Brownwood, Texas Short-Term Rental Market
Brownwood-area STRs averaged $203/night at 42.8% occupancy in April 2026, with no local permit requirement.
Quick Answer: Brownwood, Texas is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 53%. average monthly revenue is $3,860. average daily rate is $271. the top operator is Evolve with 774 listings. market score is 63/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Texas East Area regional market, which includes Brownwood. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Brownwood.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Brownwood market area encompasses the Central Texas Hill Country region centered on Lake Brownwood and the surrounding Brown County communities. The market includes approximately 22,225 active listings, with entire-place units comprising the vast majority at 20,944 (94.2%), private rooms at 1,269, and shared rooms at 12. In April 2026, the market-wide average daily rate was $203.35 and occupancy reached 42.8%, producing a RevPAR of $86.95 and average monthly revenue of $2,435 per listing.
Year-over-year through April 2026, occupancy edged up 1.1 percentage points while ADR declined 3.4%, leaving overall revenue essentially flat (down 0.2%). The channel distribution shows dual-platform listings as the dominant pattern, with 9,670 listings appearing on both Airbnb and VRBO, 10,311 on Airbnb only, and 2,244 on VRBO only. Bedroom distribution is relatively even: 1-bedroom units lead with 7,144 listings, followed by 3-bedrooms (5,660), 2-bedrooms (5,376), 4-bedrooms (2,451), and 5-bedrooms (1,530). Demand drivers include Lake Brownwood State Park, sports tourism centered on the Brownwood Event Center Complex, and hunting and outdoor recreation across the region.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33% | $161 | $1,617 |
| Feb | 41% | $161 | $1,627 |
| Mar | 50% | $211 | $2,695 |
| Apr | 41% | $206 | $2,332 |
| May | 44% | $231 | $2,694 |
| Jun | 53% | $271 | $3,778 |
| Jul | 53% | $275 | $4,009 |
| Aug | 42% | $236 | $2,765 |
| Sep | 39% | $215 | $2,247 |
| Oct | 42% | $205 | $2,398 |
| Nov | 41% | $201 | $2,222 |
| Dec | 37% | $190 | $2,096 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Brownwood
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | 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 Brownwood?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 7,144 |
| 2 bed | 5,376 |
| 3 bed | 5,660 |
| 4 bed | 2,451 |
| 5 bed | 1,530 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $281 |
| Luxury | $538 |
| Professionally Managed | $442 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,174 |
| Entire Place | $4,002 |
| House | $4,276 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 46.4% |
| vrbo | 10.1% |
| both | 43.5% |
Investment Analysis
Brownwood’s investability score of 89.0 out of 100 is among the strongest metrics in the dataset, suggesting the market’s characteristics align well with STR investment criteria. Revenue growth scores 60.7, seasonality scores 75.1, and the total market score is 63.0. Rental demand scores 58.5, which is moderate and consistent with a regional outdoor recreation market rather than a coastal or major-city destination.
Tier differences at the ADR level are pronounced. The all-listings ADR of $203.35 compares to entire-home listings at $210.91 (a 3.7% premium), professionally managed properties at $314.67 (a 54.8% premium), and luxury-tier listings at $442.86 (a 117.8% premium). Monthly revenue by property type shows houses averaging $2,608, entire-place listings averaging $2,513, and apartments averaging $1,679. The $929 per month gap between houses and apartments underscores how much property type matters in this market.
No Zillow housing value data is currently available for this area, so a gross yield calculation cannot be provided. The regulatory environment is permissive: there is no local STR permit requirement, making the barrier to entry low. Investors should verify state and city hotel occupancy tax obligations before operating.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Brownwood STR guests book an average of 38.7 days in advance, with average stays of 3.8 nights. The nearly 40-day lead time provides operators with a planning window of roughly five to six weeks before arrival, which is slightly longer than the Texas coastal average. This window is useful for implementing dynamic pricing adjustments before the booking window closes.
The 3.8-night average stay is consistent with a weekend outdoor recreation and events market where guests arrive Thursday or Friday and depart Sunday or Monday. This turnover cadence reduces the complexity of managing longer-stay transitions but requires reliable cleaning and restocking operations on a consistent rhythm. Operators targeting the hunting and outdoor recreation segments, which tend to book week-long trips in fall and winter, may see longer stays in those months, which can smooth out the revenue curve during the otherwise softer season.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Brownwood has no short-term rental ordinance. The city’s zoning code (Chapter 98 of the Code of Ordinances) does not define or specifically regulate short-term or vacation rentals, and imposes no STR registration, permit, owner-occupancy, primary-residence, or annual night-cap requirement. STRs effectively operate under general residential use rules.
Operators are still subject to Texas state law: the 6% state hotel occupancy tax applies to stays of 29 days or fewer, collected and remitted to the Texas Comptroller. Airbnb and VRBO typically collect and remit the state portion automatically. Brownwood also levies a local municipal hotel occupancy tax, and the city’s Finance Department provides a hotel occupancy tax reporting form, so operators should expect to register and remit the local HOT directly. The exact local rate was not confirmed from available public sources (Texas general-law cities may levy up to 7%); verify the current rate with City Hall at 325-646-5775.
No STR-specific ordinance changes have been identified as of mid-2026. Enforcement is rated minimal. Investors should also verify any HOA or deed restrictions on the specific property before operating, as those rules operate independently of city zoning.
Market Comparison
Against national benchmarks, Brownwood’s April 2026 occupancy of 42.8% and ADR of $203.35 both sit below the national medians of approximately 55% and $220, respectively. This is characteristic of a regional inland market without a major urban anchor or beach draw, where occupancy is event-driven and ADR is constrained by the local income base.
Evolve leads the operator landscape with 774 listings and 27,617 reviews (average rating 4.71), the largest presence by a wide margin. Vacasa follows with 238 listings (4.67 rating). FCR Partners LP holds 103 listings (4.68 rating) and Neal’s Lodges manages 97 listings with a 4.79 rating. Together the top five operators account for 1,308 listings, approximately 5.9% of total supply. The low operator concentration relative to market size indicates that the independent host segment dominates, which also explains the wide performance gap between the market average and the professionally managed tier at $314.67 ADR.
Frequently Asked Questions About Brownwood, Texas
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