Polson, Montana Short-Term Rental Market
The Polson, MT area STR market averaged $380 a night at 72.8% occupancy in June 2026, revenue up 11.9% yearly.
Quick Answer: Polson, Montana is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Flathead Valley/Glacier Natl Park market area is 73%. average monthly revenue in the Flathead Valley/Glacier Natl Park market area is $6,127. average daily rate in the Flathead Valley/Glacier Natl Park market area is $380. the top operator in the Flathead Valley/Glacier Natl Park market area is Stay Montana with 165 listings. market score is 50/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Flathead Valley/Glacier Natl Park regional market, which includes Polson. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Polson.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Polson, MT is a town of 5,428 residents at the south end of Flathead Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake in the western United States, within Western Montana’s Glacier Country. The town lies on the Flathead Indian Reservation, home to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, adding cultural tourism alongside its lake-driven summer economy. The flagship event is the two-day Flathead Cherry Festival held the last weekend of July, ranked among Montana’s top tourism attractions. Visitors are predominantly warm-season road-trippers, boaters, and anglers, drawn to lake recreation and cherry orchards, with proximity to Glacier National Park about two hours away adding another regional draw.
Listing-level inventory counts, bedroom mix, and market-score benchmarks are tracked at a shared regional level across the Flathead Valley, from Polson to Whitefish near Glacier National Park, rather than uniquely for Polson, so this profile omits those figures rather than present regional numbers as town-specific. All occupancy, rate, and revenue figures below describe the Polson, MT area STR market rather than the town in strict isolation.
In the most recent month of data (June 2026), the Polson area STR market posted an average daily rate of $380.22 and average occupancy of 72.84%, one of the higher occupancy rates in this data set. Average monthly revenue per listing was $6,127, with standalone houses averaging $6,786 a month and entire-place listings averaging $6,236, both well ahead of the $5,696 average for apartment-style listings.
Year over year, occupancy rose 5.4 percentage points and revenue per listing climbed 11.9%, even as average daily rate fell 5.7%. That combination of rising occupancy and revenue alongside a softer rate suggests operators priced more competitively to capture additional summer bookings.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 39% |
| Feb | 52% |
| Mar | 44% |
| Apr | 34% |
| May | 52% |
| Jun | 68% |
| Jul | 77% |
| Aug | 68% |
| Sep | 54% |
| Oct | 33% |
| Nov | 33% |
| Dec | 51% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Polson are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Flathead Valley/Glacier Natl Park market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Flathead Valley/Glacier Natl Park market as a whole, which includes Polson, so these counts are not Polson-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stay Montana | 165 | 2,400 | ★ 4.73 |
| 2 | Evolve | 131 | 6,513 | ★ 4.82 |
| 3 | Vacasa | 122 | 5,100 | ★ 4.57 |
| 4 | Whitefish Mountain Resort Lodging | 118 | 1,034 | ★ 4.65 |
| 5 | Natural Retreats | 108 | 3,953 | ★ 4.82 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Polson?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Polson 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 | 33.3% |
| vrbo | 12.3% |
| both | 54.4% |
Home Value Trends (Polson)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Polson 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 Polson — 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 and around Polson but are regulated at the state and county level rather than by a dedicated city STR ordinance. Any vacation rental or tourist home must be licensed as a public accommodation by the State of Montana, with licensing administered by the Lake County Environmental Health Department. Operators submit a plan-review application, roughly a $150 fee, a wastewater or septic review around $100 if the property is not on public sewer, and pay an annual public accommodation license fee that runs roughly $40 to $250 depending on facility type.
Properties are reviewed for safe water, adequate wastewater, and fire safety before licensing, and licenses renew annually. Before applying, owners must confirm with the Lake County Planning Department, and inside city limits with the City of Polson, that the parcel’s zoning district or subdivision actually allows vacation rentals, since some districts and HOA or subdivision covenants prohibit them.
Lodging is subject to Montana’s combined 8% lodging tax, made up of a 4% Lodging Facility Use Tax and a 4% Lodging Sales Tax, on the full guest charge; Airbnb and VRBO generally collect and remit the state portion. Polson has no local resort tax; voters rejected resort-tax proposals in 2009 and 2021, and a 2025 council revisit did not enact one. There is no owner-occupancy, primary-residence, or annual-night-cap requirement. Enforcement is rated moderate.
Market Comparison
The Polson area’s 72.84% average occupancy in the latest month runs well above the roughly 55% median occupancy typically seen across the broader US short-term rental market, and its $380.22 average daily rate sits far above the roughly $220 national median, reflecting a premium lake destination in Montana’s Glacier Country.
Property manager rankings and total listing counts for this market are tracked at a shared regional level across the Flathead Valley rather than distinctly for Polson, so this profile omits a market-specific operator breakdown rather than present shared data as town-specific. Investors evaluating a Polson-area property should request current, address-specific management proposals rather than rely on any regional operator ranking, particularly since some operators in this shared market, including at least one Whitefish-specific ski-resort lodging brand, may not operate near Flathead Lake at all. Confirming a specific operator’s actual service area, not just their presence in the regional ranking, is a reasonable diligence step before signing a management agreement.
Frequently Asked Questions About Polson, Montana
What is the average Airbnb occupancy rate in the Polson, MT area?
What is the average daily rate for a short-term rental in the Polson, MT area?
How much revenue can an Airbnb in the Polson, MT area generate per month?
Are short-term rentals legal in Polson, MT?
Does Polson, MT have a resort tax on short-term rentals?
When is the best time to book or list a short-term rental in the Polson, MT area?
Analyze Polson Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Polson.
Free Polson STR Calculator →
