Frankfort, Kentucky Short-Term Rental Market
Frankfort, KY STRs averaged $183/night at 50.4% occupancy in April 2026, with a market investability score of 97.8/100.
Quick Answer: Frankfort, Kentucky is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Kentucky Area market area is 48%. average monthly revenue in the Kentucky Area market area is $2,886. average daily rate in the Kentucky Area market area is $203. the top operator in the Kentucky Area market area is Evolve with 344 listings. market score is 89/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the Kentucky Area regional market, which includes Frankfort. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Frankfort.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Frankfort is Kentucky’s state capital with a population of approximately 28,600, generating short-term rental activity that draws on government, history, and bourbon tourism rather than resort demand. In April 2026, the market recorded an average daily rate of $183 and occupancy of 50.4%, producing RevPAR of $92. Year-over-year, occupancy is essentially flat (+0.2%), while ADR gained 2.7% and revenue grew 3.4%, indicating modest but steady rate-led growth.
The active listing base is substantial for a city of this size. Entire-place listings dominate at 7,999 units, with private rooms accounting for 449 and shared rooms at just 3. By bedroom count, the inventory is fairly evenly distributed: 1-bedroom (2,293 listings), 2-bedroom (2,493), and 3-bedroom (2,234) each carry meaningful share, with 4-bedroom (859) and 5-bedroom-plus (566) rounding out the supply. Channel distribution shows 3,945 Airbnb-only listings, 813 VRBO-only, and 3,693 active on both platforms, reflecting a mature multi-channel market. The market’s total score of 88.9/100 is anchored by an exceptionally high investability score of 97.8/100.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 34% |
| Feb | 44% |
| Mar | 53% |
| Apr | 51% |
| May | 51% |
| Jun | 60% |
| Jul | 62% |
| Aug | 51% |
| Sep | 47% |
| Oct | 51% |
| Nov | 45% |
| Dec | 41% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Frankfort are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Kentucky Area market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Kentucky Area market as a whole, which includes Frankfort, so these counts are not Frankfort-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 344 | 14,456 | ★ 4.76 |
| 2 | Green Turtle Bay Resort | 85 | 274 | ★ 4.73 |
| 3 | Neat Suites | 41 | 1,165 | ★ 4.81 |
| 4 | Lyric | 39 | 3,002 | ★ 4.81 |
| 5 | Lake Cumberland Resort III | 30 | 902 | ★ 4.66 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Frankfort?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Frankfort 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 | 46.7% |
| vrbo | 9.6% |
| both | 43.7% |
Home Value Trends (Frankfort)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Frankfort 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 Frankfort — 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
Frankfort and Franklin County permit short-term rentals but require registration. All operators must obtain a Franklin County business license ($40 application fee) and complete an annual STR registration with the Planning and Building Codes Department. The key regulatory distinction is hosted versus unhosted: hosted rentals where the owner lives on the property are generally permitted, while unhosted rentals require a Conditional Use Permit approved by the Board of Zoning Adjustment. There is no published cap on nights per year, and neither owner-occupancy nor primary residence is required to operate, but unhosted operators must navigate the CUP process, which can be denied based on neighborhood conditions.
On taxes, operators owe a combined 9% in local transient room taxes: 4% city, 3% county, and 2% fine arts, plus Kentucky’s 1% statewide transient room tax and 6% state sales tax. Airbnb collects and remits only the state-level taxes; hosts are responsible for local taxes. Enforcement is classified as moderate. In 2025, Kentucky considered SB 110 and SB 61, which would have limited local governments’ ability to require CUPs; as of mid-2026, the CUP requirement for unhosted rentals remains in effect.
Market Comparison
At $183 ADR and 50.4% occupancy, Frankfort sits below the US STR median ADR of approximately $220 but within the typical occupancy range of 50-60% for non-resort markets. RevPAR of $92 is consistent with a secondary city market that depends on event-driven and heritage tourism rather than leisure resort demand.
The professionally managed segment at $205/night suggests a 12% rate premium for quality, which is a reliable signal in markets where most operators self-manage. Evolve leads the professional operator landscape with 344 listings and 14,456 reviews at a 4.76 average rating. Green Turtle Bay Resort holds 85 listings (primarily Lake Cumberland area), and Neat Suites operates 41 listings at a 4.81 rating. Evolve’s 344 listings represent a meaningful share of the approximately 8,451 total listed properties, indicating that institutional management is present but not yet dominant. The market’s total score of 88.9/100 compares favorably to similarly sized state capital markets.
Frequently Asked Questions About Frankfort, Kentucky
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