Shell Knob, Missouri Short-Term Rental Market
Shell Knob, MO has no city STR rules (unincorporated); Stone County added a 3% lodging tax in 2025. June 2026 area ADR was $334.
Quick Answer: Shell Knob, Missouri is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the The Ozark Mtns market area is 68%. average monthly revenue in the The Ozark Mtns market area is $6,112. average daily rate in the The Ozark Mtns market area is $334. the top operator in the The Ozark Mtns market area is Thousand Hills Vacations with 563 listings. market score is 68/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the The Ozark Mtns regional market, which includes Shell Knob. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Shell Knob.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Shell Knob is unincorporated, split between Barry County and Stone County, Missouri, so there is no city hall and no municipal short-term-rental permit, license, occupancy cap, or owner-occupancy rule; regulation falls entirely to the two counties. Barry County has a countywide zoning ordinance (2008) but no published STR-specific provisions. On the Stone County side, voters approved a new 3% tourism tax on lodging in April 2025 that explicitly includes short-term rentals, covering the southern portion of the county around Table Rock Lake, including the Stone County part of Shell Knob; the Barry County side is not covered by that tax, and it’s unconfirmed whether Barry County has an equivalent lake tourism tax. Investors should confirm which county a specific parcel sits in before assuming either tax regime applies.
Shell Knob is a small unincorporated resort community on the north shore of Table Rock Lake in the Missouri Ozarks, population 1,308, drawing boaters, anglers, swimmers, and second-home lake owners.
StaySTRA tracks Shell Knob’s ADR, occupancy, and revenue at a shared regional level with Branson, Lampe, and Reeds Spring, all Table Rock Lake area communities, so the figures below describe the Table Rock Lake area STR market. In June 2026, the Table Rock Lake area STR market posted a blended ADR of $334.39 and 68.3% occupancy, with average monthly revenue of $6,112/listing. Revenue is up 2.08% year over year, while occupancy is down 2.24 percentage points and ADR is down 6.20%.
Bedroom mix, listing-type breakdown, and the top-property-manager list are tracked at the same shared regional level rather than uniquely for Shell Knob, so this profile omits those breakdowns.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 16% |
| Feb | 30% |
| Mar | 53% |
| Apr | 34% |
| May | 47% |
| Jun | 69% |
| Jul | 74% |
| Aug | 50% |
| Sep | 41% |
| Oct | 51% |
| Nov | 48% |
| Dec | 47% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Shell Knob are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in The Ozark Mtns market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the The Ozark Mtns market as a whole, which includes Shell Knob, so these counts are not Shell Knob-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thousand Hills Vacations | 563 | 17,545 | ★ 4.63 |
| 2 | Grand Welcome | 416 | 20,735 | ★ 4.78 |
| 3 | RentBranson | 371 | 16,204 | ★ 4.76 |
| 4 | Evolve | 350 | 25,613 | ★ 4.68 |
| 5 | Christian Taylor Vacations | 243 | 1,594 | ★ 4.55 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Shell Knob?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Shell Knob 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 | 18.7% |
| vrbo | 12% |
| both | 69.3% |
Home Value Trends (Shell Knob)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Shell Knob 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 Shell Knob — 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
Shell Knob is an unincorporated census-designated place, so there is no municipal government and no city-level short-term-rental permit, license, occupancy cap, or owner-occupancy rule. Missouri has no unified statewide STR license; regulation is left to local governments, and for Shell Knob that means Barry County and Stone County planning and zoning.
Barry County maintains a countywide zoning ordinance (2008) and a planning and zoning office, but no published STR-specific ordinance (permits, night caps, primary-residence requirements) was found. STRs operate widely in the area today.
On taxes, Missouri state and local sales tax applies to transient lodging. In April 2025, Stone County voters approved (about 57% yes) a new 3% tourism tax on lodging that explicitly includes short-term rentals, levied under RSMo 67.665, covering the southern portion of Stone County around Table Rock Lake (excluding Indian Point), which includes the Stone County portion of Shell Knob. The Barry County side is not covered by this tax, and it’s unconfirmed whether Barry County imposes an equivalent lake tourism tax (Missouri law allows counties bordering large lakes to levy up to 3% on sleeping-room charges under RSMo 67.1003). Enforcement is rated minimal. Investors should confirm which county their parcel sits in and contact the relevant county planning office and the Missouri Department of Revenue before operating.
Market Comparison
The Table Rock Lake area STR market’s June 2026 occupancy of 68.3% runs well above the commonly cited US STR median of roughly 55%, while its $334.39 blended ADR is well above the roughly $220 US median; its luxury tier ($547.40) is nearly two and a half times the national ADR benchmark.
Top-property-manager data is not currently published uniquely for Shell Knob in this snapshot (tracked at a shared regional level with Branson, Lampe, and Reeds Spring instead), so this profile omits a named-operator comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions About Shell Knob, Missouri
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What is the average daily rate for short-term rentals near Shell Knob, MO?
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