Baytown, Texas Short-Term Rental Market
Baytown, TX STRs averaged $159/night at 51.6% occupancy in April 2026, with occupancy down 7.9% year-over-year.
Quick Answer: Baytown, Texas is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Houston market area is 61%. average monthly revenue in the Houston market area is $3,129. average daily rate in the Houston market area is $198. the top operator in the Houston market area is Phillip Houston Property Manager with 439 listings. market score is 56/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Houston regional market, which includes Baytown. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Baytown.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Baytown is an industrial port city of approximately 86,000 residents on Galveston Bay, roughly 25 miles east of downtown Houston. Tourism is driven by outdoor and nature recreation (Baytown Nature Center, bay fishing), family attractions (Pirates Bay Waterpark), and business travel tied to the region’s petrochemical economy. The city operates over 2,000 hotel rooms, with the Hyatt Regency Baytown-Houston anchoring conference and group business.
The short-term rental market recorded an average daily rate of $159 and occupancy of 51.6% in April 2026, with RevPAR of $82. Year-over-year in April 2026, occupancy declined 7.9% and ADR increased 2.6%, resulting in near-flat revenue growth of 0.6%. This pattern, where rate increases partially offset occupancy loss, warrants attention from investors evaluating new entry into the market.
The market carries a large active supply. Entire-place listings total 21,667 (82.6% of listings), private-room listings 4,469, and shared-room listings 80. By bedroom count, one-bedroom units are the most common at 10,675, followed by three-bedroom (6,332), two-bedroom (4,857), four-bedroom (2,902), and five-bedroom-plus (1,396). Channel distribution shows Airbnb dominance: 15,805 listings on Airbnb only, 9,245 on both Airbnb and VRBO, and 1,166 on VRBO only.
The market’s seasonality score is 93.8 out of 100, among the highest in Texas, reflecting significant swings across the calendar year. The overall market score is 55.6, with investability at 63.6 and revenue growth at 54.3.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 53% |
| Feb | 60% |
| Mar | 64% |
| Apr | 57% |
| May | 60% |
| Jun | 64% |
| Jul | 65% |
| Aug | 59% |
| Sep | 57% |
| Oct | 58% |
| Nov | 56% |
| Dec | 55% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Baytown are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Houston market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Houston market as a whole, which includes Baytown, so these counts are not Baytown-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phillip Houston Property Manager | 439 | 17,345 | ★ 4.51 |
| 2 | Evolve | 360 | 8,415 | ★ 4.49 |
| 3 | Landing, Inc. | 272 | 398 | ★ 3.84 |
| 4 | Landing | 245 | 158 | ★ 3.56 |
| 5 | Lodgeur | 142 | 2,171 | ★ 4.78 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Baytown?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Baytown 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 | 60.3% |
| vrbo | 4.4% |
| both | 35.3% |
Home Value Trends (Baytown)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Baytown 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 Baytown — 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
Baytown’s STR regulatory framework is in active transition as of June 2026. Under the current Unified Land Development Code (Chapter 111), short-term rentals in residential and mixed-use zoning districts require a Special Use Permit (SUP) approved by City Council, a discretionary case-by-case process. The city approved its first STR SUP in December 2025 for a single-family home in the Suburban Residential district.
The city is moving toward a streamlined annual registration system: a proposed text amendment would replace the SUP process with a $300/year permit (estimated as $200 permit plus $100 inspection fee) funded by the operators. The proposed ordinance includes occupancy limits (two guests per rented bedroom plus two additional), off-street parking requirements (one space per bedroom plus one), mandatory fire and safety inspections, GIS tracking, and 24/7 contact posting requirements. The City Council tabled the ordinance and scheduled a line-by-line workshop for June 11, 2026, with a final vote expected at the second June 2026 council meeting. Investors should verify the current permitting status before purchasing.
Regardless of the permitting outcome, STR operators must collect and remit hotel occupancy tax of 13% total: 7% city HOT administered by Avenu Insights and Analytics, plus 6% Texas state HOT. There is no published cap on rental nights per year and no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement in either the existing or proposed framework. Enforcement is rated moderate.
Market Comparison
Baytown’s April 2026 occupancy of 51.6% is near but slightly below the US STR median of approximately 55%. The 2025 annual average occupancy of 57.7% is above the national median. The April 2026 ADR of $159 is well below the US STR median of approximately $220, reflecting Baytown’s positioning as an affordable, utilitarian market in the Houston industrial corridor rather than a leisure destination.
Among property managers, Phillip Houston Property Manager leads with 439 listings and a 4.51 average rating across 17,345 reviews. Evolve is second with 360 listings and a 4.49 rating across 8,415 reviews. Landing, Inc. operates 272 listings with a 3.84 rating (398 reviews), and Landing (a related but separate entity) manages 245 listings at a 3.56 rating (158 reviews). Lodgeur rounds out the top 5 with 142 listings and a notably higher 4.78 rating across 2,171 reviews. The top 5 operators collectively manage 1,458 listings.
The presence of two Landing entities in the top 5 at lower ratings (3.56 and 3.84) compared to Lodgeur (4.78) illustrates the quality variance in this market’s professionally managed segment. Lodgeur’s higher rating with a smaller portfolio may represent a competitive differentiation opportunity for operators focused on guest experience.
Frequently Asked Questions About Baytown, Texas
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