Marathon, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
Marathon, FL STRs averaged $528/night at 59.3% occupancy in April 2026, one of the highest-ADR markets in the Florida Keys.
Quick Answer: Marathon, Florida is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Key West market area is 64%. average monthly revenue in the Key West market area is $8,168. average daily rate in the Key West market area is $485. the top operator in the Key West market area is Vacasa with 337 listings. market score is 57/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Key West regional market, which includes Marathon. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Marathon.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Marathon is a city of 9,914 residents in the Middle Florida Keys (Monroe County), sharing in the Keys’ broader tourism economy. The STR market tracked for this area covers approximately 9,047 active listings across the Middle Keys corridor. In April 2026, listings averaged $528.29 per night with 59.3% occupancy, generating an average of $8,623 per listing per month. RevPAR stood at $313.22.
Entire-place listings account for 8,895 of 9,047 listings (98.3%). Private rooms total 152 (1.7%). By bedroom count, two-bedroom units lead at 3,517 (38.9% of bedroom-tracked listings), followed by three-bedrooms at 2,339 (25.9%), one-bedrooms at 1,569 (17.4%), four-bedrooms at 1,067 (11.8%), and five-plus-bedroom properties at 539 (6.0%).
VRBO has a notably strong presence here. Of 9,047 listings, 5,301 (58.6%) are listed on both Airbnb and VRBO, 2,224 are VRBO-only, and 1,522 are Airbnb-only.
Year-over-year, occupancy declined 2.66 percentage points while ADR rose 3.89% and revenue grew 2.64%. The revenue growth score is an exceptionally high 88.06, reflecting a strong multi-year revenue trajectory.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 65% |
| Feb | 80% |
| Mar | 78% |
| Apr | 59% |
| May | 59% |
| Jun | 68% |
| Jul | 68% |
| Aug | 50% |
| Sep | 40% |
| Oct | 52% |
| Nov | 58% |
| Dec | 61% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Marathon are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Key West market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Key West market as a whole, which includes Marathon, so these counts are not Marathon-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 337 | 21,234 | ★ 4.55 |
| 2 | Vacation Rentals of the Florida Keys LLC. | 232 | 4,472 | ★ 4.68 |
| 3 | Brightwild | 208 | 14,851 | ★ 4.62 |
| 4 | Last Key | 156 | 8,230 | ★ 4.89 |
| 5 | Wendy Zintsmaster and Team | 133 | 5,749 | ★ 4.81 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Marathon?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Marathon 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 | 16.8% |
| vrbo | 24.6% |
| both | 58.6% |
Home Value Trends (Marathon)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Marathon 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 Marathon — 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
Marathon regulates short-term rentals under a strict licensing framework. Rentals of fewer than 7 nights are prohibited within the city. Vacation rentals must be a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 28 consecutive nights.
Operators must hold multiple licenses: a City of Marathon Vacation Rental Property License (fee raised in 2024 to approximately $1,200 for a new 1-bedroom unit, scaling upward by bedroom count, with $100 increments for 2-bedroom and smaller, $200 for larger units), a Florida DBPR Vacation Rental license, a Florida state sales tax certificate, and a Monroe County Business Tax Receipt with a Tourist Development Tax account. A licensed Vacation Rental Agent is required; if the owner resides more than one hour from Marathon, a local contact must also be designated. The license number must appear on all advertising.
Lodging taxes are substantial: Monroe County levies a 5% Tourist Development Tax on top of Florida’s 7.5% state sales and use tax, for approximately 12.5% total on transient rentals.
Enforcement is aggressive. Violations carry fines up to $500 per day, per unit, per violation. Three violations within 12 months suspend the license for one year, and repeat offenders can face revocation. The city maintains a public license-lookup portal. There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement.
Market Comparison
The U.S. STR market median occupancy runs near 55% and median ADR near $220. Marathon’s April 2026 occupancy of 59.3% exceeds the national median and its $528 ADR is more than double it. RevPAR of $313.22 places this market among the highest-performing STR destinations in the U.S.
At a gross yield of approximately 10.9% (2025 annual average basis, before expenses), Marathon offers strong revenue productivity despite high entry costs (typical home value: $824,970). The regulation score of 56.63 reflects the permit complexity and strict enforcement environment.
Among professional operators, Vacasa leads with 337 listings and 21,234 reviews at a 4.55 average rating. Vacation Rentals of the Florida Keys LLC manages 232 listings (4.68 rating, 4,472 reviews). Brightwild operates 208 listings (4.62 rating, 14,851 reviews). Together the top three account for approximately 777 listings, or about 8.6% of the market’s 9,047 total listings.
Frequently Asked Questions About Marathon, Florida
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