Independence, Missouri Short-Term Rental Market
Independence, MO STRs averaged $212/night at 63.6% occupancy in April 2026 across 4,678 active listings in the Kansas City metro.
Quick Answer: Independence, Missouri is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 61%. average monthly revenue is $4,115. average daily rate is $268. the top operator is Karat Vacation Rental Management with 100 listings. market score is 94/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the Kansas City regional market, which includes Independence. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Independence.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Independence sits within the Kansas City metro and supports approximately 4,678 active short-term rental listings as of April 2026. The average daily rate was $212 that month, occupancy reached 63.6%, RevPAR was $135, and average monthly revenue per listing was $3,598.
Entire-place units dominate at 3,998 listings (85.5% of the total). Private rooms account for 675 listings (14.4%), with shared rooms negligible at five units. By bedroom count, one-bedroom properties lead at 1,586 listings, followed by two-bedrooms (1,108), three-bedrooms (1,074), four-bedrooms (561), and five or more bedrooms (345).
Platform distribution: 2,590 listings are Airbnb-exclusive (55.4%), 1,870 are dual-listed on both Airbnb and VRBO (40.0%), and 218 are VRBO-exclusive (4.7%). Airbnb is the dominant channel.
Year over year as of April 2026, occupancy rose 1.4 percentage points, ADR climbed 7.9%, and revenue per listing jumped 38.6%. The outsized revenue gain reflects in part Kansas City’s role as a 2026 FIFA World Cup host region; the city adopted temporary STR rules for June 1 through July 30, 2026 in anticipation of the demand surge.
The market composite score is 94.2 out of 100. Rental demand scores 95.2, seasonality 91.6, investability 86.1, revenue growth 65.7, and regulation 57.8. The 2025 full-year average was 64.2% occupancy, $158 ADR, and $2,885 average monthly revenue.
Independence is known as the hometown of President Harry S. Truman, with the Truman Library and Museum, reopened in 2021 after a $29 million renovation, anchoring heritage tourism year-round.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50% | $108 | $1,610 |
| Feb | 56% | $115 | $1,667 |
| Mar | 63% | $131 | $2,293 |
| Apr | 60% | $134 | $2,183 |
| May | 65% | $143 | $2,504 |
| Jun | 69% | $150 | $2,754 |
| Jul | 70% | $134 | $2,597 |
| Aug | 61% | $131 | $2,239 |
| Sep | 61% | $131 | $2,164 |
| Oct | 62% | $134 | $2,305 |
| Nov | 57% | $131 | $2,082 |
| Dec | 58% | $129 | $2,098 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Independence
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karat Vacation Rental Management | 100 | 9,523 | ★ 4.72 |
| 2 | Cozy in KC | 93 | 10,800 | ★ 4.84 |
| 3 | OwlStays | 85 | 3,517 | ★ 4.54 |
| 4 | Short Term Rental Manager | 76 | 1,278 | ★ 4.84 |
| 5 | Evolve | 59 | 2,064 | ★ 4.60 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Independence?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,586 |
| 2 bed | 1,108 |
| 3 bed | 1,074 |
| 4 bed | 561 |
| 5 bed | 345 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $298 |
| Luxury | $478 |
| Professionally Managed | $270 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $3,363 |
| Entire Place | $4,523 |
| House | $4,439 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 55.4% |
| vrbo | 4.7% |
| both | 40% |
Investment Analysis
No housing snapshot data is available for the Independence, MO area in the current data set, so home value and gross yield calculations cannot be cited here. Investors should research current Haywood County property values independently.
From the STR side: the 2025 full-year average monthly revenue was $2,885, implying annualized revenue of approximately $34,620 before expenses, taxes, and management fees. The April 2026 monthly figure of $3,598 substantially exceeds that 2025 baseline, driven in part by FIFA World Cup advance demand; the 2025 annual average is the more representative underwriting baseline.
ADR tier comparisons show meaningful variation. All-listings average ADR was $212 in April 2026. The entire-home tier averaged $232 per night. The luxury tier averaged $510, more than double the market average. The professionally-managed tier averaged $201, which is $11 below the all-listings average of $212 and $31 below the entire-home tier average of $232. This below-market PM ADR may reflect the composition of professionally managed inventory in this market skewing toward higher-volume, lower-rate properties.
