Chesapeake Beach, Maryland Short-Term Rental Market
Chesapeake Beach, MD STRs averaged $211/night at 48.6% occupancy in April 2026, concentrated in maritime and commercial zones.
Quick Answer: Chesapeake Beach, Maryland is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 49%. average monthly revenue is $2,623. average daily rate is $211. the top operator is Evolve with 95 listings. market score is 59/100 (grade C).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Chesapeake Beach is a small bayfront resort town of approximately 6,504 residents in Calvert County, Maryland, about 35 miles southeast of Washington, D.C. The town draws drive-market visitors from the D.C. and Baltimore metro areas for fishing, water park access, and Chesapeake Bay recreation. STR activity is legally concentrated in maritime and commercial zoning districts, as the town prohibits short-term rentals in residential zones under a 2019 housing ordinance.
The market posted a $210.85 average daily rate and 48.6% occupancy in April 2026, generating $102.42 in RevPAR. Year-over-year, occupancy declined 1.1%, ADR rose 1.3%, and revenue fell 0.3%, reflecting a broadly flat market trend. The 3,415 total listing records are distributed across bedroom sizes: 1-bedroom (1,272), 2-bedroom (686), 3-bedroom (748), 4-bedroom (397), and 5-bedroom or larger (308). By listing type, entire-place units dominate at 2,762, with private rooms at 643 and shared rooms at 10. Channel data shows 1,960 Airbnb-only listings, 1,233 on both platforms, and 222 VRBO-only. Market scores reflect balanced performance: investability 71.1, regulation 70.0, rental demand 69.5, seasonality 63.4, and revenue growth 62.9.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40% | $148 | $1,750 |
| Feb | 49% | $141 | $1,715 |
| Mar | 51% | $150 | $1,984 |
| Apr | 53% | $177 | $2,384 |
| May | 56% | $209 | $2,922 |
| Jun | 61% | $244 | $3,909 |
| Jul | 63% | $244 | $4,140 |
| Aug | 61% | $249 | $4,131 |
| Sep | 53% | $218 | $3,100 |
| Oct | 51% | $198 | $2,838 |
| Nov | 46% | $181 | $2,310 |
| Dec | 45% | $167 | $2,174 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Chesapeake Beach
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 95 | 2,986 | ★ 4.74 |
| 2 | Eastern Shore Vacations | 61 | 806 | ★ 4.76 |
| 3 | Flaneur | 34 | 981 | ★ 4.89 |
| 4 | Equitable | 28 | 286 | ★ 4.38 |
| 5 | Bartlett Real Estate Solutions | 16 | 1,109 | ★ 4.74 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Chesapeake Beach?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,272 |
| 2 bed | 686 |
| 3 bed | 748 |
| 4 bed | 397 |
| 5 bed | 308 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $236 |
| Luxury | $440 |
| Professionally Managed | $327 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,010 |
| Entire Place | $2,913 |
| House | $2,856 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 57.4% |
| vrbo | 6.5% |
| both | 36.1% |
Investment Analysis
Chesapeake Beach presents a narrow but meaningful investment case for commercially or maritime-zoned properties. The overall April 2026 ADR was $210.85, with entire-home listings averaging $235.97 and professionally managed properties averaging $326.79, a 54.9% premium over the broad market average. Luxury-tier listings averaged $439.91 per night. Revenue for entire-place listings averaged $2,913 per month and houses averaged $2,856, while apartments trailed at $2,010 per month.
The typical home value in Chesapeake Beach was $463,553 as of April 2026 (Zillow). At the April 2026 average monthly revenue of $2,623, annualized revenue comes to approximately $31,470, implying a gross yield of approximately 6.8% relative to typical home value. However, this figure is only meaningful for properties in eligible commercial or maritime zones; residential properties in this town cannot legally operate as STRs. Median days to pending was 10, and for-sale inventory stood at 47 units, both indicators of a reasonably active but constrained resale market. The median list price was $478,950. The 2025 full-year average revenue was $3,195 per month, and the market has trended flat-to-slightly-declining since the 2021 peak average of $3,443 per month.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
Run a Free Address Analysis
Skip the market averages. Get revenue projections, comp analysis, and ROI for your specific property address. Free, instant, no signup required.
