Gravois Mills, Missouri Short-Term Rental Market
Gravois Mills Lake of the Ozarks STRs averaged $228/night at 33.6% occupancy in April 2026, with July peaking at 69.2% occupancy.
Quick Answer: Gravois Mills, Missouri is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Lake of Ozarks market area is 56%. average monthly revenue in the Lake of Ozarks market area is $5,788. average daily rate in the Lake of Ozarks market area is $401. the top operator in the Lake of Ozarks market area is Evolve with 354 listings. market score is 51/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Lake of Ozarks regional market, which includes Gravois Mills. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Gravois Mills.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Gravois Mills, Missouri is a small incorporated village (population 129) on the Gravois arm of the Lake of the Ozarks in Morgan County. The local economy runs almost entirely on summer lake tourism: the Lake of the Ozarks region draws an estimated 5 million or more visitors annually from Missouri, Kansas City, St. Louis, and surrounding Midwest states.
As of April 2026, the market area includes approximately 4,733 active STR listings. Entire-place rentals account for 4,683 listings (99% of supply), with 50 private-room listings. No shared-room listings are present. The supply is dominated by lakeside cabins and homes, reflected in the bedroom mix: 3-bedroom properties are the largest segment (1,678), followed by 2-bedroom (1,215), 4-bedroom (635), 1-bedroom (634), and 5-bedroom or larger (560).
Channel distribution is more balanced than most markets: 2,951 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, with 910 Airbnb-only and 872 VRBO-only, suggesting VRBO plays a larger role here than in typical urban STR markets.
April 2026 metrics: ADR $228, occupancy 33.6%, RevPAR $76.72. The April figure reflects deep shoulder season. Year-over-year, occupancy declined 4.1 percentage points, ADR rose 6.6%, and revenue fell 6.8%. The market’s investability score is 76.5 and revenue-growth score is 86.0, though the total score of 50.9 is weighted down by seasonality (43.3) and rental demand (48.1), reflecting the market’s heavy summer concentration.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22% | $175 | $1,152 |
| Feb | 27% | $176 | $1,172 |
| Mar | 42% | $189 | $1,714 |
| Apr | 34% | $204 | $1,762 |
| May | 43% | $269 | $2,451 |
| Jun | 59% | $348 | $5,143 |
| Jul | 69% | $338 | $6,320 |
| Aug | 52% | $324 | $4,781 |
| Sep | 34% | $261 | $2,506 |
| Oct | 28% | $202 | $1,797 |
| Nov | 27% | $196 | $1,487 |
| Dec | 23% | $192 | $1,424 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Lake of Ozarks market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Lake of Ozarks market as a whole, which includes Gravois Mills, so these counts are not Gravois Mills-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 354 | 13,902 | ★ 4.73 |
| 2 | LakeDays.Rentals | 213 | 4,973 | ★ 4.80 |
| 3 | YourLakeVacation | 139 | 1,600 | ★ 4.75 |
| 4 | Shores Vacation Rentals | 106 | 3,165 | ★ 4.81 |
| 5 | Lakecation Vacations | 97 | 1,574 | ★ 4.41 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Gravois Mills?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 634 |
| 2 bed | 1,215 |
| 3 bed | 1,678 |
| 4 bed | 635 |
| 5 bed | 560 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $402 |
| Luxury | $645 |
| Professionally Managed | $467 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $3,879 |
| Entire Place | $5,816 |
| House | $7,349 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 19.2% |
| vrbo | 18.4% |
| both | 62.3% |
Investment Analysis
Gravois Mills delivers concentrated summer revenue against a low-cost entry point relative to coastal alternatives. April 2026 average monthly revenue of $1,928 annualizes to approximately $23,130 at shoulder-season performance levels, though this dramatically understates the investment case: July alone averages $6,323/month and the June through August window averages roughly $5,400 per month historically.
