Bloomington, Indiana Short-Term Rental Market
Bloomington, IN STRs averaged $223/night at 45.0% occupancy in April 2026, led by university event demand across 1,337 active listings.
Quick Answer: Bloomington, Indiana is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 45%. average monthly revenue is $2,589. average daily rate is $223. the top operator is General Manager of Hills O' Brown Vacation Rentals with 53 listings. market score is 53/100 (grade D).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Bloomington is a college city of approximately 79,009 residents in south-central Indiana, home to Indiana University’s flagship campus and drawing an estimated 2.2 million annual visitors. The STR market totals roughly 1,337 active listings. In April 2026, the average daily rate was $223.23 and occupancy was 45.0%, producing a RevPAR of $100.50 and average monthly revenue of $2,589 per listing.
Year-over-year, occupancy grew 1.72% while ADR fell 0.43% and revenue declined 4.22% compared to April a year prior. Revenue decline despite slight occupancy gains reflects ADR compression. The 2025 annual average ADR of $231 and occupancy of 44.3% illustrate that recent performance has plateaued after the post-pandemic peak in 2021.
Entire-place listings dominate at 1,165 units (87.1% of supply), with private rooms at 172. The channel mix is heavily Airbnb-skewed: 812 listings on Airbnb only, 478 on both Airbnb and VRBO, and just 47 exclusively on VRBO. Bedroom distribution skews toward smaller units: one-bedroom (439) and two-bedroom (367) lead the supply, with three-bedroom at 339, four-bedroom at 134, and five-bedroom at 52.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39% | $151 | $1,731 |
| Feb | 49% | $166 | $1,939 |
| Mar | 48% | $169 | $2,275 |
| Apr | 51% | $182 | $2,395 |
| May | 47% | $205 | $2,482 |
| Jun | 57% | $181 | $2,799 |
| Jul | 62% | $172 | $2,933 |
| Aug | 62% | $182 | $2,974 |
| Sep | 52% | $212 | $2,818 |
| Oct | 53% | $214 | $3,183 |
| Nov | 45% | $201 | $2,507 |
| Dec | 43% | $170 | $2,241 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Bloomington
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Manager of Hills O' Brown Vacation Rentals | 53 | 1,355 | ★ 4.52 |
| 2 | Meyer Investing | 26 | 1,121 | ★ 4.80 |
| 3 | Moondance Vacation Rentals | 18 | 2,914 | ★ 4.70 |
| 4 | Evolve | 14 | 405 | ★ 4.56 |
| 5 | Brown County Vacation Rentals | 6 | 504 | ★ 4.96 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Bloomington?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 439 |
| 2 bed | 367 |
| 3 bed | 339 |
| 4 bed | 134 |
| 5 bed | 52 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $235 |
| Luxury | $438 |
| Professionally Managed | $255 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,881 |
| Entire Place | $2,789 |
| House | $2,888 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 60.7% |
| vrbo | 3.5% |
| both | 35.8% |
Investment Analysis
Bloomington’s investability score of 74.87 is moderate, with strong seasonality (77.11) and regulation (70.88) scores but a below-average revenue growth score of 44.34, reflecting the market’s difficulty sustaining the 2021 revenue peak. The total market score of 53.01 positions this as a stable rather than high-growth market.
At April 2026 average revenue of $2,589 per listing, the annualized run rate is approximately $31,071. Against a typical home value of $315,221, that implies a gross yield of approximately 9.9% before expenses. The median sale price of $306,336 offers a slight discount to typical value, and 639 homes listed for sale (with a 33-day median to pending) indicates a reasonably liquid housing market for acquisition.
ADR tier differential is meaningful: all-listings average is $223.23, entire-home properties average $234.76, professionally managed listings average $255.44, and the luxury tier averages $437.90. House-type listings outperform the entire-place aggregate with monthly revenue of $2,888 vs. $2,789 for entire-place broadly, and $1,881 for apartment-type units. The sale-to-list ratio of 0.844 indicates homes are generally selling below list price, which can create negotiating room for investors.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Bloomington guests book an average of 54.08 days in advance, the longest lead time in the current batch. This reflects the university event calendar: parents, alumni, and guests book football weekends, graduation, and move-in days months ahead. For hosts, the nearly 8-week booking window means event-weekend pricing should be set and locked well before calendar dates appear on guest radar.
The average length of stay is 3.11 nights, consistent with a weekend event pattern. That means approximately 8 to 9 booking cycles per month at full occupancy. Minimum stay requirements of 2 to 3 nights on event weekends are common and supported by the data.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Bloomington requires every short-term rental operator to hold a residential rental occupancy permit issued by the Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND) department under Title 16 of the Bloomington Municipal Code. Permits run 3 to 5 years depending on inspection results. Initial fees scale by bedroom count, starting at approximately $105 for a studio or one-bedroom, up to approximately $190 for a four-bedroom. Re-inspection visits cost $77 each, with a 25% discount when no violations are found at first inspection.
Inspectors check smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, egress, handrails, and structural condition. The permit must be displayed inside the unit, showing the legal bedroom count and maximum occupancy. Hosts must also register with the Indiana Department of Revenue to collect and remit 7% state sales tax and 5% Monroe County innkeeper’s tax, for a combined 12% on stays under 30 days.
Indiana HB 1035 (2018) preempts cities from banning STRs of an owner’s primary residence, but non-primary-residence rentals may be subject to special exception or variance requirements in certain residential zones. Occupancy in single-family zones is generally capped at one household or up to three unrelated adults. Operating without a permit can trigger fines of $2,500 for an initial violation and $5,000 for repeat violations. Enforcement severity is rated moderate. There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement for the HAND permit itself.
Market Comparison
Nationally, median STR occupancy is approximately 55% and median ADR is approximately $220. Bloomington’s April 2026 occupancy of 45.0% is below the national median, and ADR of $223.23 is just above it. RevPAR of $100.50 is below what a 55%-occupancy market at $220 ADR would produce ($121).
The revenue growth score of 44.34 is below the national midpoint, consistent with a market that peaked in 2021 (annual revenue $3,259/month, occupancy 61.1%) and has not recovered to those levels. Annual revenue in 2025 averaged $2,830/month, about 13% below the 2021 peak.
The top operator, listed as General Manager of Hills O’ Brown Vacation Rentals, holds 53 listings with a 4.522 rating. Meyer Investing manages 26 listings (4.802) and Moondance Vacation Rentals holds 18 listings (4.703). Evolve operates 14 listings (4.558) and Brown County Vacation Rentals manages 6 listings with a 4.959 rating. The smaller operator sizes reflect this market’s local and regionally focused management ecosystem rather than large-platform dominance.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bloomington, Indiana
What is the average daily rate for vacation rentals in Bloomington, IN?
What occupancy rate should I expect for a Bloomington, IN short-term rental?
Do I need a permit to operate a short-term rental in Bloomington, IN?
What is the typical monthly revenue for a Bloomington vacation rental?
What are the peak and slow seasons in Bloomington?
How far in advance do guests book Bloomington vacation rentals?
How does the Indiana University calendar affect Bloomington STR demand?
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