Worcester, Massachusetts Short-Term Rental Market
Worcester STR averages $187 ADR, 60.6% occupancy and $3,055 monthly revenue in September 2026.
Quick Answer: Worcester, Massachusetts is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Massachusetts Area market area is 61%. average monthly revenue in the Massachusetts Area market area is $3,055. average daily rate in the Massachusetts Area market area is $187. the top operator in the Massachusetts Area market area is Evolve with 53 listings. market score is 79/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the Massachusetts Area regional market, which includes Worcester. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Worcester.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Worcester is the second-largest city in New England and the commercial and cultural hub of Central Massachusetts, with a population of 213,862. As of September 2026, the Worcester area STR market tracks 2,365 listings, led by 1,660 entire-place rentals and 701 private rooms, with 4 shared rooms. By channel, 1,677 listings are on Airbnb only, 87 are on Vrbo only, and 601 are on both platforms. The bedroom mix skews small: 1,141 one-bedroom listings, 546 two-bedroom, 421 three-bedroom, 161 four-bedroom and 96 five-bedroom. The September 2026 average daily rate is $187 and occupancy is 60.6%, producing average monthly revenue of $3,055 per listing. Compared with September 2025, occupancy is up 4.7%, ADR is up 6.8% and revenue is up 6.5%. Demand comes mostly from regional visitors from the Boston metro and the rest of New England, plus university-related travel tied to WPI, Holy Cross, Clark and UMass Chan Medical School, and events at Polar Park, the Hanover Theatre, the Worcester Art Museum and Mechanics Hall. Summing the seasonal months, a typical listing earns about $26,023 per year. Calendar-year performance has settled since the 2021 peak of 70.9% occupancy. The year 2025 averaged 56.7% occupancy at a $166 ADR, while 2026 through September averages 57.5% at a $175 ADR. Higher rates and slightly better occupancy have lifted revenue, so 2026 year-to-date revenue of $2,759 per month is above the $2,623 recorded for 2025. StaySTRa’s market score for Worcester is 78.9 out of 100, with rental demand at 88.7 and seasonality at 80.1.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 49% |
| Feb | 56% |
| Mar | 56% |
| Apr | 61% |
| May | 63% |
| Jun | 65% |
| Jul | 69% |
| Aug | 70% |
| Sep | 64% |
| Oct | 63% |
| Nov | 54% |
| Dec | 52% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Worcester are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Massachusetts Area market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Massachusetts Area market as a whole, which includes Worcester, so these counts are not Worcester-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 53 | 2,248 | ★ 4.73 |
| 2 | Aspengrove Country Resort | 14 | 1,631 | ★ 4.61 |
| 3 | Vacasa | 7 | 32 | ★ 4.88 |
| 4 | DXW Rentals | 5 | 1,207 | ★ 4.82 |
| 5 | Ulrich Estates | 5 | 176 | ★ 3.98 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Worcester?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Worcester 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 | 70.9% |
| vrbo | 3.7% |
| both | 25.4% |
Home Value Trends (Worcester)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Worcester 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 Worcester — 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
Short-term rentals are permitted in Worcester. The city has no local STR license or permit in force, so there is no local permit fee, and enforcement is rated minimal. The one mandatory requirement is Massachusetts Department of Revenue registration, which applies to every rental of 31 days or less regardless of the number of rental days. State law also requires hosts to carry at least $1 million in liability insurance. Rentals are subject to the room occupancy excise, which combines the 5.7% state rate, Worcester’s 6% local option and a 2.75% convention center financing fee, for an effective total of 14.45%. There is no citywide cap on rental nights, and no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement. No STR-specific zoning is currently enforced, though dwellings must meet existing health, safety, building and fire codes. A proposal would have required an annual city license and potentially limited short-term rentals to commercially zoned areas, with the City Council authorizing the City Manager to develop regulations. That ordinance was never finalized or adopted, dates to reporting before 2022, and has not advanced in years. Investors should treat it as dormant rather than imminent, while still monitoring the city for any renewed action. Confirm current rules with the city and the Massachusetts DOR before purchasing.
Market Comparison
Worcester’s growth is notable: ADR is up 6.8% year over year and revenue is up 6.5%. Among tiers, the professionally managed ADR of $237 and the luxury ADR of $343 both sit well above the $187 all-listings ADR, which shows that well-positioned inventory can price above the market average. The largest operators in the Worcester area STR market are Evolve with 53 listings, Aspengrove Country Resort with 14, Vacasa with 7, DXW Rentals with 5 and Ulrich Estates with 5. Across the Worcester area STR market, which totals 2,365 listings, the market is fragmented, and most supply is run by individual hosts rather than large management companies. That leaves room for new entrants who offer strong guest service and competitive pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions About Worcester, Massachusetts
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