Great Falls, Montana Short-Term Rental Market
Great Falls, MT STRs averaged $158/night at 42.9% occupancy in April 2026 across approximately 4,408 active listings.
Quick Answer: Great Falls, Montana is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 43%. average monthly revenue is $1,790. average daily rate is $158. the top operator is Evolve with 167 listings. market score is 53/100 (grade D).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Great Falls anchors a broad central Montana STR market, drawing visitors for outdoor recreation along the Missouri River, Lewis and Clark heritage tourism, Western art, and regional events including the Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit Finals. The market contained approximately 4,408 active listings as of the latest snapshot, led by entire-place units at 4,124, with private rooms accounting for 284.
Bedroom supply skews toward one- and two-bedroom properties, with 1,525 and 1,256 listings respectively, followed by 955 three-bedroom, 422 four-bedroom, and 237 five-plus-bedroom units. On the channel side, 2,126 listings appear exclusively on Airbnb, 459 exclusively on VRBO, and 1,823 are cross-listed on both platforms. For April 2026, the all-listing ADR was $158.40 and occupancy reached 42.9%, producing a RevPAR of $67.92. Year over year, occupancy was essentially flat at +0.2 percentage points, while ADR grew 2.8% and average monthly revenue rose 2.0% to $1,790. The market’s total score of 52.9 reflects solid investability (71.2) and rental demand (62.7) against a backdrop of moderate seasonality (65.9).
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38% | $151 | $1,649 |
| Feb | 46% | $157 | $1,747 |
| Mar | 46% | $156 | $1,921 |
| Apr | 43% | $138 | $1,571 |
| May | 52% | $151 | $1,805 |
| Jun | 64% | $192 | $2,890 |
| Jul | 66% | $201 | $3,575 |
| Aug | 59% | $190 | $3,104 |
| Sep | 52% | $172 | $2,423 |
| Oct | 45% | $148 | $1,904 |
| Nov | 47% | $144 | $1,757 |
| Dec | 43% | $163 | $1,836 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Great Falls
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | 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 Great Falls?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,525 |
| 2 bed | 1,256 |
| 3 bed | 955 |
| 4 bed | 422 |
| 5 bed | 237 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $163 |
| Luxury | $340 |
| Professionally Managed | $183 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,558 |
| Entire Place | $1,829 |
| House | $1,883 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 48.2% |
| vrbo | 10.4% |
| both | 41.4% |
Investment Analysis
Great Falls presents a lower entry-cost STR opportunity compared to Montana resort markets. Housing data from the latest snapshot is not published for this area, so a direct gross yield calculation against a local home value is not available. What the STR data does show is that house-type properties averaged $1,883 per month in April 2026, entire-place listings averaged $1,829, and apartment-style units averaged $1,558, all closely clustered.
Rate tiers show a wider spread. Luxury listings commanded an ADR of $339.57, more than double the all-listing average of $158.40, and professionally managed listings averaged $182.75 per night, a premium of $24.35 or about 15% over the market average. At the 2025 annual-average occupancy of 50.0% and $183 ADR, a property running at the 2025 full-year market average would generate approximately $2,514 per month in gross revenue. The investability score of 71.2 out of 100 and a permissive regulatory environment with no city-level STR ordinance reduce both operational complexity and compliance cost relative to other Montana markets.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Great Falls STR guests book an average of 38.0 days in advance, a lead time of approximately five weeks. This is consistent with leisure travelers planning summer Missouri River recreation trips or visiting regional events such as the Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit Finals. The relatively short planning window compared to premium resort markets suggests dynamic pricing should remain flexible, with rate adjustments possible up to 30 days out without missing a large share of bookings.
Average length of stay is 4.38 nights, longer than a typical long weekend and closer to a midweek stay pattern. This suggests guests are using Great Falls as a multi-day base for regional road trips or recreation rather than pure weekend escapes. The longer stay length reduces turnover frequency, lowering cleaning costs per occupied night, and makes Great Falls listings relatively efficient to operate. Minimum-stay settings of 3 to 4 nights can align with this average without significantly reducing booking volume.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Great Falls is one of the more permissive STR markets in Montana. As of the latest available information, the city has no dedicated STR ordinance, no STR-specific permit, no cap on rental nights, and no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirements at the city level.
Regulation is primarily driven by the state of Montana. STR operators must obtain a Montana Public Accommodation License from the Department of Public Health and Human Services and meet basic public-accommodation standards covering potable water, wastewater, sanitation, and a guest registry. All hosts must register with the Montana Department of Revenue and remit the combined 8% state lodging tax (4% Lodging Facility Use Tax plus 4% Lodging Sales Tax) on stays under 30 days. Platforms like Airbnb and VRBO typically collect and remit this tax automatically. There is no additional local resort or tourism tax in Great Falls. Operators should confirm address-specific zoning requirements with the city Planning and Community Development Department, as the city updated its business-license process effective January 1, 2025. Enforcement severity is rated minimal overall.
Market Comparison
The national STR median occupancy is approximately 55%, making Great Falls’s April 2026 rate of 42.9% below the national benchmark, though April is historically the softest month in this market. The 2025 annual average occupancy of 50.0% is closer to the national norm. The all-listing ADR of $158.40 is below the national median of approximately $220, consistent with Great Falls’s positioning as a non-resort regional city rather than a high-demand leisure destination.
Among area operators, Evolve leads with 167 listings and 7,613 reviews at a 4.84 average rating, holding approximately 3.8% of the roughly 4,408-listing market. AAA Red Lodge Rentals ranks second with 45 listings and 3,512 reviews at 4.92, and Red Lodge Reservations holds 32 listings with 1,818 reviews at 4.89. The top five managers together operate 304 listings, or about 6.9% of the market. The permissive regulatory environment (regulation score 70.4) and investor-friendly cost structure make Great Falls a lower-barrier entry market compared to Bozeman or Whitefish.
Frequently Asked Questions About Great Falls, Montana
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