Kansas City, Kansas Short-Term Rental Market
Kansas City, KS STRs hit $213/night at 63.7% occupancy in April 2026, with a 94.2 market score and World Cup demand.
Quick Answer: Kansas City, Kansas is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Kansas City market area is 61%. average monthly revenue in the Kansas City market area is $4,115. average daily rate in the Kansas City market area is $268. the top operator in the Kansas City market area is Karat Vacation Rental Management with 102 listings. market score is 94/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the wider Kansas City market, which covers 16 areas. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Kansas City.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Kansas City, Kansas (Wyandotte County) is part of the greater Kansas City metro, which drew more than 28 million visitors in 2024. KCK is anchored by the Village West and Legends entertainment district, including Kansas Speedway (major NASCAR races), Legends Outlets, Hollywood Casino, and Children’s Mercy Park (home of MLS club Sporting KC). The city is also a co-host region for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with matches at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in adjacent Kansas City, MO, driving exceptional lodging demand from June through July 2026.
As of April 2026, the short-term rental market recorded an average daily rate of $213, occupancy of 63.7%, and RevPAR of $135. Average monthly revenue across all listing types reached $3,609. Year-over-year, occupancy rose 1.4 percentage points, ADR jumped 8.0%, and revenue surged 39.1%, the largest year-over-year revenue gain of the five markets covered in this batch, reflecting World Cup-adjacent demand and event-driven pricing.
The listing mix is primarily entire-place units (4,000 listings) with 674 private rooms and 5 shared rooms, out of approximately 4,679 total tracked listings. Airbnb dominates distribution with 2,589 Airbnb-only listings, 1,863 dual-platform listings (both Airbnb and VRBO), and 227 VRBO-only. Bedroom composition skews toward 1-bedroom (1,586) and 2-bedroom (1,111) properties, with 3-bedroom (1,073), 4-bedroom (561), and 5-bedroom (344) rounding out the inventory.
The market scores a 94.2 total rating, the highest of the five markets covered, driven by a 95.1 rental demand score and 91.6 seasonality score.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50% | $108 | $1,610 |
| Feb | 56% | $115 | $1,667 |
| Mar | 63% | $131 | $2,293 |
| Apr | 60% | $134 | $2,183 |
| May | 65% | $143 | $2,503 |
| Jun | 69% | $150 | $2,753 |
| Jul | 70% | $134 | $2,597 |
| Aug | 61% | $131 | $2,240 |
| Sep | 61% | $131 | $2,164 |
| Oct | 62% | $134 | $2,305 |
| Nov | 57% | $131 | $2,082 |
| Dec | 58% | $129 | $2,097 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Kansas City market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Kansas City market as a whole, which includes Kansas City, so these counts are not Kansas City-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karat Vacation Rental Management | 102 | 9,506 | ★ 4.73 |
| 2 | Cozy in KC | 93 | 10,766 | ★ 4.84 |
| 3 | OwlStays | 86 | 3,487 | ★ 4.57 |
| 4 | Short Term Rental Manager | 76 | 1,272 | ★ 4.84 |
| 5 | Evolve | 59 | 2,054 | ★ 4.63 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Kansas City?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,586 |
| 2 bed | 1,111 |
| 3 bed | 1,073 |
| 4 bed | 561 |
| 5 bed | 344 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $298 |
| Luxury | $478 |
| Professionally Managed | $270 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $3,363 |
| Entire Place | $4,523 |
| House | $4,439 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 55.3% |
| vrbo | 4.9% |
| both | 39.8% |
Investment Analysis
Kansas City, KS presents one of the most accessible urban STR investment profiles in the Midwest. The typical home value is approximately $203,000, with a median sale price of $221,000 and median list price of $229,000. Properties are selling at 96.3% of list price with a median of 13 days to pending, indicating a competitive but liquid housing market with active buyer competition.
At April 2026 average monthly revenue of $3,609, the current-period gross yield against the typical home value is approximately 21.4%. However, this figure is elevated by World Cup-period demand active through July 2026. Using the 2025 annual average revenue of $2,883 per month, a normalized gross yield estimate is approximately 17.1%, still strong relative to national STR benchmarks. Entire-place listings averaged $3,957 per month in April 2026, and houses averaged $4,137, while apartment-style units averaged $2,519.
