Wildwood, New Jersey Short-Term Rental Market
Wildwood, NJ STRs averaged $288/night at 36.7% occupancy in April 2026, serving 9 million annual visitors along the Jersey Shore.
Quick Answer: Wildwood, New Jersey is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Atlantic City/Ocean City market area is 73%. average monthly revenue in the Atlantic City/Ocean City market area is $9,614. average daily rate in the Atlantic City/Ocean City market area is $514. the top operator in the Atlantic City/Ocean City market area is Long & Foster Vacations with 651 listings. market score is 49/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Atlantic City/Ocean City regional market, which includes Wildwood. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Wildwood.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Wildwoods (Wildwood, North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest) rank among the top family resort destinations on the East Coast, drawing approximately 9 million visitors per year with $1.9 billion in visitor spending in 2024. The market is anchored by five miles of free wide beaches, a 2.5-mile boardwalk, three amusement piers, and over 160 annual festivals. As of April 2026, the market posted an average daily rate of $288 and occupancy of 36.7%, generating a RevPAR of $106.
The market holds approximately 10,360 active listings, with entire-place rentals at 10,134 (97.8%), private rooms at 215, and shared rooms at 11. Bedroom distribution reflects the group-vacation character of the market: 3-bedroom units lead with 2,876 listings, followed by 2-bedroom (2,229), 4-bedroom (1,733), 1-bedroom (2,004), and 5-bedroom-plus (1,499). Channel distribution is more balanced between platforms than most markets: 4,557 listings on both Airbnb and Vrbo, 3,020 exclusively on Airbnb, and 2,783 exclusively on Vrbo.
Year-over-year in April 2026, occupancy fell 7.4% while ADR rose 3.2% and revenue was essentially flat at -0.2%. The investability score of 76.9 and revenue growth score of 83.2 reflect solid fundamentals, though the seasonality score of 44.5 captures the pronounced summer concentration in this market.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 26% |
| Feb | 36% |
| Mar | 36% |
| Apr | 39% |
| May | 47% |
| Jun | 66% |
| Jul | 76% |
| Aug | 77% |
| Sep | 40% |
| Oct | 25% |
| Nov | 30% |
| Dec | 33% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Wildwood are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Atlantic City/Ocean City market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Atlantic City/Ocean City market as a whole, which includes Wildwood, so these counts are not Wildwood-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Long & Foster Vacations | 651 | 1,596 | ★ 4.42 |
| 2 | Experience Vacation Rentals | 240 | 1,201 | ★ 4.46 |
| 3 | Evolve | 201 | 5,688 | ★ 4.68 |
| 4 | Compass NJ – Laricks Team | 178 | 115 | ★ 4.88 |
| 5 | Tim Kerr Sotheby's International Realty | 154 | 267 | ★ 4.60 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Wildwood?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Wildwood 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 | 29.2% |
| vrbo | 26.9% |
| both | 44% |
Home Value Trends (Wildwood)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Wildwood 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 Wildwood — 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
Wildwood explicitly permits short-term rentals and has built STR operations into its regulatory framework for decades. Operators must obtain an annual Rental Housing Mercantile License from the City Clerk under Chapter 22 (rebuilt by Ordinance 1185-20, effective January 2021) and Chapter 374. Each unit must pass annual inspection by Code Enforcement, the Fire Chief, and the Chief of Police before a license is issued or renewed.
Lead-based paint inspections are required for rentals in pre-1978 buildings, triggered on tenant turnover or at minimum every two years, pursuant to New Jersey state law effective July 2022. The mercantile license fee is set by resolution rather than fixed in code; late renewal after May 1 triggers a 25% surcharge plus potential court summons.
The total transient rental tax is 13.625%: 6.625% NJ Sales Tax, 3.15% State Occupancy Fee, 2.0% Cape May County Tourism Tax, and 1.85% Cape May County Tourism Assessment. Airbnb collects and remits these on host-managed bookings; Vrbo and direct-booking operators must verify remittance. There is no cap on annual rental nights, no owner-occupancy requirement, and no primary-residence rule. Enforcement is complaint-driven through Code Enforcement.
Market Comparison
Wildwood’s $288 ADR slightly exceeds the national STR median of approximately $220, reflecting Jersey Shore coastal pricing. The 36.7% April occupancy is below the annual median of approximately 55%, consistent with a deeply seasonal beach market in early spring. The 2025 full-year average was 44.1% occupancy at $344 ADR.
Year-over-year in April 2026, Wildwood saw occupancy fall 7.4% while revenue held nearly flat at -0.2%. The rate resilience (ADR up 3.2%) despite occupancy pressure is encouraging for long-term pricing strategy. The 9 million annual visitors and $1.9 billion in visitor spending in 2024 demonstrate the scale of underlying demand.
Among property managers, Long and Foster Vacations leads with 651 listings, the highest count in this batch’s top-5 at 4.42 rating. Experience Vacation Rentals follows with 240 listings (4.46 rating). Evolve holds 201 listings with a 4.68 rating and the most reviews (5,688). Compass NJ Laricks Team (178 listings, 4.88 rating) and Tim Kerr Sotheby’s International Realty (154 listings, 4.60 rating) round out the top five. The combined top-5 count of 1,424 listings represents approximately 13.7% of the roughly 10,360 total market listings.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wildwood, New Jersey
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