Manahawkin, New Jersey Short-Term Rental Market
Manahawkin, NJ STRs averaged $293/night in April 2026, with summer peak occupancy reaching 76.4% and $487 ADR at the LBI gateway.
Quick Answer: Manahawkin, New Jersey is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Jersey Shore market area is 71%. average monthly revenue in the Jersey Shore market area is $10,228. average daily rate in the Jersey Shore market area is $582. the top operator in the Jersey Shore market area is Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Zack Shore, REALTORS with 181 listings. market score is 43/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Jersey Shore regional market, which includes Manahawkin. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Manahawkin.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Manahawkin, NJ short-term rental market encompasses the Stafford Township gateway and surrounding Ocean County area, tracking 5,750 active listings. Manahawkin is the mainland gateway to Long Beach Island (LBI), one of New Jersey’s premier barrier island beach destinations. In April 2026, the all-listings ADR reached $293 with occupancy at 42.6% and RevPAR at $125, reflecting pre-season shoulder conditions before the summer peak.
The market is almost entirely entire-place rentals: 5,468 listings (95.1%) are entire-place, and 282 (4.9%) are private rooms. No shared-room listings are tracked. The bedroom distribution skews toward larger vacation homes: 3-bedroom properties lead at 1,629 (28.4% of the bedroom total), followed by 2-bedroom (1,285, 22.4%), 4-bedroom (1,073, 18.7%), 5-bedroom-plus (915, 15.9%), and 1-bedroom (842, 14.7%). VRBO has an unusually strong presence here, consistent with this market’s vacation rental heritage: 2,416 properties list on both Airbnb and VRBO (42.0%), 1,912 list exclusively on Airbnb (33.3%), and 1,422 list exclusively on VRBO (24.7%).
Year-over-year in April 2026, occupancy declined 5.7%, ADR grew 3.1%, and revenue grew 5.0%. Annual averages show ADR has climbed from $257 in 2017 to a peak of $380 in 2023 and 2024, moderating to $371 in 2025, while annual occupancy declined from a 2021 peak of 55.5% to 46.7% in 2025. Full-year average monthly revenue was $4,530 in 2025. The StaySTRA composite market score is 42.6, with revenue growth scoring highest at 76.3.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 32% |
| Feb | 44% |
| Mar | 44% |
| Apr | 46% |
| May | 51% |
| Jun | 62% |
| Jul | 74% |
| Aug | 76% |
| Sep | 37% |
| Oct | 28% |
| Nov | 38% |
| Dec | 40% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Manahawkin are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Jersey Shore market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Jersey Shore market as a whole, which includes Manahawkin, so these counts are not Manahawkin-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Zack Shore, REALTORS | 181 | 277 | ★ 4.48 |
| 2 | Shore Points Vacations | 89 | 258 | ★ 4.55 |
| 3 | Mary Allen Realty | 86 | 404 | ★ 4.69 |
| 4 | Evolve | 84 | 2,205 | ★ 4.57 |
| 5 | Breezy Beach Stays | 58 | 1,735 | ★ 4.98 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Manahawkin?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Manahawkin 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 | 24.7% |
| both | 42% |
Home Value Trends (Manahawkin)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Manahawkin 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 Manahawkin — 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
STRs in Manahawkin/Stafford Township require a Seasonal Rental License (processed as a Certificate of Occupancy for an existing structure) issued by the Stafford Township Building Department. The initial application fee is $100, with a $50 reinspection fee if violations are cited. Owners must pass a property inspection (including heating and solid-fuel appliance certification), provide proof of paid property taxes and water/sewer service, and submit notarized owner and tenant certification forms. A new tenant certification is generally required for each new tenancy.
Occupancy limits are set case-by-case after inspection. No owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement and no annual night cap were identified. New Jersey has no statewide STR-specific license; regulation is left to each municipality.
On taxes, transient stays of fewer than 90 consecutive days are subject to New Jersey Sales Tax (6.625%) plus the State Occupancy Fee (5%), totaling approximately 11.625%. Booking platforms including Airbnb collect and remit these taxes directly. A Stafford Township municipal occupancy tax of up to 3% is permitted under state law but its adoption was not confirmed from public sources.
Enforcement is inspection/permit-based rather than through a dedicated STR enforcement program, rated moderate. Investors should confirm current fees, zoning-district eligibility, and any municipal occupancy tax directly with the Stafford Township Building and Zoning Department before listing.
Market Comparison
Manahawkin significantly outperforms national benchmarks on ADR, driven by the LBI vacation rental premium. The US STR median occupancy is approximately 55% and median ADR approximately $220. Manahawkin’s 2025 full-year average ADR of $371 is 68.6% above the national median. April 2026 ADR of $293 is 33.2% above the national median. However, 2025 annual occupancy of 46.7% trails the national ~55% benchmark, reflecting the market’s extreme summer concentration.
The StaySTRA composite score of 42.6 reflects the investment challenge: high acquisition costs and low year-round occupancy, though the revenue growth sub-score of 76.3 highlights strong historical ADR appreciation.
Among operators, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Zack Shore REALTORS leads with 181 listings and a 4.48 rating. Shore Points Vacations manages 89 listings (4.55 rating). Mary Allen Realty holds 86 listings (4.69 rating). Evolve manages 84 listings (4.57 rating). Breezy Beach Stays rounds out the top five with 58 listings and the highest rating of 4.98 across 1,735 reviews. The top three operators together manage 356 listings.
Frequently Asked Questions About Manahawkin, New Jersey
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