Tier differentiation in KCK is notable. The professionally managed tier ADR of $201 is slightly below the all-listings average of $213 in April, suggesting that management firms in this market compete on volume and occupancy rather than pure rate premium. The luxury tier commanded $513 in ADR, reflecting demand from corporate and VIP travelers accessing the Kansas Speedway, the casino complex, and World Cup hospitality.
The long-run revenue trend confirms steady growth: annual average revenue per listing was $1,527 in 2017, rose to $2,199 in 2021, retreated to $2,394 in 2023, then accelerated to $2,840 in 2024 and $2,883 in 2025. ADR has tracked from $100 in 2017 to $158 in 2025. The 94.2 total market score and 86.1 investability score reflect the combination of strong demand, affordable entry prices, and consistent revenue growth.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Kansas City, KS guests book an average of 37 days in advance as of April 2026, the shortest lead time of the five markets covered, reflecting the event-driven and business-travel booking pattern of an urban market. The average length of stay is 4.6 nights, the longest of the five markets, which is notable for an urban market and likely reflects extended event stays (NASCAR race weekends, World Cup blocks) and business travelers booking week-long stays.
The 37-day lead time means that pricing adjustments approximately five weeks out influence most bookings. For event-based demand peaks like NASCAR race weekends at Kansas Speedway or World Cup match dates, operators should set elevated rates well in advance, as short-lead-time event bookers are typically less price-sensitive than leisure travelers. The 4.6-night average stay is advantageous for reducing turnover costs and cleaning frequency, since fewer guest changes are needed to fill a month compared to a market with 2- to 3-night averages.
For non-event periods, the urban corporate base means that weekly minimums can be viable for operators targeting extended-stay demand from relocating workers and contractors in the Wyandotte County industrial and logistics sector.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are legal in Kansas City, KS (the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KS), but require authorization from the Planning and Urban Design Department. Standard non-owner-occupied STRs must obtain a Special Use Permit, and under Ordinance O-49-23, only one non-owner-occupied STR is allowed per block face. Owner-occupied STRs have no per-block density cap.
For the 2026 FIFA World Cup period (major-event period May 4 through July 31, 2026), the Unified Government adopted a streamlined administrative license process: a $50 fee, a 3-business-day decision target, and a temporary suspension of the one-per-block density cap for non-owner-occupied units. This temporary pathway allowed new operators to enter the market for the event period specifically.
Guests pay a 10% Wyandotte County transient guest (hotel) tax, effective April 1, 2026 per the Kansas Department of Revenue rate schedule, up from an 8% baseline considered in mid-2025. Standard state and local sales taxes also apply to lodging.
Enforcement is moderate. The enforcement team had historically been limited in staffing, but fines were strengthened in early 2026: operating without a valid license carries penalties of roughly $1,000 to $15,000 per violation, with each day potentially constituting a separate violation per KCTV5 reporting. No owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement exists for owner-occupied units, and there is no published annual night cap.
Market Comparison
Kansas City, KS’s April 2026 occupancy of 63.7% exceeds the U.S. STR median of approximately 55% by a meaningful margin, placing it in the top tier of urban STR markets nationally by occupancy. The ADR of $213 is near the national median of roughly $220, but the combination of above-median occupancy and near-median rate produces a RevPAR of $135, substantially above the national norm.
The operator landscape is differentiated from most markets by the absence of Evolve or Vacasa in the top two positions. Karat Vacation Rental Management leads with 102 listings and a 4.73-star average across 9,506 reviews. Cozy in KC is second with 93 listings and a 4.84-star average across 10,800 reviews, the highest-rated operator in the market. OwlStays holds 86 listings at a 4.57-star average, Short Term Rental Manager has 76 listings at a 4.84-star average, and Evolve rounds out the top five with 59 listings at a 4.63 average. The top five collectively manage 416 listings, approximately 9% of the 4,679-plus tracked inventory.
The 94.2 total market score, 95.1 rental demand score, and 91.6 seasonality score position Kansas City, KS as one of the stronger urban STR markets in the Midwest. Affordable entry prices below $230,000 median combined with occupancy above 63% create a favorable revenue-to-cost ratio relative to coastal and high-appreciation markets.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kansas City, Kansas
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