At a Zillow typical home value of $357,510 (April 2026 snapshot), annualized revenue at April levels implies a gross yield of roughly 6.5%. However, a summer-weighted annualized estimate using peak-season monthly averages would yield materially higher figures. House-type listings averaged $2,346/month even in April versus $1,935 for entire-place listings and $1,421 for apartment-type listings, showing that lakefront or detached cabin properties outperform significantly.
The ADR tier spread is relevant: the overall market ADR of $228 compares to $230 for entire-home listings, $262 for professionally managed properties, and $366 for luxury-tier listings. Luxury-tier properties command a 60% premium over the market average.
Investors should be aware that the median list price of $516,067 is materially higher than the Zillow typical home value of $357,510, suggesting that the current for-sale inventory (79 homes) skews toward premium lake-frontage properties. Median days to pending was 27, indicating moderate buyer demand at current price levels. No median sale price was available in the April 2026 housing snapshot.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Gravois Mills guests book an average of 48.6 days in advance as of April 2026, the longest lead time of the five markets in this batch. The nearly 7-week advance window reflects the lake vacation market: summer weekends and holiday weeks at Lake of the Ozarks are highly anticipated trips, and prime July Fourth and Labor Day weekend slots fill well in advance.
Operators should open summer availability and set peak pricing no later than April for prime June and July dates. Holding rates firm early and using dynamic pricing to increase rates as occupancy builds is more effective than discounting to fill early.
Average length of stay is 3.2 nights in April, consistent with a leisure weekend market. At April occupancy (33.6%), a typical listing is occupied roughly 10 nights per month across approximately 3 distinct guest stays. During peak summer months, occupancy and stay lengths likely increase as guests book full weeks rather than weekends.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Gravois Mills is a small village in Morgan County with no village-specific STR ordinance, permit program, or license requirement identified in available sources. Missouri does not have a statewide STR license. Under Morgan County rules, STRs are generally allowed in Agricultural Residential and Lake Residential zones, and no formal county STR permit, fee, or annual night cap was identified in available primary sources.
A significant tax change affects all Lake of the Ozarks operators: on June 25, 2024, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled the lake area business district lodging tax unconstitutional and ordered collection to stop. The Morgan County portion of that tax was 3% on transient lodging stays. Operators no longer collect or remit this tax. Missouri state sales tax (4.225%) plus applicable local sales taxes continue to apply to stays of 30 nights or fewer.
Two critical practical points for investors: First, many Lake of the Ozarks subdivisions carry private deed restrictions or covenants that prohibit or limit short-term rentals regardless of county zoning. These covenants are enforceable by homeowners associations and neighboring owners. Second, prospective operators should confirm zoning eligibility directly with Morgan County Planning and Zoning before purchasing any property. Enforcement at the village level is minimal given the community’s size.
Market Comparison
Gravois Mills April 2026 occupancy of 33.6% is well below the U.S. STR median of approximately 55%, though the April figure reflects the deepest part of the off-season for this market. July’s 69.2% occupancy is in line with strong seasonal lake markets nationally. The ADR of $228 is above the U.S. STR median of approximately $220, reflecting the premium that lakeside cabins and entire-place rentals command.
The professional management landscape is led by Evolve with 354 listings and a 4.73 average rating across 13,902 reviews, representing approximately 7.5% of total market supply. LakeDays.Rentals holds 213 listings (4.80 rating), YourLakeVacation manages 139 listings (4.75 rating), Shores Vacation Rentals operates 106 listings (4.81 rating), and Lakecation Vacations holds 97 listings (4.41 rating).
The top five operators account for 909 listings, or roughly 19.2% of the 4,733-listing market, higher than in the other markets in this batch. Specialized lake-market operators (LakeDays.Rentals, YourLakeVacation, Shores, Lakecation) reflect the niche nature of the Lake of the Ozarks destination. The dominant VRBO presence (VRBO-only at 872 listings, cross-platform at 2,951) confirms that VRBO holds an outsized market share compared to typical urban or suburban STR markets.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gravois Mills, Missouri
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How does the Lake of the Ozarks lodging tax change affect operators?
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