Galena, Illinois Short-Term Rental Market
Galena, IL STRs averaged $151/night at 54.1% occupancy in April 2026, in a supply-capped market with a full license waitlist.
Quick Answer: Galena, Illinois is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Illinois Area market area is 59%. average monthly revenue in the Illinois Area market area is $3,059. average daily rate in the Illinois Area market area is $183. 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
Galena is a compact historic tourism market in northwest Illinois, drawing roughly one million visitors annually to a town of about 3,200 residents. As of April 2026, the short-term rental market recorded an average daily rate of $151.34 and an occupancy rate of 54.1%, producing a RevPAR of $81.79. Year-over-year, occupancy rose 1.3%, ADR increased 1.3%, and monthly revenue grew 5.4%, suggesting steady incremental improvement across all three metrics.
The supply mix skews heavily toward entire-place listings, which account for 7,113 of the approximately 7,998 active listings (about 89%), with private rooms at 875 and shared rooms at just 10. Bedroom distribution is concentrated in smaller units: 1-bedroom properties represent 2,664 listings and 2-bedroom units 2,480, together comprising roughly 64% of total supply. Three-bedroom and larger homes (1,717 at 3BR, 689 at 4BR, 440 at 5BR) make up the remainder.
Channel distribution shows strong Airbnb dominance: 4,573 listings are Airbnb-only, 2,949 appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, and only 476 are VRBO-exclusive. The market scores reflect a high-demand, supply-constrained environment: total score 96.6 out of 100, investability 98.8, and rental demand 88.9. Revenue growth (68.9) and regulation (68.6) scores are lower, consistent with the city’s hard license cap.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 41% |
| Feb | 48% |
| Mar | 53% |
| Apr | 52% |
| May | 54% |
| Jun | 60% |
| Jul | 63% |
| Aug | 59% |
| Sep | 53% |
| 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 is one of the more restrictive STR markets in Illinois. Short-term rentals (under 30 days) require both a city special use permit and an operating license under Chapter 112 (Guest Accommodations). The city has capped the total number of licenses: approximately 20 in residential districts, 70 in the downtown commercial district, and 5 in other commercial districts. As of the profile date, all available licenses are allocated with a substantial waitlist managed by the Zoning Administrator.
The special use permit fee is $400 for new applicants ($250 renewal); a Guest House license runs $150 new and $130 for renewal. Total lodging tax burden is approximately 10.25%, composed of 6.25% Illinois state tax, 2.0% Jo Daviess County tax, and 2.0% City of Galena municipal lodging tax. Effective January 6, 2026, Illinois expanded its hotel operators’ occupation tax to require STR marketplaces such as Airbnb and VRBO to collect and remit state lodging taxes directly.
There is no annual night cap and no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement. The city does not restrict the number of nights per year once a license is held. Enforcement severity is rated strict. The practical implication for investors: acquiring an unlicensed property and expecting to add a new STR license is not currently viable. The path to market is acquiring a property that already holds a transferable license.
Market Comparison
Galena’s 54.1% occupancy in April 2026 sits below the US short-term rental median occupancy of approximately 55%, but ADR of $151.34 is meaningfully below the national median of roughly $220. The below-average ADR partly reflects the rural Midwest drive-market profile and smaller average unit size (1BR and 2BR dominate supply). However, the investability score of 98.8 out of 100 signals that the ratio of revenue to acquisition cost is strong relative to peer markets, driven by the lower home values in the region.
Among property managers, Evolve leads with 100 listings and a 4.715 average rating across 4,000 reviews. Harbor Inn operates 83 listings (rating 4.747). MySuiteSpot holds 67 listings with 4,862 reviews at 4.782. Rosebud Rentals (59 listings, 4.783 rating) and Southern Illinois Vacation Rentals (54 listings, 4.945 rating) round out the top five. Southern Illinois Vacation Rentals carries the highest guest rating in the group despite the smallest listing count, suggesting a quality-focused operation. The top 5 operators collectively manage 363 listings, roughly 4.5% of total market supply.
Frequently Asked Questions About Galena, Illinois
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