Ellsworth, Maine Short-Term Rental Market
Ellsworth short-term rentals averaged $363 ADR, 64.9% occupancy and $6,325 monthly revenue in September 2026.
Quick Answer: Ellsworth, Maine is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Maine Down East/Acadia Coastal market area is 65%. average monthly revenue in the Maine Down East/Acadia Coastal market area is $6,325. average daily rate in the Maine Down East/Acadia Coastal market area is $363. the top operator in the Maine Down East/Acadia Coastal market area is Vacasa with 107 listings. market score is 87/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the Maine Down East/Acadia Coastal regional market, which includes Ellsworth. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Ellsworth.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Ellsworth, Maine is the county seat of Hancock County and the main gateway to Acadia National Park, about 30 minutes from Bar Harbor on U.S. Route 1. As of September 2026, the Ellsworth area STR market averaged an ADR of $363, occupancy of 64.9% and monthly revenue of $6,325 per listing. Compared with a year earlier, occupancy is up 3.7%, ADR is up 9.2% and revenue is up 10.5%, so growth is coming from both rate and bookings.
The Ellsworth area STR market tracks 4,687 listings. Entire places account for 4,402 of them and private rooms for 285, so this is overwhelmingly a whole-home market. By bedroom count, the mix is 1,427 one-bedroom listings, 1,290 two-bedroom, 1,134 three-bedroom, 509 four-bedroom and 321 with five bedrooms. On channels, 2,087 listings appear on both Airbnb and Vrbo, 1,873 on Airbnb only and 727 on Vrbo only.
Ellsworth is the largest city in the region, with a population of 8,657, and it captures lodging, dining and retail spending from Acadia-bound travelers. Acadia drew about 3.88 million recreational visits in 2023. Most visitors are pass-through and overnight guests, which fits the short average stay of 3.78 nights. A city-specific annual visitor count is not published. Demand is strongly seasonal, with summer and early fall carrying the year, although the city and the Heart of Ellsworth group launched DiscoverEllsworth.org to push year-round tourism.
StaySTRA market scores rate the area 86.5 overall, with rental demand at 87.8, investability at 87.8 and revenue growth at 90.7. Seasonality scores lower at 48.5 and regulation at 63.4, which reflects the swing between summer and winter and the pending registration rules covered below.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 43% |
| Feb | 53% |
| Mar | 56% |
| Apr | 60% |
| May | 63% |
| Jun | 73% |
| Jul | 79% |
| Aug | 81% |
| Sep | 64% |
| Oct | 63% |
| Nov | 39% |
| Dec | 48% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Ellsworth are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Maine Down East/Acadia Coastal market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Maine Down East/Acadia Coastal market as a whole, which includes Ellsworth, so these counts are not Ellsworth-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 107 | 3,542 | ★ 4.45 |
| 2 | Salt Air Properties LLC | 97 | 1,781 | ★ 4.74 |
| 3 | Evolve | 80 | 3,173 | ★ 4.73 |
| 4 | Maebeth Property Management | 77 | 4,988 | ★ 4.86 |
| 5 | Tides To Pines | 53 | 1,102 | ★ 4.34 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Ellsworth?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Ellsworth 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 | 40% |
| vrbo | 15.5% |
| both | 44.5% |
Home Value Trends (Ellsworth)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Ellsworth 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 Ellsworth — 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
As of the June 2026 profile update, Ellsworth has no local short-term rental ordinance in force. There is no STR permit, no registration, no cap on nights per year, and no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement. A temporary STR ordinance enacted during the 2020 pandemic has expired. Enforcement severity is rated minimal, and Ellsworth was ranked the number 2 best U.S. place to own a vacation rental in a 2024 list. It is notably more permissive than nearby Bar Harbor and Portland.
The firm obligations are at the state level. Operators must register with Maine Revenue Services and collect and remit Maine’s 9% lodging tax on the rental price, including cleaning and guest fees. A narrow state exemption exists for a sole proprietor renting a single unit for fewer than 15 days per year.
Change is underway. Code Enforcement Officer Robert Grant is drafting an ordinance that would require STR registration, charge a fee to cover software and inspection costs, require hotel and motel style safety inspections, and set penalties for non-registration. The city requested about $40,000 for OpenGov software in the FY2027 budget, and the draft was expected before City Council in May or June 2026. The city is also rewriting its Unified Ordinance (Chapter 56), partly to comply with Maine’s 2025 housing and zoning laws due by July 1, 2026, and has floated restricting STRs to specific zones. Investors should treat the current permissive environment as likely temporary and confirm the latest council actions with the city before buying.
Market Comparison
Ellsworth posted 64.9% occupancy and a $363 ADR in September 2026, with revenue up 10.5% year over year, though the market is highly seasonal and occupancy falls as low as 39.2% in winter.
The Ellsworth area STR market has an established operator base. Vacasa leads with 107 listings and a 4.45 rating from 3,542 reviews. Salt Air Properties LLC follows with 97 listings and a 4.74 rating. Evolve has 80 listings and a 4.73 rating, Maebeth Property Management has 77 listings and a 4.86 rating from 4,988 reviews, and Tides To Pines has 53 listings. Together the five operators manage 414 listings, about 8.8% of the 4,687 tracked, so most supply is still held by independent owners.
That leaves room for local operators, and the ratings show that guest experience separates the leaders. Compared with Bar Harbor and Portland, Ellsworth currently has lighter regulation, but that edge may narrow if the registration ordinance passes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ellsworth, Maine
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