Bridgman, Michigan Short-Term Rental Market
Bridgman area STRs averaged $282/night at 40.0% occupancy in April 2026, with July reaching 77.3% occupancy — though city limits effectively restrict STRs to surrounding townships.
Quick Answer: Bridgman, Michigan is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 40%. average monthly revenue is $2,613. average daily rate is $282. the top operator is Jaqua Realtors with 261 listings. market score is 77/100 (grade B).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Bridgman market area encompasses a broader Southwest Michigan Lake Michigan shoreline corridor in Berrien County, including Warren Dunes State Park, Lake Charter Township, and the unincorporated areas surrounding Bridgman city. This broader region supports roughly 8,243 active STR listings. A critical regulatory note applies upfront: within Bridgman city limits, residential short-term rentals are effectively prohibited under local zoning, which requires a minimum six-month lease in R-1 single-family residential districts. Market data presented here reflects activity across the surrounding townships and beach corridor, not Bridgman city proper.
In April 2026, the broader area market averaged $282 per night with 40.0% occupancy, generating an average monthly revenue of $2,613 per listing. RevPAR was $113. These April figures reflect the pre-summer shoulder season; July is the peak at 77.3% occupancy and $389 ADR.
Entire-place listings represent 7,953 of 8,243 listings (96% of the market), with private rooms accounting for 290 listings. VRBO has strong penetration relative to many markets: 1,269 exclusive VRBO listings versus 2,343 Airbnb-exclusive, and 4,631 operators active on both platforms.
Bedroom mix is weighted toward larger group properties: three-bedroom units lead at 2,180 listings, followed by two-bedroom (1,922), four-bedroom (1,448), five-bedroom-plus (1,200), and one-bedroom (1,487). This skew toward multi-bedroom properties reflects the group beach-trip and family-getaway demand profile.
Year-over-year in April 2026, all three metrics improved: occupancy rose 3.9 percentage points, ADR climbed 7.5%, and revenue increased 2.1% versus April 2025. The overall market score of 77.2 out of 100 is driven by standout investability (94.7) and revenue growth (94.4) scores.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30% | $260 | $2,213 |
| Feb | 36% | $252 | $2,182 |
| Mar | 41% | $250 | $2,479 |
| Apr | 40% | $266 | $2,449 |
| May | 49% | $310 | $2,983 |
| Jun | 63% | $379 | $5,332 |
| Jul | 77% | $389 | $7,509 |
| Aug | 69% | $388 | $6,895 |
| Sep | 42% | $340 | $3,855 |
| Oct | 38% | $293 | $3,173 |
| Nov | 30% | $278 | $2,456 |
| Dec | 35% | $279 | $2,443 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Bridgman
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaqua Realtors | 261 | 5,161 | ★ 4.72 |
| 2 | Evolve | 182 | 8,064 | ★ 4.66 |
| 3 | Vacasa | 175 | 7,412 | ★ 4.57 |
| 4 | Unsalted Vacations | 129 | 2,715 | ★ 4.73 |
| 5 | Bluefish Vacation Rentals | 112 | 2,880 | ★ 4.75 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Bridgman?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,487 |
| 2 bed | 1,922 |
| 3 bed | 2,180 |
| 4 bed | 1,448 |
| 5 bed | 1,200 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $284 |
| Luxury | $565 |
| Professionally Managed | $351 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,916 |
| Entire Place | $2,642 |
| House | $2,841 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 28.4% |
| vrbo | 15.4% |
| both | 56.2% |
Investment Analysis
The Bridgman area’s standout investment signals are its investability score of 94.7 and revenue growth score of 94.4, both near the top of any market tracked. Annual average revenue has risen from $2,650 per month in 2017 to $4,449 in 2025, a 68% increase. The 2025 ADR of $344 is the highest in the area’s tracked history.
The market-wide ADR of $282 in April 2026 rises significantly by tier: entire-home listings averaged $284, professionally managed properties averaged $351, and luxury-tier listings averaged $565 per night. The 2x luxury premium reflects premium Lake Michigan beachfront and dune-view properties that command substantially higher nightly rates.
