Butte, Montana Short-Term Rental Market
Butte, MT STRs averaged $158/night at 42.9% occupancy in April 2026, an event-driven market anchored by mining heritage and 4 million acres of public land.
Quick Answer: Butte, Montana is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Montana Area market area is 57%. average monthly revenue in the Montana Area market area is $3,539. average daily rate in the Montana Area market area is $218. the top operator in the Montana Area market area is Evolve with 167 listings. market score is 53/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Montana Area regional market, which includes Butte. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Butte.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Butte is a historic mining city in southwest Montana, home to the nation’s largest National Historic Landmark District, and the center of a market that draws visitors to copper-mining heritage sites, the Montana Folk Festival, the Butte 100 mountain bike race, and access to approximately 4 million acres of public land along the Continental Divide. As of April 2026, the market posted an average daily rate of $158, occupancy of 42.9%, and RevPAR of $68. Approximately 4,408 active listings span a range of sizes, with 1-bedroom units leading at 1,525 listings, followed by 2-bedroom (1,256), 3-bedroom (955), 4-bedroom (422), and 5-bedroom (237). Entire-place listings account for 4,124 (94% of inventory), with 284 private-room listings. Airbnb is the primary channel with 2,126 listings, while 1,823 properties list on both Airbnb and VRBO, and 459 list exclusively on VRBO. Year-over-year through April 2026, occupancy grew fractionally (+0.2 percentage points), ADR improved 2.8%, and revenue grew 2.0%. The total market score of 53 out of 100 reflects moderate performance, with investability at 71/100 and regulation at 70/100. Butte is primarily a drive market; its visitation is event-driven and heritage-oriented rather than natural-park gateway.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 38% |
| Feb | 46% |
| Mar | 46% |
| Apr | 43% |
| May | 52% |
| Jun | 64% |
| Jul | 66% |
| Aug | 59% |
| Sep | 52% |
| Oct | 45% |
| Nov | 47% |
| Dec | 42% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Butte are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Montana Area market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Montana Area market as a whole, which includes Butte, so these counts are not Butte-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 167 | 7,613 | ★ 4.84 |
| 2 | AAA Red Lodge Rentals | 45 | 3,512 | ★ 4.92 |
| 3 | Red Lodge Reservations | 32 | 1,818 | ★ 4.89 |
| 4 | Alpine Basin Homes | 30 | 881 | ★ 4.95 |
| 5 | Anaconda Pintler Property Services | 30 | 713 | ★ 4.95 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Butte?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Butte 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 | 48.2% |
| vrbo | 10.4% |
| both | 41.4% |
Home Value Trends (Butte)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Butte 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 Butte — 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
Short-term rentals are legal in Butte but require a discretionary permit in residential zones. Butte is governed by the consolidated Butte-Silver Bow city-county government. An STR located in an existing residence in a residential zone (R-1 or R-2) requires a Special Use Permit under Municipal Code Section 17.38.180, reviewed case-by-case by the Zoning Board of Adjustment. The process includes a pre-application meeting at the Planning Department (155 W. Granite St., Room 108), followed by planning and zoning review, with board deliberation typically taking up to 15 days, extending to 45 days when additional zoning analysis is required. Neighbors can and do object at public hearings, and some permits have been approved over objections. No explicit cap on annual rental nights and no published owner-occupancy mandate were found; approvals are case-by-case. In addition to the Special Use Permit, operators must obtain a Butte-Silver Bow business license (approximately $35 per year) and a Montana public accommodation (lodging) license from the state Department of Public Health and Human Services under Montana Code Annotated Title 50, Chapter 51. The Montana statewide lodging tax rate is 8%, comprising a 4% lodging facility use tax and a 4% lodging sales tax. Airbnb and VRBO collect and remit this tax for platform bookings. Enforcement is characterized as moderate, via civil penalties and possible permit revocation for repeated or serious violations.
Market Comparison
Butte’s April 2026 ADR of $158 runs below the U.S. STR median of approximately $220, and its occupancy of 42.9% falls below the national median of roughly 55%. Both metrics reflect Butte’s position as a heritage-tourism and event market without a major national-park or ski-resort anchor to support year-round premium demand. The 2025 annual average occupancy of 50.0% is more representative of typical market performance than the April 2026 shoulder reading. The total market score of 53 out of 100 and investability score of 71 indicate a functional but modest-yield market. The operator landscape is fragmented and modest in scale. Evolve leads with 167 listings and a 4.84 rating across 7,613 reviews. AAA Red Lodge Rentals holds 45 listings with a 4.92 rating (3,512 reviews), and Red Lodge Reservations has 32 listings at 4.89 (1,818 reviews). Alpine Basin Homes (30 listings, 4.95 rating, 881 reviews) and Anaconda Pintler Property Services (30 listings, 4.95 rating, 713 reviews) round out the top five. Evolve accounts for approximately 167 of the estimated 4,408 listings, about 3.8% of total inventory. The top five operators together manage roughly 304 listings, representing 6.9% of the market, a low professional-management penetration compared to resort markets of similar size.
Frequently Asked Questions About Butte, Montana
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