Bellefonte, Pennsylvania Short-Term Rental Market
Bellefonte, PA STRs averaged $326/night at 39.4% occupancy in April 2026, with fall peak revenue exceeding $4,200/month.
Quick Answer: Bellefonte, Pennsylvania is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 42%. average monthly revenue is $3,386. average daily rate is $287. the top operator is Seven Mountains with 20 listings. market score is 69/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the State College regional market, which includes Bellefonte. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Bellefonte.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Bellefonte is the seat of Centre County in central Pennsylvania, located approximately 12 miles from Penn State University in State College. The borough’s short-term rental market is shaped by two distinct demand drivers: its nationally recognized Victorian historic district and Penn State University event overflow, particularly football season.
As of April 2026, the market averaged a $326 daily rate and 39.4% occupancy, generating $3,424 in average monthly revenue per listing. RevPAR stood at $128. Year-over-year occupancy rose 3.7%, while ADR edged up 0.5% and overall revenue declined 8.3% compared to the same month in the prior year.
The listing mix is predominantly entire-place properties: of 1,735 categorized listings, 1,537 (88.6%) are entire-place rentals, 197 are private rooms, and 1 is a shared room. Bedroom distribution is relatively balanced: three-bedroom properties are most common (495 listings), followed by one-bedroom (485), two-bedroom (324), four-bedroom (295), and five-bedroom (135). Airbnb dominates with 1,224 listings, VRBO has 85, and 426 listings appear on both platforms. The market scores 68.6 out of 100 overall, with a strong investability score of 79.5 and a seasonality score of 80.6, reflecting pronounced but predictable demand cycles.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36% | $277 | $2,856 |
| Feb | 46% | $254 | $2,747 |
| Mar | 48% | $235 | $2,772 |
| Apr | 46% | $271 | $3,006 |
| May | 38% | $306 | $2,803 |
| Jun | 48% | $231 | $2,934 |
| Jul | 54% | $216 | $2,899 |
| Aug | 59% | $236 | $3,221 |
| Sep | 47% | $370 | $3,759 |
| Oct | 42% | $392 | $4,231 |
| Nov | 40% | $404 | $4,174 |
| Dec | 37% | $316 | $3,706 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Bellefonte
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seven Mountains | 20 | 325 | ★ 4.75 |
| 2 | The Bellefonte Campground | 16 | 579 | ★ 4.92 |
| 3 | Evolve | 15 | 292 | ★ 4.74 |
| 4 | Gameday Housing | 14 | 111 | ★ 4.95 |
| 5 | BNB Breeze | 4 | 313 | ★ 4.88 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Bellefonte?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 485 |
| 2 bed | 324 |
| 3 bed | 495 |
| 4 bed | 295 |
| 5 bed | 135 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $304 |
| Luxury | $1,385 |
| Professionally Managed | $145 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,347 |
| Entire Place | $3,616 |
| House | $3,775 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 70.5% |
| vrbo | 4.9% |
| both | 24.6% |
Investment Analysis
Bellefonte presents a distinctive investment profile anchored in event-driven demand rather than pure leisure or outdoor recreation. Penn State home football weekends generate concentrated demand spikes that meaningfully lift fall quarter revenue, and the borough’s intact Victorian streetscape draws heritage tourism throughout the warmer months.
ADR by tier varies sharply. The market-wide April 2026 ADR of $326 compares to $345 for entire-home listings. Luxury-tier properties averaged $1,225 ADR, nearly four times the market average, indicating a small cohort of premium properties capturing significantly higher nightly rates. Professionally managed listings averaged $133 ADR, notably below the market average, which may reflect the composition of the PM-managed segment rather than a management quality discount.
Annualized revenue at the April 2026 pace works out to approximately $41,088. Revenue by property type shows houses at $3,874/month and entire-place listings at $3,579/month. Apartments averaged $2,190/month. No housing price data was available for this area at time of publication, so gross yield calculations are not possible. The market’s revenue growth score of 69.8 out of 100 is above average, and the long-term revenue trend has been upward: from $2,500/month average in 2017 to $4,043 in 2025.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
As of April 2026, Bellefonte STR guests book an average of 66.8 days in advance and stay an average of 3.13 nights per booking. The 67-day lead time is notably long compared to most STR markets, reflecting that guests plan trips around specific events — Penn State football home games are often announced on schedules released months ahead, and savvy guests book accommodations well in advance of high-demand weekends.
The 3.13-night average stay aligns with a weekend-plus-travel-day pattern typical of event-driven markets. For pricing strategy, the long lead time means dynamic pricing tools should apply premium rates early for confirmed high-demand weekends, particularly October and November Penn State home games. Operators can set minimum stays of two to three nights for event weekends while remaining competitive with shorter stays during the summer heritage-tourism season.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Bellefonte Borough adopted an STR ordinance effective January 1, 2023. All short-term rentals must hold an active Rental Housing Permit administered by Centre Region Code Administration, renewed annually with renewals due by January 31 each year. Properties are subject to the 2017 International Property Maintenance and Fire Prevention Code. Operators must also obtain a Borough Zoning Permit for Rental Housing; the fee is $50 for a new permit or a change of owner or manager.
Zoning is the key constraint. STRs are permitted in the R-4 residential district and all commercial zoning districts. New STRs are prohibited in R-1 and R-2 residential districts. Properties that operated in R-1 or R-2 before January 1, 2023 may continue as pre-existing nonconforming uses. There is no owner-occupancy requirement, no primary-residence requirement, and no cap on nights per year.
On taxes, rentals under 30 days are subject to Pennsylvania’s 6% state hotel occupancy tax plus the Centre County hotel room tax (raised to 5% and explicitly applied to online booking platforms like Airbnb). Combined lodging taxes total approximately 11%. Enforcement is classified as moderate: owners in violation have 30 days to apply for or renew a permit, after which daily fines apply while the property is rented without a valid permit.
Market Comparison
Bellefonte’s April 2026 occupancy of 39.4% is below the US STR median of approximately 55%, reflecting the niche event-and-heritage character of this small-town market. However, its ADR of $326 is substantially above the US median of roughly $220, driven by the premium rates commanded during Penn State football weekends.
The market’s total score of 68.6 out of 100 is above average, with investability at 79.5 and revenue growth at 69.8 standing out as strengths. Rental demand at 55.4 is at the median, reflecting the limited total visitor volume for a borough of 6,026 residents.
The professional management landscape is fragmented among small local operators. Seven Mountains leads with 20 listings and a 4.75 average rating across 325 reviews. The Bellefonte Campground manages 16 listings with a 4.92 rating. Evolve has 15 listings (4.74 rating), Gameday Housing has 14 (4.95 rating, suggesting a football-weekend specialist), and BNB Breeze holds 4 listings with a 4.88 rating. The absence of large national operators like Vacasa at scale suggests independent operators and small local managers dominate this market.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
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