Annualized at the April 2026 monthly average of $2,613, a typical listing projects approximately $31,356 per year. Using the 2025 full-year monthly average of $4,449 gives a more representative $53,388 annualized. No home-value data is available in the current dataset to compute purchase-price yield ratios.
A critical investment caveat: any property within Bridgman city limits cannot legally operate as a nightly STR under current zoning. Investment activity is concentrated in surrounding Lake Charter Township and other unincorporated Berrien County areas. Investors should confirm parcel-level zoning with Berrien County and the applicable township before purchasing for STR purposes. Michigan state law currently preserves local zoning authority over STRs after the preemption bill (HB 4722) did not become law, so Bridgman’s prohibition stands.
The regulation score of 72.8 reflects the moderate regulatory environment across the broader area (township-level rules vary), and the seasonality score of 44.1 signals significant summer concentration that requires active revenue management.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Bridgman area guests book an average of 50 days in advance, one of the longer lead times among comparable Midwest beach markets. This reflects deliberate summer vacation planning by Chicago-area and broader Midwest travelers securing peak-season dates well ahead of the July Fourth and summer holiday periods.
Average length of stay is 3.2 nights, consistent with a weekend-to-long-weekend beach trip profile. At 3.2 nights per booking, a listing running at July’s 77.3% occupancy would process approximately 7-8 bookings in that month.
The 50-day booking window means summer inventory should be priced and published well before May to capture early-planning travelers. For peak weeks around July Fourth and Labor Day, rates can be set aggressively 60-90 days out. The January-March off-season window calls for dynamic discounting in the 14-30 day window to improve occupancy in an otherwise soft period.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Bridgman city limits present a prohibitive environment for short-term rentals. The city’s zoning ordinance requires a minimum six-month lease in R-1 single-family residential districts, effectively barring nightly and weekly STR use. Local reporting confirms residential short-term rentals are not permitted within the city. Bridgman also passed a resolution opposing Michigan HB 4722, a state bill that would have legalized STRs as a permitted residential use in all zones and stripped local zoning authority. That bill did not become law, so Bridgman’s prohibition remains intact.
STR activity in the broader area data reflected on this page is concentrated in Lake Charter Township, unincorporated Berrien County areas, and other surrounding townships, which may have their own STR rules. Investors considering this area must verify parcel-level zoning with the applicable township or county before purchasing.
For tax compliance across the broader area: Michigan imposes a 6% state use tax on lodging stays of one month or less. Berrien County does not appear to levy a separate countywide accommodations excise tax. Enforcement in the broader area is rated moderate.
Bottom line: operating a nightly STR inside Bridgman city limits is not a code-compliant use under current zoning. Market performance data on this page reflects the surrounding corridor, not city-limit addresses.
Market Comparison
The Bridgman area’s April 2026 ADR of $282 is above the US STR median of approximately $220, consistent with the premium Lake Michigan shoreline properties command. Its 40.0% April occupancy trails the US median of approximately 55%, reflecting the market’s heavy summer concentration.
The investability score of 94.7 and revenue growth score of 94.4 rank this area among the highest in our dataset, driven by the Warren Dunes corridor’s consistent demand growth. Warren Dunes State Park alone averages more than one million visitors per year, underpinning a deep regional demand base.
On the operator side, Jaqua Realtors leads with 261 listings and 5,161 reviews (rating 4.72). Evolve follows with 182 listings and 8,064 reviews (rating 4.66). Vacasa manages 175 listings with 7,412 reviews (rating 4.57), Unsalted Vacations holds 129 listings with 2,715 reviews (rating 4.73), and Bluefish Vacation Rentals manages 112 listings with 2,880 reviews (rating 4.75). Together, these five operators control roughly 859 listings, approximately 10% of the 8,243-listing market, leaving a heavily independent operator landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bridgman, Michigan
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