Council Bluffs, Iowa Short-Term Rental Market
Council Bluffs, IA STRs averaged $137/night at 51.4% occupancy in April 2026 near Omaha.
Quick Answer: Council Bluffs, Iowa is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 61%. average monthly revenue is $3,283. average daily rate is $200. the top operator is Evolve with 93 listings. market score is 76/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the Iowa Area regional market, which includes Council Bluffs. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Council Bluffs.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Council Bluffs is southwest Iowa’s largest short-term rental market, powered by three major casinos and proximity to the Omaha, Nebraska metro across the Missouri River. In April 2026, listings averaged $137.01 per night with an overall occupancy rate of 51.4% and a RevPAR of $70.38. Year-over-year performance in April was notably strong: occupancy improved 7.13 percentage points, ADR rose 2.82%, and average monthly revenue grew 8.48% compared to April 2025.
The market is dominated by entire-place rentals. Of the approximately 6,202 listings tracked, 5,621 are entire-place, 579 are private rooms, and just 2 are shared rooms. Bedroom distribution skews toward smaller properties: 1,959 one-bedroom listings, 1,706 two-bedroom, 1,427 three-bedroom, 705 four-bedroom, and 399 five-or-more-bedroom listings. Channel reach leans heavily toward Airbnb, with 3,641 Airbnb-only listings, 475 VRBO-only, and 2,086 listed on both platforms.
The market’s composite StaySTRA score is 76.23. Sub-scores highlight strengths in investability (84.39) and rental demand (78.53), driven by the casino-tourism economy and year-round visitor flow. The regulation score of 62.29 reflects Iowa’s strong state-level STR preemption framework, which limits what cities can restrict.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41% | $112 | $1,337 |
| Feb | 45% | $109 | $1,306 |
| Mar | 50% | $110 | $1,495 |
| Apr | 50% | $116 | $1,527 |
| May | 54% | $138 | $1,862 |
| Jun | 61% | $175 | $2,803 |
| Jul | 64% | $180 | $3,161 |
| Aug | 57% | $169 | $2,721 |
| Sep | 50% | $143 | $1,946 |
| Oct | 50% | $133 | $1,893 |
| Nov | 48% | $123 | $1,630 |
| Dec | 46% | $120 | $1,579 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Council Bluffs
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 93 | 2,760 | ★ 4.64 |
| 2 | Okoboji Vacation Co. | 59 | 975 | ★ 4.69 |
| 3 | 228 Spaces | 36 | 1,026 | ★ 4.76 |
| 4 | CR Short Stays | 30 | 2,429 | ★ 4.86 |
| 5 | Iowa Cabin Rentals | 23 | 378 | ★ 4.20 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Council Bluffs?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,959 |
| 2 bed | 1,706 |
| 3 bed | 1,427 |
| 4 bed | 705 |
| 5 bed | 399 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $210 |
| Luxury | $384 |
| Professionally Managed | $246 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,604 |
| Entire Place | $3,454 |
| House | $3,734 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 58.7% |
| vrbo | 7.7% |
| both | 33.6% |
Investment Analysis
Council Bluffs offers relatively low entry costs by STR market standards, though current housing price data from our Zillow feed is not yet available for this area. Investors should source local valuations independently before modeling returns.
At the April 2026 average of $1,824 per month, annualized revenue projects to approximately $21,889 per year at that pace. Houses outperform the all-listing average at $2,036.32 per month, versus $1,917.76 for entire-place listings broadly and $1,516.07 for apartments. Professionally managed listings command a meaningful premium: their April ADR of $151.28 per night is 10% above the all-listing average of $137.01. Luxury-tier properties reach $258.67 per night, 89% above the market average.
The +8.48% year-over-year revenue growth in April is the strongest YoY trend among the five markets processed in this batch. Annualized occupancy in 2025 averaged 50.95% at $154 ADR for an average monthly revenue of approximately $2,228. The casino-anchored visitor base (roughly 10 million annual visitors to Pottawattamie County) provides a demand floor that distinguishes Council Bluffs from purely seasonal recreation markets.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
In April 2026, the average booking lead time in Council Bluffs was 40.56 days, and the average length of stay was 4.39 nights. The 40-day lead window is consistent with guests planning a dedicated gaming or regional travel trip rather than spontaneous local getaways. The nearly 4.4-night average stay is above the national STR norm, suggesting guests combine a casino visit with broader Omaha-area activity over multiple nights.
For operators, a 40-day booking window means most confirmed stays are in hand roughly five to six weeks out, leaving a predictable last-minute window to fill gaps. The longer stay length reduces per-booking cleaning frequency relative to a market with two-night stays, which can meaningfully improve net operating margins for owner-operators.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are legal in Council Bluffs and are strongly protected under Iowa state law. Iowa House File 2641 (2020), codified in Iowa Code Chapter 414, prohibits cities from banning STRs, requiring STR-specific permits, or charging STR-targeted fees. Regulations must apply uniformly to comparable non-STR properties. As a result, Council Bluffs imposes no STR-specific permit, no owner-occupancy mandate, no primary-residence requirement, and no cap on annual rental nights.
Operators are subject to the city’s general rental housing inspection and registration program, which Iowa requires of cities with populations over 15,000 and applies to all residential rentals, not just STRs. Minimum dwelling standards, fire and building safety, sanitation, noise, and nuisance rules apply.
On taxes, STR stays of 31 days or less are subject to Iowa’s 5% state hotel/motel excise tax. A local Council Bluffs hotel/motel tax also applies; Iowa permits local rates up to 7%, though the exact current Council Bluffs local rate was not confirmed from primary sources during this research. Airbnb and VRBO generally collect Iowa state and local lodging taxes on hosts’ behalf. Enforcement is minimal under the state preemption framework.
Market Comparison
Council Bluffs April 2026 occupancy of 51.4% sits slightly below the approximate U.S. STR median of 55%. The all-listing ADR of $137.01 is well below the national median of roughly $220, reflecting Iowa’s lower lodging cost structure compared to coastal or mountain resort markets.
Among active operators, Evolve leads with 93 listings and 2,760 reviews at a 4.641 rating. Okoboji Vacation Co. operates 59 listings at 4.694. 228 Spaces holds 36 listings with 1,026 reviews at 4.755. CR Short Stays manages 30 listings with 2,429 reviews and a strong 4.856 rating, and Iowa Cabin Rentals operates 23 listings at 4.201. The presence of Iowa-based regional operators alongside Evolve indicates a market where local management infrastructure exists. The casino-driven visitor base of approximately 10 million annual visitors to Pottawattamie County gives Council Bluffs an unusually large demand funnel relative to its modest STR ADR.
Frequently Asked Questions About Council Bluffs, Iowa
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