Revenue by property type in April 2026: houses averaged $4,119 per month, entire-place listings $3,945, and apartments $2,524. House revenue leads by a wide margin, reflecting market preference for full-home rentals in this suburban Kansas City corridor.
Full-year average revenue per listing grew from $1,527 per month in 2017 to $2,885 in 2025, an 89% increase over eight years.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Independence STR guests book approximately 37 days in advance on average, with stays averaging 4.6 nights. A 37-day lead window means most bookings arrive roughly five to six weeks before check-in, shorter than many comparable metro markets.
For dynamic pricing, rate adjustments in that window can still capture meaningful demand movement, but the shorter horizon leaves less time to respond to above-trend demand signals. The 2026 FIFA World Cup period (Kansas City matches beginning in summer 2026) is an exception where international travelers likely booked months in advance; operators holding properties in that window should have set floor rates well before the standard 37-day window.
An average length of stay of 4.6 nights is among the longer averages, reducing turnover frequency and per-booking housekeeping costs. At 4.6 nights average and 63.6% occupancy, a unit changes guests roughly four to five times per month. A four-to-five-night minimum during peak demand periods captures most of the booking profile while reducing short-notice one-night turnovers.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Independence requires short-term rental operators to obtain a permit reviewed and approved by the city’s Planning Commission. Applications are submitted via an online portal and must include an Evacuation Plan, Floor Plan, and Parking Plan, with fees paid through Stripe. The specific permit fee amount is not published on the city’s main STR page; applicants should contact the Community Development Department directly for current fee information.
A critical barrier to entry in Independence is the 500-foot spacing rule: no short-term rental may be located within 500 feet of an existing STR. Applicants must call the Community Development Department at 816-325-7823 to confirm their address qualifies before submitting an application. This rule directly limits STR density across many residential blocks.
Approved operators must collect and remit a 6.5% transient guest tax on stays of 30 nights or fewer, filed monthly with the Finance Department. No published cap on annual rental nights was identified. Owner-occupancy and primary-residence requirements are not explicitly stated for most properties, though non-owner-occupied homes and accessory dwelling units may fall under the city’s Rental Ready Program under Chapter 4 of the city code.
In November 2025, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 7189 establishing temporary STR rules for June 1 through July 30, 2026 to manage demand from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, for which Kansas City is a host region. Enforcement is complaint-driven and handled by Business License staff through an online complaint system. The regulation score of 57.8 out of 100 reflects the discretionary Planning Commission approval process and the spacing rule.
Market Comparison
Against national STR benchmarks, Independence occupancy of 63.6% in April 2026 stands well above the U.S. median of approximately 55%. Its $212 average daily rate is roughly 4% below the national median of approximately $220, a modest gap consistent with Midwest pricing levels.
The market’s composite score of 94.2 out of 100 is led by rental demand (95.2) and seasonality (91.6), reflecting broad-based, year-round demand rather than a narrow event window. The regulation score of 57.8 is the lowest dimension, reflecting the discretionary Planning Commission permit process and the 500-foot spacing rule.
Market leadership is spread across local and national operators. Karat Vacation Rental Management leads with 100 listings and 9,523 reviews (4.72 average rating), representing roughly 2.1% of the 4,678-listing market. Cozy in KC holds 93 listings and the highest review count among the top operators at 10,800 reviews (4.84 rating), representing 2.0% of the market. OwlStays manages 85 listings with 3,517 reviews (4.54 rating). Together, the top three operators account for 278 listings, roughly 5.9% of total active supply. The full top five operators (adding Short Term Rental Manager at 76 listings, 4.84 rating, and Evolve at 59 listings, 4.60 rating) account for 413 listings, or 8.8% of the market, confirming a fragmented supply base.
Frequently Asked Questions About Independence, Missouri
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What tax do Independence, MO STR operators collect?
How does the 2026 FIFA World Cup affect the Independence, MO STR market?
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