Sturgis, South Dakota Short-Term Rental Market
The Black Hills STR market around Sturgis posted $239 ADR, 62.4% occupancy and $4,129 monthly revenue in September 2026.
Quick Answer: Sturgis, South Dakota is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Rapid City market area is 62%. average monthly revenue in the Rapid City market area is $4,129. average daily rate in the Rapid City market area is $239. the top operator in the Rapid City market area is Evolve with 72 listings. market score is 50/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Rapid City regional market, which includes Sturgis. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Sturgis.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Sturgis, South Dakota (population 7,086) sits in the Black Hills, and its short-term rental performance is measured here as the Black Hills STR market, a regional series rather than a Sturgis-only series. Every performance number in this profile describes that regional market rather than Sturgis alone. In September 2026, the Black Hills STR market averaged an ADR of $239, occupancy of 62.4%, and average monthly revenue of $4,129 per listing. Compared with September 2025, occupancy rose 8.4%, ADR rose 2.7%, and revenue rose 10.3%, so most of the gain came from more booked nights rather than higher rates. Entire-home ADR was $245, a modest premium over the all-listings figure. Houses averaged $4,474 in monthly revenue and apartments averaged $3,310, while entire places overall averaged $4,298. Through September, 2026 is running at 57.9% occupancy, a $218 ADR and $3,478 in average monthly revenue. That compares with 54.7% occupancy, a $219 ADR and $3,269 in monthly revenue for full-year 2025, so the improvement this year is driven by occupancy while rates are essentially flat. Demand in Sturgis is anchored by the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, held over roughly 10 days beginning the first Friday of August, with typical attendance near 500,000 people. Outside the rally, the area serves as a base for Black Hills trips to Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park and Wind Cave, which supports moderate spring through fall leisure travel. Bedroom, channel and listing-type counts are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Sturgis, so this profile omits it. Investors should read the figures as a regional benchmark and expect individual Sturgis properties to vary with their distance from downtown and the rally grounds.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 38% |
| Feb | 47% |
| Mar | 56% |
| Apr | 47% |
| May | 61% |
| Jun | 75% |
| Jul | 75% |
| Aug | 63% |
| Sep | 59% |
| Oct | 49% |
| Nov | 40% |
| Dec | 45% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Sturgis are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Rapid City market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Rapid City market as a whole, which includes Sturgis, so these counts are not Sturgis-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 72 | 5,007 | ★ 4.78 |
| 2 | Stay in the Black Hills | 60 | 4,548 | ★ 4.82 |
| 3 | Soujourn | 40 | 6,573 | ★ 4.67 |
| 4 | Velora Management Group | 28 | 812 | ★ 4.58 |
| 5 | Bear Property Management | 27 | 1,648 | ★ 4.86 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Sturgis?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Sturgis 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 | 42.3% |
| vrbo | 13.6% |
| both | 44.1% |
Home Value Trends (Sturgis)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Sturgis 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 Sturgis — 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
Short-term rentals are permitted in Sturgis, and the city has no dedicated short-term rental ordinance. That makes it one of the more permissive STR markets in South Dakota. There is no separate Sturgis city STR permit, and the city imposes no permit cap, no owner-occupancy requirement, no primary-residence requirement and no annual night limit. The main requirement is a South Dakota lodging establishment license issued by the Department of Health for bed and breakfast or vacation home operators, and that license renews annually. County registration and state tax compliance are also expected in Meade County. Lodging taxes stack to roughly 8.7%: a 4.2% state sales tax, a 1.5% state tourism tax, a 2% Sturgis municipal tax and a 1% additional Sturgis lodging, eating and amusement tax. Standard residential zoning applies, along with a separate camping and yard-camping ordinance. Meade County has discussed but not enacted broad STR restrictions. Enforcement of STR-specific rules is rated minimal because the city has no STR framework to enforce. Recent changes: as of March 2026, the Sturgis City Council was debating updated yard camping rules, including limits on units, campers and days that expand during the rally, but those are not STR-specific rules. Nearby Rapid City adopted new short-term rental regulations in December 2025. Investors should confirm current zoning with the City of Sturgis and Meade County planning offices before buying.
Market Comparison
Measured against its own history, the Black Hills STR market is performing well in September 2026. Occupancy of 62.4% is up 8.4% from a year earlier, and 2026 through September, at 57.9% occupancy, is running ahead of full-year 2025 at 54.7%. Peak season widens the contrast within the year: July occupancy of 75.1% and an ADR of $252 compare with January at 37.7% occupancy and a $152 ADR. The market’s weakness is concentration. Most income arrives between June and August, so annual results depend heavily on summer travel and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Operator and listing-mix data for the Black Hills is tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Sturgis, so this profile omits it. For investors, the takeaway is that Sturgis offers strong summer performance and a light local regulatory burden, balanced against a long, soft off-season.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sturgis, South Dakota
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