Galena, Illinois Short-Term Rental Market
Galena caps licenses, and September 2026 northwest Illinois STRs averaged $171 ADR, 56.2% occupancy, $2,646 monthly revenue.
Quick Answer: Galena, Illinois is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Illinois Area market area is 56%. average monthly revenue in the Illinois Area market area is $2,646. average daily rate in the Illinois Area market area is $171. the top operator in the Illinois Area market area is Evolve with 100 listings. market score is 97/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the Illinois Area regional market, which includes Galena. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Galena.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
This profile covers the northwest Illinois STR market, a regional metric series, so the performance figures below describe the region and not Galena alone. Data runs through September 2026. In September 2026 the average daily rate was $171, occupancy was 56.2%, and the average listing earned $2,646 in monthly revenue. Compared with September 2025, occupancy rose 4.0%, ADR rose 2.8%, and revenue rose 4.5%. Entire place listings earned $2,791 per month at a $183 ADR, houses earned $2,918, and apartments earned $1,992. The seasonal sum of monthly revenue comes to $26,334 a year for the average listing.
Galena itself is a town of 3,187 residents that draws about 1,000,000 visitors a year. Visitors are largely regional drive-market leisure travelers from Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, and the Quad Cities, drawn by the historic Main Street district, the Ulysses S. Grant Home, wineries, and golf at Eagle Ridge. It is a four-season destination with strong weekend and holiday demand.
The market has strengthened since before 2020. Average occupancy was 47.2% in 2019 and reached 59.8% in 2021, the high point of the series. It eased to 53.9% in 2024, then recovered to 55.1% in 2025 and 55.4% across the first nine months of 2026. ADR has climbed from $133 in 2019 to $166 in 2026 to date.
Bedroom, channel, and listing-type counts and the top operators are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Galena, so this profile omits them. The binding constraint in Galena is supply: the city caps vacation rental licenses and all of them are currently allocated, as covered in the regulatory section.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 41% |
| Feb | 48% |
| Mar | 53% |
| Apr | 52% |
| May | 54% |
| Jun | 60% |
| Jul | 63% |
| Aug | 59% |
| Sep | 54% |
| Oct | 54% |
| Nov | 50% |
| Dec | 46% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Galena are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Illinois Area market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Illinois Area market as a whole, which includes Galena, so these counts are not Galena-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 100 | 4,000 | ★ 4.72 |
| 2 | Harbor Inn | 83 | 976 | ★ 4.75 |
| 3 | MySuiteSpot | 67 | 4,862 | ★ 4.78 |
| 4 | Rosebud Rentals | 59 | 3,522 | ★ 4.78 |
| 5 | Southern Illinois Vacation Rentals | 54 | 5,292 | ★ 4.95 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Galena?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Galena 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 | 57.2% |
| vrbo | 6% |
| both | 36.9% |
Home Value Trends (Galena)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Galena 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 Galena — 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
Galena’s license cap is the dominant constraint on entering this market. Short-term rentals, defined as dwellings rented to the public for fewer than 30 days, are permitted, but only with both a city special use permit and a vacation rental operating license under Chapter 112 (Guest Accommodations). The City Council has capped the total number of licenses at approximately 20 in residential districts, 70 in the downtown commercial district, and 5 in other commercial districts. All available licenses are currently filled, and a substantial waitlist is managed by the Zoning Administrator. A new investor generally cannot buy a property and start operating. They must acquire a property that already holds a transferable license or wait on the list, potentially for years.
The special use permit costs $400 for a new application and $250 to renew, and the permit and license renew annually. Confirm the current vacation rental license fee with the city. Lodging is taxed at about 10.25% in total: 6.25% Illinois state, 2.0% Jo Daviess County, and a 2.0% City of Galena lodging tax. The city does not require owner occupancy or primary residence. Enforcement is rated strict.
Effective January 6, 2026, Illinois expanded its hotel operators’ occupation tax to short-term rentals, so platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo must collect and remit state lodging taxes on bookings. Galena’s license cap remains fully allocated. Verify all requirements with the city before buying.
Market Comparison
Year over year growth is healthy: occupancy up 4.0%, ADR up 2.8%, and revenue up 4.5%. The 2026 year to date ADR of $166 is well above the $133 recorded in 2019. In September 2026 the northwest Illinois STR market ran at 56.2% occupancy and a $171 ADR, while luxury listings reached $336 and professionally managed listings $226, which shows the upside for higher-end units.
The defining feature of Galena is supply. Galena’s cap on licenses restricts new entrants, which can help existing licensed operators but makes entry harder. Top operators are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Galena, so this profile omits them.
Frequently Asked Questions About Galena, Illinois
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