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 in the Cape Coral/Fort Myers market area is 55%. average monthly revenue in the Cape Coral/Fort Myers market area is $4,159. average daily rate in the Cape Coral/Fort Myers market area is $294. the top operator in the Cape Coral/Fort Myers market area 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 StaySTRA 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 |
|---|---|
| Jan | 67% |
| Feb | 82% |
| Mar | 80% |
| Apr | 53% |
| May | 49% |
| Jun | 60% |
| Jul | 61% |
| Aug | 44% |
| Sep | 40% |
| Oct | 52% |
| Nov | 59% |
| Dec | 61% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Saint James City are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Cape Coral/Fort Myers market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Cape Coral/Fort Myers market as a whole, which includes Saint James City, so these counts are not Saint James City-only figures.
| # | 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 nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Saint James City 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 | 22.2% |
| vrbo | 17.1% |
| both | 60.7% |
Home Value Trends (Saint James City)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Saint James City 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 Saint James City — 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 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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