Hawthorne, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
The North-Central Florida STR market, including Hawthorne, averaged $145/night at 50.8% occupancy in June 2026.
Quick Answer: Hawthorne, Florida is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Gainesville market area is 51%. average monthly revenue in the Gainesville market area is $2,224. average daily rate in the Gainesville market area is $145.
Market data reflects the Gainesville regional market, which includes Hawthorne. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Hawthorne.
Market Overview
Hawthorne is a small rural city in southeastern Alachua County, about 15 miles east of Gainesville. StaySTRA’s underlying STR performance data for this area is tracked at a shared North-Central Florida level, Hawthorne shares a series with High Springs and Micanopy, rather than uniquely for Hawthorne, so the figures below describe that shared area STR market rather than Hawthorne in isolation. All three towns in this series are small, rural, outdoor-recreation and heritage-tourism destinations near Gainesville rather than beachfront or major-metro markets.
In June 2026, the most recent month with data, this North-Central Florida STR market averaged 50.8% occupancy (down 9.1% year over year) and a $145.02 average daily rate (down 4.5% year over year). Average monthly revenue per listing was $2,224, down 5.7% year over year.
RevPAR (revenue per available listing-night) was $73.63 for the month.
Hawthorne itself draws primarily day-trip and outdoor-recreation visitors: fishing, biking, nature, and heritage travelers, anchored by the 16.5-mile paved Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail and the surrounding conservation lands and fishing lakes (Lochloosa, Orange, Newnans, Santa Fe). The town’s population is roughly 1,529.
Bedroom mix, channel split, listing-type counts, and property-manager data are not published for Hawthorne or the shared North-Central Florida series, so this profile omits those breakdowns rather than guessing.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 56% |
| Feb | 64% |
| Mar | 62% |
| Apr | 56% |
| May | 51% |
| Jun | 60% |
| Jul | 64% |
| Aug | 67% |
| Sep | 53% |
| Oct | 53% |
| Nov | 52% |
| Dec | 51% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Hawthorne 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 Hawthorne — 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
Hawthorne is a very small rural Florida city with no identified city-specific short-term rental ordinance, so STRs are governed mainly by Florida state law and Alachua County tax rules. Under Florida’s statewide preemption (F.S. 509.032(7)(b)), local governments cannot ban vacation rentals or regulate their duration or frequency unless they had a qualifying ordinance before June 1, 2011; none was found for Hawthorne, so operating an STR here is broadly permitted.
To operate legally, a host needs a Florida DBPR vacation rental license (state-issued, renewed annually) and must register a lodging and tax account. On taxes, guests pay a 6% Florida state sales tax, a 1% local option sales tax, and a 5% Alachua County Tourist Development Tax, roughly 12% total. As of January 1, 2025, Airbnb and VRBO collect and remit the 5% county tax directly, so hosts booking solely through those platforms no longer file monthly county returns; hosts using other channels must register via TouristExpress and file monthly.
A local business tax receipt may also be required. There is no owner-occupancy, primary-residence, or annual-night cap. Enforcement is described as minimal given the town’s small size, though county tax compliance is actively pursued. Investors should confirm current specifics with the City of Hawthorne Planning and Zoning office before listing.
Market Comparison
The North-Central Florida area STR market’s 50.8% occupancy in the latest month runs slightly below the roughly 55% occupancy typically cited as a national STR median, and its $145.02 ADR is also well below the roughly $220 national median ADR figure often cited for the US market. That combination, below-national on both occupancy and rate, is consistent with a series of small, rural, day-trip-oriented towns rather than a high-demand tourism destination.
Property manager and top-operator data is not currently available for this market, so this profile does not name specific operators or listing counts here.
For broader context, nearby Alachua County (anchored by Gainesville and the University of Florida) hosted roughly 1.4 million visitors staying in paid accommodations in 2024, with the natural springs and university drawing most of that demand, activity concentrated more in Gainesville and the springs towns like High Springs than in Hawthorne specifically.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hawthorne, Florida
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