Pensacola, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
The Pensacola, FL area STR market averaged $427 a night at 82.9% occupancy in June 2026.
Quick Answer: Pensacola, Florida is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Pensacola market area is 83%. average monthly revenue in the Pensacola market area is $9,568. average daily rate in the Pensacola market area is $427. the top operator in the Pensacola market area is Vacasa with 474 listings. market score is 82/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the wider Pensacola market, which covers 4 areas. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Pensacola.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Pensacola sits at the western tip of Florida’s Panhandle, encompassing the city itself, Pensacola Beach, and nearby Perdido Key, a Gulf Coast market anchored by sugar white sand beaches, the free National Naval Aviation Museum, and the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron based at NAS Pensacola. The broader Pensacola area welcomed a record 2.54 million visitors in fiscal year 2024, up 2.3% year over year, generating about $2.01 billion in economic impact and supporting roughly 18,700 jobs.
As of June 2026, the Pensacola area STR market shows an average daily rate of $426.79 with occupancy at 82.92%, one of the highest occupancy readings in this entire data set, up 1.91% year over year even as ADR fell 5.68%. Revenue per listing rose 4.18% year over year to $9,567.80 per month for the average active listing, one of the strongest absolute revenue figures covered so far.
Listing count, bedroom mix, and channel split data for this area are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Pensacola, so this profile omits those specific breakdowns.
An interesting nuance in the property type data: apartment style units here average $10,153.18 in monthly revenue, actually higher than the market wide blended average and higher than standalone houses at $9,087.91, likely reflecting a supply mix weighted toward premium, high-rise beachfront condos and apartments on Pensacola Beach rather than inland single-family homes.
Entire home rentals average $433.28 a night, close to the area wide figure, while listings in the top luxury tier command $671.62 a night and professionally managed listings average $529.87, both well above the $426.79 area wide ADR.
Pensacola has a population of 53,898, and peak demand runs spring through early fall, spanning beach season and Blue Angels practice shows from March through November.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 40% |
| Feb | 62% |
| Mar | 70% |
| Apr | 58% |
| May | 69% |
| Jun | 81% |
| Jul | 80% |
| Aug | 56% |
| Sep | 54% |
| Oct | 56% |
| Nov | 43% |
| Dec | 38% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Pensacola are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Pensacola market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Pensacola market as a whole, which includes Pensacola, so these counts are not Pensacola-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 474 | 22,239 | ★ 4.51 |
| 2 | Premier Island Management Group | 434 | 7,989 | ★ 4.75 |
| 3 | Southern Vacation Rentals by Vtrips | 371 | 10,594 | ★ 4.52 |
| 4 | Luxury Coatal Vacation Rentlas | 355 | 10,788 | ★ 4.78 |
| 5 | Paradise Beach Homes | 264 | 12,547 | ★ 4.77 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Pensacola?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Pensacola 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 | 23.7% |
| vrbo | 13.4% |
| both | 62.9% |
Home Value Trends (Pensacola)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Pensacola 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 Pensacola — 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 and common in the Pensacola area. Florida licenses vacation rentals at the state level through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, which requires a Vacation Rental license, and Florida law preempts local governments from banning STRs or capping the number or length of stays, unless a locality had a qualifying ordinance before June 1, 2011.
Operators must also register with the Escambia County Clerk of Courts Treasury Department to collect and remit the county Tourist Development Tax, which has been 5% since April 1, 2021 on rentals of six months or less, in addition to Florida’s 6% state sales tax and any applicable local sales surtax. Reported county level licensing costs include a $50 non-refundable application fee plus a license fee starting around $90 for a half year and about $170 for a full year single unit license, with annual renewal.
Operational rules commonly cited include occupancy limits, roughly two people per bedroom plus two, up to about twelve total, and in certain unincorporated tourist oriented zones, a minimum lot size of about 15,000 square feet and setback from major road requirements. There is no state or local cap on nights per year, and no owner occupancy or primary residence requirement.
Enforcement runs primarily through state licensing compliance, tax remittance, and local code and nuisance rules rather than aggressive caps, making the environment relatively investor friendly. Escambia County’s Tourist Development Tax rose from 4% to 5% effective April 1, 2021 and remains 5% as of the latest update, and Florida continued strengthening statewide vacation rental licensing and preemption protections through 2024 legislative activity.
Market Comparison
Pensacola’s occupancy of 82.92% is one of the strongest readings in this entire data set, well above the broader US short-term rental median of roughly 55%, while its $426.79 average daily rate also runs well above the roughly $220 national median, reflecting a premium, high demand Gulf Coast beach market.
Property manager data for this area is tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Pensacola, so this profile omits naming specific operators here.
Pensacola’s combination of exceptionally high occupancy, premium rate, and Florida’s structural state preemption protecting STRs from local bans or caps points to one of the more attractive markets in this data set for STR investment, tempered by the reminder that the market’s blended revenue figures, especially the standout apartment segment, reflect an average across a wide range of property types and locations rather than a guaranteed outcome for any single acquisition.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pensacola, Florida
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