Ludington, Michigan Short-Term Rental Market
Ludington, MI Lake Michigan STRs averaged $282/night at 40.0% occupancy in April 2026, peaking at 77.3% occupancy in July.
Quick Answer: Ludington, Michigan is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 66%. average monthly revenue is $7,737. average daily rate is $492. the top operator is Jaqua Realtors with 261 listings. market score is 77/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the Michigan West Coastal regional market, which includes Ludington. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Ludington.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Ludington, Michigan, a Lake Michigan port city in Mason County, is one of western Michigan’s primary summer tourism destinations. The area draws approximately 1.1 million non-commuter visitors each summer (per a Michigan State University Center for Economic Analysis study), anchored by Ludington State Park (5,300 acres, two Lake Michigan beaches, 21 miles of trails), the S.S. Badger car ferry connecting Ludington to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and Big Sable Point Lighthouse. Mason County visitor spending reached approximately $192 million in 2023.
Data through April 2026 covers the broader Ludington area and surrounding Mason County lakeside region, not solely the incorporated city of Ludington. (See Regulatory Summary for the City of Ludington’s strict 30-license hard cap, which applies only within city limits.) The April 2026 reading shows the market at 40.0% average occupancy and a $282 average daily rate, producing approximately $2,613 in average monthly revenue per listing. RevPAR stands at $112.52. April is a shoulder month; the market reaches 77.3% occupancy in July. Year-over-year, April 2026 occupancy increased 3.9 percentage points versus April 2025, ADR gained 7.5%, and revenue improved 2.1%.
The listing base totals approximately 8,243 active units. Entire-place rentals account for 7,953 listings (96.5% of the market), with private rooms adding 290 listings. The bedroom mix is broad: 3-bedroom units lead at 2,180, followed by 2-bedroom (1,922), 1-bedroom (1,487), 4-bedroom (1,448), and 5-bedroom or larger (1,200). The channel mix features 4,631 dual-channel listings on both Airbnb and VRBO, 2,343 Airbnb-exclusive listings, and 1,269 VRBO-exclusive listings.
The market’s composite score is 77.2 out of 100. Investability leads at 94.7 and revenue growth at 94.4, both exceptional. Rental demand scores 57.4, reflecting moderate off-peak occupancy. Regulation scores 72.8. Seasonality scores 44.1, reflecting extreme summer concentration.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30% | $260 | $2,214 |
| Feb | 36% | $252 | $2,183 |
| Mar | 41% | $249 | $2,479 |
| Apr | 40% | $266 | $2,448 |
| May | 49% | $318 | $3,104 |
| Jun | 63% | $392 | $5,599 |
| Jul | 77% | $389 | $7,507 |
| Aug | 68% | $388 | $6,895 |
| Sep | 42% | $340 | $3,855 |
| Oct | 38% | $293 | $3,172 |
| Nov | 30% | $278 | $2,455 |
| Dec | 35% | $279 | $2,446 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Ludington
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 Ludington?
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 | $499 |
| Luxury | $827 |
| Professionally Managed | $616 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $5,059 |
| Entire Place | $7,874 |
| House | $8,516 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 28.4% |
| vrbo | 15.4% |
| both | 56.2% |
Investment Analysis
The April 2026 average monthly revenue of $2,613 reflects a shoulder month. The 2025 full-year average was $4,449 per month, annualizing to approximately $53,388, the highest on record for this market. Revenue has increased in four of the last five years: $3,973 (2023) to $4,136 (2024) to $4,449 (2025). Zillow housing data is not available for this area; no typical home value or median sale price is on file. Investors should source local Mason County comparables before modeling returns.
Pricing tier data shows entire-home listings averaging $284.31 per night, essentially equal to the $282 market-wide ADR. Professionally managed listings average $350.84 per night, a 25% premium. Luxury-tier listings command $564.66 per night, a 100% premium over the market average, the largest luxury multiple in this content batch. At the market’s April 2026 average occupancy of 40.0%, a professionally managed property would generate an estimated approximately $4,204 per month gross ($350.84 per night times 40.0% times 30 days), and a luxury-tier property approximately $6,767 per month gross, before expenses. At peak July occupancy of 77.3%, these figures rise substantially.
Revenue by property type shows houses averaging $2,841 per month, entire-place listings $2,642, and apartments $1,916. The $925 gap between house and apartment monthly revenues reflects the premium of dedicated vacation homes over apartment-style units in this lake resort market.
