Benton, Tennessee Short-Term Rental Market
Benton, TN STRs averaged $164/night at 49.6% occupancy in April 2026, driven by Ocoee River recreation demand.
Quick Answer: Benton, Tennessee is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Tennessee Area market area is 56%. average monthly revenue in the Tennessee Area market area is $3,325. average daily rate in the Tennessee Area market area is $218. the top operator in the Tennessee Area market area is Evolve with 409 listings. market score is 73/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the Tennessee Area regional market, which includes Benton. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Benton.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Benton serves as the gateway to the Ocoee and Hiwassee rivers in Polk County, Tennessee, drawing approximately 250,000 outdoor recreation visitors annually to one of the most-rafted river corridors in the country. The STR market reflects that seasonal, activity-driven demand pattern.
As of April 2026, the average daily rate across all listings stood at $164, with occupancy at 49.6% and RevPAR at $81.54. Year-over-year, occupancy grew 0.87%, ADR rose 0.59%, and revenue increased 2.34%, signaling modest but positive momentum after a normalization period from the 2020-2021 peak.
The listing supply is concentrated in entire-place accommodations. Of the 12,488 total listing-nights tracked across listing types, entire-place units account for 11,859 (roughly 95%), with private rooms at 612 and shared rooms at 17. This makes Benton a near-pure entire-place market, consistent with outdoor recreation destinations where guests want full-property access.
The bedroom mix skews toward smaller units. One-bedroom listings represent the largest single segment (4,059 listing-nights), followed by two-bedrooms (3,360) and three-bedrooms (3,024). Four-bedroom (1,215) and five-bedroom (801) listings serve larger groups and typically command a premium.
Channel distribution shows Airbnb dominance. Airbnb accounts for 5,684 listing appearances, VRBO for 1,176, and dual-listed properties for 5,628, suggesting cross-platform visibility is common among active operators.
The market’s composite score of 73.3 out of 100 is anchored by an exceptionally high investability score of 92.8, reflecting favorable entry costs relative to revenue potential. Regulation scores (67.7) and rental demand scores (67.8) indicate manageable regulatory conditions and consistent but not exceptional demand depth. Revenue growth scores (58.1) reflect the post-peak plateau visible in the year-over-year data.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 35% |
| Feb | 45% |
| Mar | 53% |
| Apr | 49% |
| May | 52% |
| Jun | 59% |
| Jul | 61% |
| Aug | 51% |
| Sep | 46% |
| Oct | 53% |
| Nov | 47% |
| Dec | 45% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Benton are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Tennessee Area market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Tennessee Area market as a whole, which includes Benton, so these counts are not Benton-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 409 | 13,977 | ★ 4.73 |
| 2 | Vacasa | 108 | 2,373 | ★ 4.56 |
| 3 | Byers & Harvey | 74 | 2,324 | ★ 4.86 |
| 4 | RedAwning | 63 | 846 | ★ 4.67 |
| 5 | RETREAT VACATIONS | 62 | 3,036 | ★ 4.82 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Benton?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Benton 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 | 45.5% |
| vrbo | 9.4% |
| both | 45.1% |
Home Value Trends (Benton)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Benton 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 Benton — 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 legal throughout Benton and Polk County under Tennessee’s Short-Term Rental Unit Act (Public Chapter 972, enacted May 17, 2018). State law prevents local governments from prohibiting STRs based solely on their classification as short-term rentals, though municipalities retain authority to regulate for public health and safety.
No Polk County-specific STR permit or registration program was identified in public records as of 2025. The primary compliance requirement is a Tennessee business license obtained through the Polk County Clerk, with a registration fee of $15 per property annually. Operators whose gross receipts exceed $100,000 must also register with the Tennessee Department of Revenue for a standard business license.
Tax obligations are the most material compliance item. Tennessee state sales tax of 7% applies to rentals under 90 days, plus a 1% supplemental state hotel tax on whole-house rentals, bringing the combined state rate to approximately 8%. Polk County’s local sales tax adds 2.75%, putting the minimum combined sales and local tax at approximately 9.75% before any local occupancy tax. The specific Polk County local occupancy tax rate was not confirmed from a primary source and should be verified independently before operating.
Platforms such as Airbnb collect and remit state taxes directly on behalf of hosts who list exclusively on those platforms, effective January 1, 2021, removing the remittance burden for most platform-based operators.
No owner-occupancy requirement, primary-residence requirement, or cap on annual rental nights was identified at the state or county level. Enforcement severity is rated minimal given the absence of a county permit program or documented enforcement actions.
Market Comparison
Benton’s April 2026 ADR of $164 is below the national STR median ADR of approximately $220, which is expected for a rural Tennessee river market without the resort infrastructure of larger destinations. Occupancy at 49.6% runs about 5 percentage points below the U.S. STR median of approximately 55%.
RevPAR of $81.54 positions Benton as a moderate-yield market where low entry costs compensate for lower absolute revenue. The composite market score of 73.3 and the investability score of 92.8 reflect this dynamic.
Among professional operators, Evolve leads the Benton market with 409 listings and 13,977 reviews at an average rating of 4.73. Vacasa holds second position at 108 listings and 2,373 reviews with a 4.56 average rating. Byers and Harvey, a regional operator, manages 74 listings with the highest average rating among the top five at 4.86. RETREAT VACATIONS holds 62 listings with 3,036 reviews at a 4.82 average rating.
The top five operators collectively account for approximately 716 listings. Given the total supply of approximately 12,488 active listing-nights tracked across listing types, the professionally managed share remains a minority of total supply, with the majority of listings operated independently.
Frequently Asked Questions About Benton, Tennessee
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