Analyze My Property →Home Value Trends (Chesapeake Beach)
Booking Insights
Chesapeake Beach guests book an average of 45.1 days in advance, a somewhat longer lead time than many comparable small-town coastal markets. This suggests guests are planning trips to coincide with the water park season and fishing charter schedules, particularly for summer stays, and booking relatively early to secure preferred dates. Operators can use this longer runway to set rates with confidence and avoid aggressive discounting until the 30-day mark approaches.
Average length of stay is 4.0 nights, a clean midpoint between weekend getaways and extended week-long beach stays. This aligns with the market’s drive-market profile: visitors from D.C. and Baltimore tend to arrive for long weekends or mid-week breaks rather than full-week vacations. A four-night average means moderate turnover frequency, with cleaning and restocking costs that are lower than a pure two-night-stay market but higher than a weekly-rental destination.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Chesapeake Beach imposes one of the stricter local STR frameworks in Maryland. The town defines a rental as a housing unit leased for 30 consecutive days or more, making any stay under 30 days a short-term rental. Under the Zoning Ordinance and Housing Code Ordinance O-19-11 adopted in May 2019, STRs are prohibited in all residentially zoned districts. Short-term lodging is permitted only in maritime and commercial zoning districts, with an approved zoning permit required.
In residential areas, the only legal short-term lodging option is a Bed and Breakfast, defined as an owner-occupied or manager-occupied property providing lodging and meals by prearrangement. Operating a B&B requires a permit application, county inspection, full town and county permitting, and membership on the Maryland state B&B registry before any operations begin. Enforcement is strict: each day a violation continues is treated as a separate infraction subject to separate fines. On the tax side, Calvert County imposes a 5% accommodations tax on transient lodging charges, and Maryland’s 6% state sales and use tax also applies. As of 2025, Maryland requires booking platforms with 200 or more bookings or $100,000 or more in annual revenue to collect and remit hotel occupancy taxes to the state comptroller. No permit cost was confirmed in available sources for the zoning permit. Investors should treat residential Chesapeake Beach properties as STR-ineligible without a zoning reclassification.
Market Comparison
Chesapeake Beach’s 48.6% occupancy in April 2026 is below the US STR median of approximately 55%, and its $210.85 ADR is modestly below the US STR median of approximately $220. Both figures reflect the town’s small scale (6,504 residents) and the legal restriction of STR operations to commercial and maritime zones. RevPAR of $102.42 is modest by coastal mid-Atlantic standards. The 2025 annual average occupancy of 50.5% and ADR of $224 paint a somewhat stronger picture of full-year performance.
The professional management landscape is modest in scale relative to total listings. Evolve leads with 95 listings and 2,986 reviews (4.74 average rating). Eastern Shore Vacations follows with 61 listings and 806 reviews (4.76 rating). Flaneur holds 34 listings with a 4.89 average rating across 981 reviews. Equitable manages 28 listings with 286 reviews (4.38 rating), and Bartlett Real Estate Solutions rounds out the top five with 16 listings and 1,109 reviews (4.74 rating). The top five operators collectively manage 234 listings, representing approximately 6.9% of the 3,415 total listing records, a highly fragmented supply where independent operators hold dominant share.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chesapeake Beach, Maryland
Are short-term rentals legal in Chesapeake Beach, MD?
What is the average daily rate for STRs in Chesapeake Beach, MD?
What occupancy rates do STRs achieve in Chesapeake Beach, MD?
How much monthly revenue can a Chesapeake Beach STR generate?
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Chesapeake Beach, MD?
What is the typical home value in Chesapeake Beach, MD?
What is the estimated gross yield for an STR in Chesapeake Beach, MD?
Analyze Chesapeake Beach Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Chesapeake Beach.
Free Chesapeake Beach STR Calculator →