An important investment consideration: the City of Ludington operates a 30-license hard cap for STRs within city limits. As of mid-2022, the cap was reached with no licenses available. Acquiring a property within city limits and expecting to legally rent it short-term is not currently feasible without a license transfer from an exiting operator. Properties in surrounding Mason County townships operate under different, typically more permissive, rules and represent a more accessible path for new investors. Confirm current license availability and township-specific rules before any purchase.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
The average booking lead time for Ludington-area STRs is approximately 50 days, nearly seven weeks ahead of arrival. This longer window reflects the nature of planned summer lake vacations in a market where July availability is constrained by high demand and limited inventory.
Average length of stay is 3.2 nights per booking. At 40.0% occupancy in April, a listing accumulates approximately 12.0 booked nights. Divided by 3.2 nights per stay, this implies roughly 4 guest turnovers per month during the shoulder. At peak July occupancy (77.3%), booked nights rise to approximately 23.2 per month, implying roughly 7 turnovers, the highest turnover rate in this batch.
The 50-day lead time aligned with a summer-peak market suggests that July and August weekends are booked earliest, often within the first two to three weeks after availability opens. Hosts who block pricing windows for summer dates early and apply dynamic pricing for fall foliage and late-spring openings will typically see the highest annual returns. Marketing the September shoulder (40-42% occupancy but $340 ADR) in the 6-8 week window before that period can materially improve off-peak revenue.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals in the City of Ludington, Michigan, are legal but strictly controlled under Ordinance No. 429-20 (adopted 2020), later amended by Ordinance 523-23. The city enforces a hard cap of 30 total STR licenses citywide, with a maximum of two licenses per city block. When licenses are available, they are allocated by random lottery; unsuccessful applicants are placed on a waiting list. As of mid-2022, the city reported the 30-license cap as fully subscribed with no licenses available. Verify current waiting-list status and any post-2023 amendments directly with the City of Ludington Planning and Zoning office at 231-843-2956 before making any purchase decision.
Licenses run three-year terms. The fee structure is approximately $500 non-refundable application fee plus a $1,500 license fee per three-year term (approximately $2,000 initial cost), with $1,500 renewal every three years. No owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement applies, so non-resident investors may hold a license if obtained. Enforcement is rated strict: operating without a license can result in fines up to $500 per day, plus suspension or revocation risk.
Lodging taxes for Ludington-area STRs include Michigan’s 6% state use tax on stays under 30 days (collected and remitted by Airbnb for stays booked on the platform), plus a local accommodations or CVB assessment of approximately 5%, bringing the effective total to approximately 11%. The exact local rate should be confirmed with the city or Mason County.
Properties in unincorporated Mason County townships surrounding Ludington are not governed by the city’s 30-license cap. Investors interested in STR-eligible properties should target township parcels and verify applicable zoning and any township-level STR rules independently. The regulatory data in this section reflects the City of Ludington only.
Market Comparison
Ludington’s April 2026 occupancy of 40.0% is below the approximate U.S. STR median of 55%, consistent with a spring shoulder month in a highly summer-concentrated beach resort market. The ADR of $282 is above the national STR median of roughly $220, reflecting premium Lake Michigan beach-destination pricing. July occupancy of 77.3% is well above U.S. median, consistent with top-tier summer resort markets nationally.
No Zillow housing data is available for this area, so no sale-price-to-revenue yield comparison can be generated. Investors should source Mason County deed records and local comparables for entry-cost estimates.
Among professional operators, Jaqua Realtors leads with 261 listings and a 4.716 average rating across 5,161 reviews. Evolve follows with 182 listings and a 4.664 rating across 8,064 reviews. Vacasa (175 listings, 4.566 rating across 7,412 reviews), Unsalted Vacations (129 listings, 4.733 rating across 2,715 reviews), and Bluefish Vacation Rentals (112 listings, 4.746 rating across 2,880 reviews) complete the top five. These five firms collectively manage 859 listings, approximately 10.4% of the total 8,243-listing regional market.
The investability score of 94.7 and revenue growth score of 94.4 place Ludington among the stronger forward-looking investment markets nationally, tempered by the city-limits license cap and extreme seasonality (seasonality score 44.1). Investors should focus on township properties outside city limits.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ludington, Michigan
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