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 is 76%. average monthly revenue is $10,088. average daily rate is $501. the top operator 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 Apivex 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 | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37% | $246 | $2,431 |
| Feb | 61% | $240 | $3,018 |
| Mar | 70% | $284 | $4,272 |
| Apr | 64% | $333 | $5,227 |
| May | 63% | $344 | $5,412 |
| Jun | 79% | $397 | $7,802 |
| Jul | 80% | $362 | $7,512 |
| Aug | 60% | $326 | $5,134 |
| Sep | 51% | $279 | $3,734 |
| Oct | 52% | $271 | $3,693 |
| Nov | 37% | $272 | $2,732 |
| Dec | 33% | $290 | $2,623 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Bluffton
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | 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 pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 2,025 |
| 2 bed | 5,079 |
| 3 bed | 2,757 |
| 4 bed | 1,330 |
| 5 bed | 1,231 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $503 |
| Luxury | $786 |
| Professionally Managed | $583 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $6,948 |
| Entire Place | $10,133 |
| House | $12,842 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 11.1% |
| vrbo | 20.9% |
| both | 68% |
Investment Analysis
Bluffton’s rental demand score of 84.62 out of 100 is the highest in this batch and reflects consistent occupancy above 60% during the spring and summer peak months. Annual average revenue per listing has grown from $5,028 per month in 2022 to $5,063 in 2023, $5,293 in 2024, and $5,622 in 2025, an 11.8% gain over three years despite the YoY softening in 2026-to-date data.
As of April 2026, average monthly revenue across all listing types was $6,533. Houses average $8,187 per month, the highest of any segment. Entire-place listings across all types average $6,569 per month. Apartment-style listings average $4,657 per month. At the management-tier level, professionally managed properties averaged $477 per night in ADR versus $409 for the all-listings average, a premium of $68 per night or roughly 16.6%. Luxury-tier listings averaged $673 per night, a $264 premium over the market average.
No housing price data was available in the current snapshot, so a gross yield calculation cannot be provided. Investors should factor in the combined lodging tax burden of approximately 11%: 3% Town of Bluffton local accommodations tax plus 7% South Carolina state accommodations tax plus 1% Beaufort County green space tax. The $325 annual STR permit fee plus approximately $50 Town business license represent the primary compliance costs. One STR unit per lot is permitted in most residential and mixed-use zoning districts.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
As of April 2026, the average booking lead time in Bluffton is 75.29 days, meaning guests typically reserve more than 10 weeks before arrival. That is among the longest lead times seen in comparable coastal vacation markets and reflects the market’s position as a planned destination trip for beach, golf, and Lowcountry leisure travel.
Average length of stay is 4.67 nights. That is the longest of the five markets in this analysis. A longer average stay reduces turnover frequency: at 63% April occupancy, operators average roughly 4 guest rotations per month, substantially fewer than shorter-stay markets. This reduces cleaning and operational costs per occupied period while requiring that each booking generate higher total revenue to compensate.
The 10-week lead time is particularly actionable for rate strategy. Guests planning Lowcountry vacations commit far in advance, especially for peak-season weeks in June and July. Operators who publish competitive rates early and hold them through the 75-day window capture committed guests at full ADR. Dynamic pricing should be applied with care given that last-minute discounting in a market with long lead times may signal quality concerns to remaining potential guests.
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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