Bluffton, South Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Bluffton, SC STRs averaged $409/night at 63% occupancy in April 2026, generating $6,533 in average monthly revenue per listing.
Quick Answer: Bluffton, South Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Hilton Head market area is 76%. average monthly revenue in the Hilton Head market area is $10,088. average daily rate in the Hilton Head market area is $501. the top operator in the Hilton Head market area is Vacasa with 710 listings. market score is 51/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Hilton Head regional market, which includes Bluffton. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Bluffton.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Bluffton is a Lowcountry town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, situated between Hilton Head Island and Savannah, Georgia. It draws leisure travelers to its historic Old Town along the May River, golf access, coastal recreation, and art galleries. The short-term rental market is large and high-ADR: 12,342 entire-place listings are tracked, alongside 113 private rooms and 1 shared room.
Bedroom distribution skews toward 2-bedroom accommodations: 2-bedroom properties lead with 5,079 tracked units, followed by 3-bedrooms (2,757), 1-bedrooms (2,025), 4-bedrooms (1,330), and 5-bedroom-plus properties (1,231). Channel distribution is notably VRBO-weighted: 8,470 dual-channel listings, 2,605 VRBO-only, and 1,381 Airbnb-only, reflecting the market’s strong vacation-rental heritage.
As of April 2026, average daily rate was $409.03 and occupancy was 63.43%. April is a strong month in Bluffton, falling within the spring peak season. Year-over-year, occupancy declined 5.45 percentage points and ADR rose 2.45%, resulting in a 3.14% revenue decline. The market’s overall score is 50.84 out of 100, but rental demand scores a strong 84.62 out of 100 and investability reaches 80.39.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 37% |
| Feb | 61% |
| Mar | 70% |
| Apr | 64% |
| May | 63% |
| Jun | 79% |
| Jul | 80% |
| Aug | 60% |
| Sep | 51% |
| Oct | 52% |
| Nov | 37% |
| Dec | 33% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Bluffton are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Hilton Head market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Hilton Head market as a whole, which includes Bluffton, so these counts are not Bluffton-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 710 | 29,602 | ★ 4.50 |
| 2 | LSI Vacation Rental SC | 582 | 14,605 | ★ 4.63 |
| 3 | VacayHome Connect | 480 | 96 | ★ 4.60 |
| 4 | Beach Properties of Hilton Head | 430 | 3,630 | ★ 4.65 |
| 5 | The Vacation Company | 385 | 9,052 | ★ 4.82 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Bluffton?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Bluffton 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 | 11.1% |
| vrbo | 20.9% |
| both | 68% |
Home Value Trends (Bluffton)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Bluffton 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 Bluffton — 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
Bluffton allows short-term rentals (rentals of fewer than 30 consecutive days) but requires two separate authorizations before advertising or operating: a Town business license (approximately $50) obtained first, and a Short-term Rental Unit Permit under Chapter 6, Article V of the Town Code, which renews annually by December 31 at approximately $325 per year.
Permits are non-transferable: a change of ownership requires the new owner to obtain a new permit. Operating rules include off-street parking at one space per bedroom, quiet hours from 10:00 pm to 7:00 am, a designated local contact who must respond to complaints or emergencies within one hour, weekly monitoring of the unit, and posted occupancy limits.
Zoning limits most lots to one STR unit per lot in residential and mixed-use districts, effective January 1, 2021. An exception applies to lots within the Neighborhood Core-Historic District, where the one-per-lot cap does not apply. No owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement exists, and no annual night cap applies.
Tax obligations are significant: the combined lodging tax is approximately 11%, composed of 3% Town of Bluffton local accommodations tax (filed monthly), 7% South Carolina state accommodations tax, and 1% Beaufort County green space tax. The Town actively enforces the ordinance with penalties and permit revocation for repeat violations. Enforcement is rated moderate. Fee figures reflect the FY2026 Master Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2025.
Market Comparison
The US short-term rental market posts a median occupancy of approximately 55% and a median ADR near $220. Bluffton’s April 2026 occupancy of 63.43% is well above the national median, and the 2025 annual average of 56.51% also exceeds it. At $409 per night in April and a 2025 annual average ADR of $372, Bluffton operates at nearly 1.7 times the national ADR median, reflecting premium coastal Lowcountry positioning.
RevPAR of $259.44 in April 2026 is the highest of the five markets analyzed here and a strong indicator of market efficiency. The rental demand score of 84.62 out of 100 and investability of 80.39 confirm the market’s strong demand fundamentals despite the recent occupancy softening.
Within the local operator landscape, Vacasa leads with 710 listings and 29,602 reviews (4.50 average rating). LSI Vacation Rental SC follows with 582 listings and 14,605 reviews (4.63 rating). VacayHome Connect holds 480 listings (4.60 rating, 96 reviews). Beach Properties of Hilton Head manages 430 listings (4.65 rating, 3,630 reviews). The Vacation Company rounds out the top five with 385 listings and 9,052 reviews (4.82 rating). These five operators collectively account for approximately 2,587 identified listings. The regulation score of 56.57 out of 100 reflects the one-per-lot zoning restriction and active enforcement framework.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bluffton, South Carolina
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