Saint James City, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
Saint James City STRs averaged $294/night at 54.7% occupancy in June 2026 across 19,851 active listings.
Quick Answer: Saint James City, Florida is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 55%. average monthly revenue is $4,159. average daily rate is $294. the top operator is Roelens Realty & Property Management with 614 listings. market score is 48/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Cape Coral/Fort Myers regional market, which includes Saint James City. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Saint James City.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Saint James City, Florida had 19,851 active short-term rental listings as of the latest snapshot, split between Airbnb (4,402), Vrbo (3,397), and 12,052 properties listed on both platforms. The market posted a $293.94 average daily rate (ADR) and 54.68% occupancy in June 2026, generating average monthly revenue of $4,159 per listing. Occupancy is down 1.45% year over year, while ADR rose 4.80% and average revenue climbed 3.43%, a combination of rising rates outpacing a modest occupancy decline.
Entire-place listings dominate at 19,156 (96.5% of supply), with 688 private-room listings and just 7 shared-room listings. By bedroom count, 3-bedroom properties are the largest category at 7,149 listings, followed by 2-bedroom (5,514), 1-bedroom (3,320), 4-bedroom (3,032), and 5-bedroom (821).
Saint James City is a small, unincorporated ‘Old Florida’ fishing community on the southern end of Pine Island in Lee County, part of the Fort Myers/Cape Coral tourism region, with a resident population of just 3,876. The community itself has no discrete visitor count, but draws from Lee County’s broader tourism base of roughly 3.2 million visitors in 2024. Pine Island specifically attracts anglers, boaters, birders, and travelers seeking a quiet, low-density alternative to nearby beach islands, centered on tarpon, snook, and redfish sportfishing, waterfront seafood dining, and kayaking or eco-tours.
Booking data shows a 59.14-day average lead time and a 6.11-night average length of stay, consistent with a slower-paced fishing and boating destination rather than a short weekend-trip market. StaySTRA’s overall market score for Saint James City is 47.86, with revenue growth the strongest sub-component at 76.63 and seasonality the weakest sub-component at 53.95.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 67% | $231 | $3,721 |
| Feb | 82% | $256 | $4,511 |
| Mar | 80% | $280 | $5,311 |
| Apr | 53% | $250 | $3,530 |
| May | 49% | $222 | $2,969 |
| Jun | 60% | $248 | $3,627 |
| Jul | 61% | $230 | $3,723 |
| Aug | 44% | $206 | $2,661 |
| Sep | 40% | $189 | $2,064 |
| Oct | 52% | $206 | $2,454 |
| Nov | 59% | $210 | $2,778 |
| Dec | 61% | $241 | $3,292 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Saint James City
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roelens Realty & Property Management | 614 | 8,143 | ★ 4.58 |
| 2 | Evolve | 446 | 11,657 | ★ 4.62 |
| 3 | Vacasa | 340 | 4,515 | ★ 4.44 |
| 4 | Sun Palace | 278 | 4,019 | ★ 4.60 |
| 5 | Royal Shell Vacations | 249 | 1,913 | ★ 4.64 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Saint James City?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 3,320 |
| 2 bed | 5,514 |
| 3 bed | 7,149 |
| 4 bed | 3,032 |
| 5 bed | 821 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $300 |
| Luxury | $526 |
| Professionally Managed | $358 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $3,700 |
| Entire Place | $4,244 |
| House | $4,426 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 22.2% |
| vrbo | 17.1% |
| both | 60.7% |
Investment Analysis
Saint James City’s ADR tiers show a wide spread: the market-wide average of $293.94 sits below the entire-home tier at $299.64, professionally managed listings at $357.59, and the luxury tier at $526.42, a $232.48 gap and roughly 79% premium over the market average. That premium points to significant upside for well-positioned, professionally managed properties.
Revenue by property type is more compressed: houses average $4,426 per month, only modestly ahead of entire-place listings overall at $4,244 and apartments at $3,700, a 19.6% spread between apartment and house revenue.
The trailing-year trend is positive on the revenue side: ADR rose 4.80% and average revenue climbed 3.43% year over year even as occupancy slipped 1.45%, indicating operators have been able to push rates faster than demand has softened. StaySTRA’s revenue-growth score of 76.63 out of 100 is the strongest of the six tracked market-score components, consistent with that trend.
Typical home value and median sale price data are not currently published for Saint James City in this dataset, so a gross-yield calculation against acquisition cost cannot be produced here.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Saint James City guests book an average of 59.14 days in advance, giving operators roughly two months of runway to adjust pricing ahead of arrival. This lead time supports a dynamic pricing approach that raises rates for peak winter weeks as bookings fill in, rather than relying on last-minute demand.
Average length of stay is 6.11 nights, a notably long stay length, reflecting Saint James City’s identity as a fishing and boating destination where guests typically plan multi-day trips around sportfishing charters, boating, and slower-paced relaxation rather than short city breaks. This stay length supports 5 to 6-night minimum-stay policies without meaningfully restricting bookable inventory, and reduces per-stay turnover costs compared to shorter-stay markets.
Combined, the long booking window and extended stay length point toward a market where operators should prioritize amenities relevant to multi-night boating and fishing trips (dock access, gear storage, coolers) over amenities suited to quick weekend visits.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are permitted in Saint James City, and a permit is required at the state level: operators need a Florida DBPR Vacation Rental Dwelling License and a Lee County Tourist Development Tax account, but there is no separate local Lee County STR permit for unincorporated areas like Saint James City. This is a notable contrast with incorporated Lee County towns such as Fort Myers Beach, which requires a $300-per-unit local registration.
As an unincorporated census-designated place, Saint James City has no city government or municipal STR ordinance; county and state rules apply instead. Florida Statute 509.032 preempts local governments from banning STRs or dictating minimum stay length or rental frequency. The Lee County Land Development Code governs zoning, requiring compliance with residential zoning, county noise and nuisance codes, occupancy and parking standards, and any HOA or deed restrictions, with no STR-specific overlay or cap identified.
Taxes on stays of six months or less total roughly 11.5%: a 5% Lee County Tourist Development Tax plus 6.5% Florida sales and discretionary tax, which platforms like Airbnb collect for the county portion automatically. There is no owner-occupancy requirement, no primary-residence rule, and no cap on nights per year. Enforcement at the county level is described as minimal, largely complaint-based and focused on tax collection and nuisance issues rather than active STR policing, per StaySTRA’s area profile (last updated July 9, 2026). Investors should confirm current requirements directly with Lee County and the DBPR before purchasing.
Market Comparison
Saint James City’s 54.68% occupancy sits almost exactly at the roughly 55% national STR median, while its $293.94 ADR runs about 34% higher than the national median of approximately $220. This pairing, near-median occupancy with well-above-median rates, suggests a market where demand is broadly in line with the national picture but where guests pay a premium for the destination’s fishing, boating, and ‘Old Florida’ character.
The market’s top property managers include Roelens Realty & Property Management, the clear leader with 614 listings and 8,143 reviews (4.581 rating), followed by Evolve (446 listings, 11,657 reviews, 4.622 rating), Vacasa (340 listings, 4,515 reviews, 4.439 rating), Sun Palace (278 listings, 4,019 reviews, 4.598 rating), and Royal Shell Vacations (249 listings, 1,913 reviews, 4.641 rating, the highest-rated of the top five). Together these five operators manage 1,927 listings, about 9.7% of the market’s 19,851 total active listings.
Frequently Asked Questions About Saint James City, Florida
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