Brenham, Texas Short-Term Rental Market
Brenham, TX STRs averaged $203/night at 42.8% occupancy in April 2026, with summer peaks reaching 53% and the area posting a 89.0 investability score.
Quick Answer: Brenham, Texas is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Texas East Area market area is 53%. average monthly revenue in the Texas East Area market area is $3,860. average daily rate in the Texas East Area market area is $271. the top operator in the Texas East Area market area is Evolve with 774 listings. market score is 63/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Texas East Area regional market, which includes Brenham. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Brenham.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Brenham short-term rental market spans a broad area anchored by the city of Brenham in Washington County, midway between Houston and Austin. This market encompasses roughly 22,225 active listings across the region, reflecting the wider Texas Hill Country corridor rather than Brenham city proper. In April 2026, the market averaged $203 per night with 42.8% occupancy, generating an average monthly revenue of $2,435 per listing. RevPAR stood at $87.
Entire-place listings dominate heavily at 20,944 units (94% of the market), with private rooms adding 1,269 listings. Airbnb carries the largest channel presence at 10,311 listings, 2,244 appear exclusively on VRBO, and 9,670 operators are active on both platforms.
Bedroom mix is broadly distributed: one-bedroom units lead at 7,144 listings, followed closely by three-bedroom (5,660) and two-bedroom (5,376) properties, with four-bedroom (2,451) and five-bedroom-plus (1,530) rounding out the supply. This distribution serves the diverse demand mix from weekend road-trippers to large-group reunion travelers.
Year-over-year through April 2026, occupancy edged up 1.1 percentage points while ADR slipped 3.4%, leaving revenue essentially flat at -0.2% versus April 2025. The overall market score of 63.0 out of 100 reflects a market with standout investability (89.0) and good seasonality consistency (75.1), offset by moderate rental demand (58.5) and revenue growth (60.7) scores.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 33% |
| Feb | 41% |
| Mar | 50% |
| Apr | 41% |
| May | 44% |
| Jun | 53% |
| Jul | 53% |
| Aug | 42% |
| Sep | 39% |
| Oct | 42% |
| Nov | 41% |
| Dec | 37% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Brenham are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Texas East Area market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Texas East Area market as a whole, which includes Brenham, so these counts are not Brenham-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 774 | 27,617 | ★ 4.71 |
| 2 | Vacasa | 238 | 8,722 | ★ 4.67 |
| 3 | FCR Partners, LP | 103 | 172 | ★ 4.68 |
| 4 | Neal’s Lodges | 97 | 170 | ★ 4.79 |
| 5 | 979 Vacation Property Services | 96 | 3,231 | ★ 4.62 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Brenham?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Brenham 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 | 46.4% |
| vrbo | 10.1% |
| both | 43.5% |
Home Value Trends (Brenham)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Brenham 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 Brenham — 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
Brenham operates with a minimal STR regulatory footprint. No STR-specific permit, license, or registration program exists at the city level. No STR-specific zoning ordinance was identified, and Brenham imposes no owner-occupancy requirement, no primary-residence requirement, and no cap on rental nights. Enforcement is rated minimal.
The primary compliance obligation is tax. Brenham’s city code requires all STR hosts to collect and remit Hotel Occupancy Tax at the local rate of 7% of room income, on top of the Texas state HOT of 6%, for a combined approximately 13% on stays of 30 days or fewer. A critical point: Airbnb and VRBO do not remit Brenham’s local 7% to the city. Hosts are responsible for registering through the MUNIRevs portal, filing monthly (even in zero-occupancy months), and remitting the local HOT directly. Non-compliance is a misdemeanor with fines up to $500. Cleaning, pet, and booking fees are excluded from the taxable base.
The regulation score of 60.0 reflects this tax obligation as the main compliance complexity. No recent STR-specific ordinance changes were identified. Investors should confirm parcel-level zoning with Brenham Development Services (979-337-7220) and check for any applicable HOA or deed restrictions before operating.
Market Comparison
Brenham’s April 2026 ADR of $203 falls slightly below the approximate US STR median ADR of $220, reflecting this market’s inland, small-town positioning relative to higher-rate coastal and mountain destinations. Its 42.8% occupancy also runs below the US median of approximately 55%, consistent with the market’s moderate rental demand score of 58.5.
The investability score of 89.0, however, stands out as a strong indicator of favorable cost-entry dynamics. Washington County generated $119.9 million in direct visitor spending in 2024, supporting 890 tourism jobs, which provides context for the underlying demand base.
On the operator side, Evolve leads by a wide margin with 774 listings and 27,617 reviews (rating 4.71), representing roughly 3.5% of the 22,225-listing market. Vacasa follows with 238 listings and 8,722 reviews (rating 4.67). FCR Partners, LP manages 103 listings with 172 reviews (rating 4.68), Neal’s Lodges operates 97 listings with 170 reviews (rating 4.79), and 979 Vacation Property Services rounds out the top five with 96 listings and 3,231 reviews (rating 4.62). The top five collectively manage approximately 1,308 listings, roughly 6% of the market, indicating a highly fragmented, independently operated landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions About Brenham, Texas
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