Emporia, Kansas Short-Term Rental Market
Emporia, KS STRs averaged $135/night at 49.0% occupancy in April 2026, anchored by Unbound Gravel cycling and a 94.85 investability score.
Quick Answer: Emporia, Kansas is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Kansas Area market area is 52%. average monthly revenue in the Kansas Area market area is $2,140. average daily rate in the Kansas Area market area is $142. the top operator in the Kansas Area market area is Evolve with 60 listings. market score is 86/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the Kansas Area regional market, which includes Emporia. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Emporia.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Emporia is a Flint Hills city of roughly 24,131 residents in east-central Kansas, positioned as the self-described Gravel Capital of the World. Its signature event, Lifetime Unbound Gravel (formerly Dirty Kanza), draws approximately 10,700 to 12,000 attendees each year, generating an estimated $21.7 million in economic impact and creating one of the most concentrated demand spikes of any mid-sized American STR market. Other draws include the Glass Blown Open disc golf tournament, Emporia State University, the historic downtown district with over 115 contributing buildings, and Flint Hills outdoor recreation.
As of April 2026, the market recorded an average daily rate of $135 and occupancy of 49.0%. RevPAR stood at $66.36. The active listing pool totals approximately 4,308 properties. Entire-place rentals make up 3,839 listings (89% of supply), with 466 private rooms and 3 shared rooms. By bedroom count: 1-bedroom units account for 1,408 listings, 2-bedrooms 1,317, 3-bedrooms 936, 4-bedrooms 419, and 5-bedroom-plus properties 223. Channel distribution shows 2,863 listings on Airbnb only, 1,244 on both Airbnb and VRBO, and 201 on VRBO only, reflecting strong Airbnb dominance in this market.
Year-over-year as of April 2026, occupancy declined 9.75 percentage points and revenue fell 5.04%, while ADR rose 2.38%. The composite market score is 85.93 out of 100, driven by an investability score of 94.85 and a seasonality score of 91.68, the latter indicating highly consistent year-round demand.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 40% |
| Feb | 45% |
| Mar | 49% |
| Apr | 50% |
| May | 52% |
| Jun | 54% |
| Jul | 56% |
| Aug | 52% |
| Sep | 51% |
| Oct | 49% |
| Nov | 53% |
| Dec | 47% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Emporia are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Kansas Area market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Kansas Area market as a whole, which includes Emporia, so these counts are not Emporia-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 60 | 2,098 | ★ 4.74 |
| 2 | Stay Awhile | 18 | 2,494 | ★ 4.96 |
| 3 | OwlStays | 11 | 447 | ★ 4.56 |
| 4 | Equi-Venture Farm | 10 | 2,667 | ★ 4.85 |
| 5 | Swin Housing | 8 | 454 | ★ 4.84 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Emporia?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Emporia 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 | 66.5% |
| vrbo | 4.7% |
| both | 28.9% |
Home Value Trends (Emporia)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Emporia 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 Emporia — 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
Emporia has no dedicated short-term rental permit, registration program, or STR-specific ordinance. No STR license was found on the city’s published permits page, and the municipal code does not contain an STR registration article. Operators are not required to obtain a permit specific to short-term rentals. The primary tax obligation is Emporia’s transient guest tax of 8%, which applies to lodging stays of 28 consecutive days or fewer, including platform-listed STRs. This tax is collected alongside Kansas state and local sales taxes on short-term lodging. Airbnb and VRBO collect and remit applicable taxes automatically for platform-booked stays.
No owner-occupancy requirement, primary-residence mandate, annual night cap, or STR cost ceiling was found. Operators must still comply with general zoning regulations and business tax registration. The city updated its Zoning Regulations via Ordinance 23-28 (adopted September 20, 2023), though this did not establish an STR-specific regime. Land use defaults to applicable residential or commercial zoning; operators should confirm their zoning district with Emporia Planning and Zoning before listing.
Enforcement is minimal given the absence of a registration requirement. However, Unbound Gravel’s growing economic footprint and rising lodging costs have attracted local attention, so regulations could evolve. Confirm current requirements directly with the City of Emporia before operating.
Market Comparison
Against national STR benchmarks (median occupancy approximately 55%, median ADR approximately $220), Emporia’s April 2026 occupancy of 49.0% is below the national median and the ADR of $135 is roughly 39% below. The 2025 full-year average occupancy of 51.94% and ADR of $133 reflect a small-city market where the value proposition for investors is low acquisition cost combined with steady, event-boosted demand rather than high per-night rates.
The professional management segment is small and fragmented. Evolve leads with 60 listings and a 4.74 average rating across 2,098 reviews, representing roughly 1.4% of the approximately 4,308-listing market. Stay Awhile manages 18 listings with a notably high 4.96 rating and 2,494 reviews. Equi-Venture Farm holds 10 listings with 2,667 reviews at a 4.85 rating, suggesting a well-established niche operator. OwlStays (11 listings, 4.56 rating) and Swin Housing (8 listings, 4.84 rating) complete the top five. The very low listing counts across all five operators confirm that Emporia’s STR market is almost entirely independently operated, which limits competitive management pressure but also means less pricing infrastructure for new entrants to benchmark against.
Frequently Asked Questions About Emporia, Kansas
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