1,562 reviews, 4.324 rating). Together the top five account for approximately 931 of the roughly 6,537 total listings — about 14.2% of the market. The relatively high share (versus larger markets like Clearwater) reflects the concentration of professional management in this compact city.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cocoa Beach, Florida
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