Taos, New Mexico Short-Term Rental Market
Taos, NM has two STR jurisdictions: Town (120-permit cap) and County (400-permit cap); June 2026 ADR was $271.
Quick Answer: Taos, New Mexico is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Taos market area is 55%. average monthly revenue in the Taos market area is $3,552. average daily rate in the Taos market area is $271. the top operator in the Taos market area is Vacasa with 208 listings. market score is 50/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the wider Taos market, which covers 5 areas. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Taos.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Taos has two separate short-term rental regimes, and which one applies depends entirely on whether a property sits inside the incorporated Town of Taos or in unincorporated Taos County. The Town caps total STR permits at 120 (first-come, first-served; permits expire September 30 annually) and prohibits STRs in the Historic District, Historic and Hotel Overlay Zones, and the Central Business District; STRs are allowed only in specific zoning districts, some requiring a conditional use permit. Taos County adopted its own separate ordinance in August 2024, capping county permits at 400 with exemptions for long-tenured residents and affordable-housing providers. Investors should confirm which jurisdiction a specific address falls under before assuming either cap or fee schedule applies.
Taos itself has a population of 6,458 but functions as a year-round tourist economy: more than half of local businesses draw over 60% of revenue from tourism, and peak season can bring roughly 15,000 visitors a day to a town of 6,500 residents. About 32% of visitors originate within New Mexico, 25% from Texas, and 12% from Colorado.
StaySTRA tracks Taos’s ADR, occupancy, and revenue at a shared area level with nearby Angel Fire (both northern New Mexico mountain-recreation towns), so the figures below describe the Taos area STR market. In June 2026, the Taos area STR market posted a blended ADR of $270.94 and 54.7% occupancy, with average monthly revenue of $3,552/listing. Occupancy is down 3.92 percentage points year over year, while ADR is up 1.84% and revenue is down 2.25% year over year.
Bedroom mix, listing-type breakdown, and the top-property-manager list are tracked at the same shared regional level rather than uniquely for Taos, so this profile omits those breakdowns rather than presenting cluster totals as Taos’s own numbers.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 42% |
| Feb | 54% |
| Mar | 50% |
| Apr | 27% |
| May | 51% |
| Jun | 57% |
| Jul | 64% |
| Aug | 53% |
| Sep | 46% |
| Oct | 46% |
| Nov | 37% |
| Dec | 57% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Taos are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Taos market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Taos market as a whole, which includes Taos, so these counts are not Taos-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 208 | 6,400 | ★ 4.43 |
| 2 | Evolve | 186 | 7,975 | ★ 4.71 |
| 3 | Resort Properties | 148 | 1,996 | ★ 4.66 |
| 4 | M Vacation | 142 | 3,419 | ★ 4.56 |
| 5 | Reservations Unlimited LLC | 93 | 1,693 | ★ 4.54 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Taos?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Taos 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 | 28.2% |
| vrbo | 9.9% |
| both | 61.9% |
Home Value Trends (Taos)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Taos 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 Taos — 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
Taos has two overlapping short-term rental regimes, and an investor must first determine which one governs a specific property. Inside the incorporated Town of Taos, operators need a Short-Term Rental Permit / Business Registration, applied for through an online, first-come, first-served system; the town caps total permits at 120. Permits expire September 30 each year and renew through a November 30 window. Reported annual fees run about $300 for a primary-residence STR and $400 for a non-primary-residence STR (the extra $100 funds the town’s Affordable Housing Fund); the lower rate requires primary-residence documentation.
Town STRs are allowed only in specified residential and commercial zoning districts and are banned in the Historic District, the Historic and Hotel Overlay Zones, and the Central Business District. Safety equipment (smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers) is required. Operators owe a 5% town Lodger’s Tax plus Gross Receipts Tax (roughly 7.375% in town as of 2025), remitted monthly.
In unincorporated Taos County, a separate ordinance (2024-4), adopted August 2024 and effective around October 21, 2024, caps county permits at 400, with exemptions for residents of 10-plus years and affordable-housing providers. Enforcement in the Town is rated strict: operating without a permit can draw fines up to $500 per day, plus cessation orders and permit revocation. Investors should confirm jurisdiction, zoning eligibility, and current permit availability directly with the Town of Taos or Taos County before purchasing.
Market Comparison
The Taos area STR market’s June 2026 occupancy of 54.7% runs about level with the commonly cited US STR median of roughly 55%, while its $270.94 blended ADR runs well above the roughly $220 US median; its luxury tier ($471.92) is more than double the national ADR benchmark, consistent with a higher-end mountain and arts-destination market.
Top-property-manager data is not currently published uniquely for Taos in this snapshot (tracked at a shared regional level with Angel Fire instead), so this profile omits a named-operator comparison rather than presenting a regional PM rollup as specific to Taos.
Frequently Asked Questions About Taos, New Mexico
Does Taos, NM have one short-term rental ordinance or two?
What is the average daily rate for short-term rentals in Taos, NM?
Is there a cap on short-term rental permits in Taos?
When is the busiest season for short-term rentals in Taos?
What is the gross yield on a Taos short-term rental?
Are short-term rentals allowed in downtown Taos?
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