Hernando, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
Hernando, FL STRs averaged $179/night at 55.8% occupancy in April 2026, serving a market of 1.7 million annual visitors.
Quick Answer: Hernando, Florida is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 56%. average monthly revenue is $2,828. average daily rate is $179. the top operator is Evolve with 358 listings. market score is 60/100 (grade C).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Hernando is an unincorporated community in Citrus County on Florida’s Nature Coast, approximately 75 miles north of Tampa. The area draws roughly 1.7 million annual visitors through Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, the Three Sisters Springs manatee sanctuary, and Gulf-access waterways. Approximately 8,067 listings are tracked by bedroom count, with 7,621 classified as entire-place rentals.
In April 2026, the all-listing average daily rate was $179.06 and occupancy came in at 55.8%, producing a RevPAR of $99.99 and average monthly revenue of $2,828. Year-over-year, occupancy fell 4.1 percentage points while ADR rose 3.0%, resulting in a net revenue decline of 1.2% compared to April 2025. The 2025 full-year average was 58.5% occupancy, $170 ADR, and $2,755 monthly revenue.
By bedroom count, the market splits evenly between 2-bedroom (2,787) and 3-bedroom (2,801) properties at the top, followed by 1-bedroom (1,799), 4-bedroom (551), and 5-bedroom (129). Channel mix: 4,046 listings on both Airbnb and VRBO, 3,067 Airbnb-only, and 977 VRBO-only. Seasonality scores highly at 81.80 out of 100 and investability at 83.88, reflecting strong year-round demand patterns and positive return fundamentals.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65% | $178 | $3,127 |
| Feb | 80% | $158 | $3,056 |
| Mar | 78% | $159 | $3,290 |
| Apr | 58% | $154 | $2,467 |
| May | 53% | $152 | $2,220 |
| Jun | 61% | $161 | $2,541 |
| Jul | 64% | $168 | $3,001 |
| Aug | 52% | $149 | $2,255 |
| Sep | 48% | $136 | $1,809 |
| Oct | 54% | $134 | $1,936 |
| Nov | 58% | $139 | $2,032 |
| Dec | 57% | $148 | $2,218 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Hernando
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 358 | 13,225 | ★ 4.74 |
| 2 | A&J Home Concierge | 160 | 633 | ★ 4.74 |
| 3 | McCormick Management Vacation Rental | 106 | 3,510 | ★ 4.84 |
| 4 | Village Valet Property Management, LLC | 102 | 1,251 | ★ 4.68 |
| 5 | Down Home Properties | 87 | 1,128 | ★ 4.69 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Hernando?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,799 |
| 2 bed | 2,787 |
| 3 bed | 2,801 |
| 4 bed | 551 |
| 5 bed | 129 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $184 |
| Luxury | $283 |
| Professionally Managed | $203 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,252 |
| Entire Place | $2,909 |
| House | $2,991 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 37.9% |
| vrbo | 12.1% |
| both | 50% |
Investment Analysis
Hernando offers a compelling combination of accessible home prices and solid STR returns for a Florida market. The typical home value of $353,959 (Zillow, April 2026) is among the lowest in Gulf Coast Florida, while the 2025 annual average monthly revenue of $2,755 produces an annualized gross revenue of approximately $33,060, representing a gross yield of about 9.3% on the typical home value.
Housing market dynamics are moderately favorable for buyers. The median sale price of $356,667 is very close to the typical home value, and the median list price of $397,115 leaves negotiating room reflected in the 0.898 sale-to-list ratio. With 247 homes for sale and 66 median days to pending, buyers have reasonable selection without extreme competition.
Professionally managed listings command a meaningful premium: the tier_professionally_managed ADR of $202.82 is approximately 13.3% above the all-listing average of $179.06. At 55.8% occupancy, this premium translates to roughly $450 in additional gross monthly revenue per listing. Luxury properties reached $282.98 per night, 58% above market average.
Hernando’s regulation score of 50.98 out of 100 reflects moderate regulatory complexity (a Florida DBPR license is required), but the absence of a county-level registry and Florida’s state preemption of local STR bans provide operators with a relatively stable regulatory environment. The seasonality score of 81.80 indicates year-round demand with a predictable seasonal pattern, which reduces revenue uncertainty for investment planning.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Hernando guests book an average of 46.9 days in advance as of April 2026, about a 6.5-week planning window. This reflects the mixed driver profile of the market: manatee season visitors (November through March) often plan 2 to 3 months ahead to secure Crystal River access and accommodation, while summer leisure and kayaking visitors book closer to their travel dates.
The average length of stay is 5.12 nights, above the national STR average and consistent with the extended nature of Nature Coast visits. Guests frequently combine Crystal River snorkeling or kayaking with multi-day exploration of Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, Withlacoochee State Forest, and nearby springs. A 5.1-night average significantly reduces cleaning and turnover frequency.
Operators should structure pricing to capture the January through March snowbird window at full rates, hold prices firm for winter weekends well in advance, and use moderate discounts to fill September and October gaps. The 5-night average stay lends itself to 5 or 7-night minimum policies during peak manatee viewing season.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Hernando sits in unincorporated Citrus County, where STR regulation operates at the state level through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).
Required licensing: a Florida DBPR Vacation Rental Dwelling or Condo License. The full-year fee for a single unit is approximately $170, plus a $50 application fee and a $10 Hospitality Education Program fee, renewed annually. Airbnb collects and remits state and local lodging taxes for Florida hosts through a statewide voluntary collection agreement.
Tax: Citrus County levies a 5% Tourist Development Tax on stays of six months or less (increased from 3% effective March 1, 2017). Combined with state sales tax and any applicable discretionary surtax, the total transient rental tax burden is approximately 11%.
Citrus County does not maintain a separate county vacation rental registry on top of the DBPR license. Florida Statute 509.032 preempts Citrus County from banning vacation rentals or capping duration or frequency of stays, since no qualifying local ordinance was in place before the June 1, 2011 cutoff.
Local enforcement applies to parking, noise, occupancy limits, trash, signage, and safety through the Citrus County Growth Management and Code Compliance departments. Operators must designate a responsible party reachable to address complaints. No owner-occupancy requirement and no primary-residence requirement apply. Enforcement severity is moderate.
Market Comparison
Hernando’s April 2026 ADR of $179.06 is below the US STR median of approximately $220 per night, reflecting the Nature Coast’s position as a nature-based, non-resort destination with lower price points than Gulf beachfront markets. At 55.8% occupancy, the market closely tracks the US STR median of roughly 55%, and February and March regularly exceed 78% occupancy.
Five property management companies lead the market. Evolve tops the list with 358 listings (4.74 rating, 13,225 reviews), followed by A and J Home Concierge with 160 listings (4.74 rating, 633 reviews), McCormick Management Vacation Rental with 106 listings (4.84 rating, 3,510 reviews), Village Valet Property Management with 102 listings (4.68 rating, 1,251 reviews), and Down Home Properties with 87 listings (4.69 rating, 1,128 reviews). These five operators account for approximately 813 listings, roughly 10.1% of the estimated 8,067-listing market.
Hernando’s high seasonality score of 81.80 out of 100 and investability score of 83.88 make it one of the more attractive markets in this analysis on those dimensions, particularly for investors who value predictable seasonal patterns over raw ADR.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hernando, Florida
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What drives manatee season rental demand in Hernando, FL?
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