Galveston, Texas Short-Term Rental Market
Galveston, TX STRs averaged $291/night at 40.2% occupancy in April 2026, a pre-summer shoulder month ahead of peak season.
Quick Answer: Galveston, Texas is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 64%. average monthly revenue is $6,976. average daily rate is $395. the top operator is Vacasa with 386 listings. market score is 54/100 (grade D).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Galveston Island is one of Texas’s primary coastal tourism destinations, drawing roughly 8 million visitors annually to a barrier island approximately 50 miles south of Houston. The short-term rental market includes approximately 9,216 active listings, with the supply mix dominated by entire-place accommodations: 9,046 entire-place listings (about 98% of supply), 161 private rooms, and 9 shared rooms.
As of April 2026, a pre-summer shoulder month, the average daily rate is $291.09 and occupancy is 40.2%, producing a RevPAR of $117.03 and average monthly revenue of $3,361. These April figures are well below the market’s seasonal peak: July occupancy averages 69.5% at $331 ADR and June occupancy averages 67.5% at $340 ADR. Year-over-year in April 2026, occupancy declined 1.4 percentage points and ADR fell 1.5%, while monthly revenue still rose 3.7%.
Bedroom distribution skews toward mid-size units: 3BR listings lead at 2,935, followed by 2BR (1,984), 1BR (1,977), 4BR (1,553), and 5BR (752). Channel distribution shows strong dual-listing behavior: 5,994 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, 2,160 are Airbnb-only, and 1,062 are VRBO-only. Market scores reflect high revenue growth potential (83.4) and solid investability (78.0), partially offset by lower seasonality (47.5) and rental demand (50.6) scores that reflect the shoulder-period data capture.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27% | $197 | $1,640 |
| Feb | 39% | $208 | $1,826 |
| Mar | 52% | $274 | $3,605 |
| Apr | 41% | $264 | $3,040 |
| May | 51% | $308 | $4,011 |
| Jun | 67% | $346 | $6,161 |
| Jul | 69% | $331 | $6,105 |
| Aug | 46% | $300 | $3,923 |
| Sep | 35% | $265 | $2,581 |
| Oct | 38% | $245 | $2,594 |
| Nov | 31% | $247 | $2,084 |
| Dec | 32% | $236 | $2,083 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Galveston
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 386 | 21,460 | ★ 4.39 |
| 2 | Ryson Vacation Rentals by Vtrips | 370 | 7,450 | ★ 4.33 |
| 3 | Evolve | 354 | 17,277 | ★ 4.57 |
| 4 | Sand `N Sea Properties | 195 | 1,185 | ★ 4.66 |
| 5 | Cobb Real Estate | 190 | 3,899 | ★ 4.79 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Galveston?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,977 |
| 2 bed | 1,984 |
| 3 bed | 2,935 |
| 4 bed | 1,553 |
| 5 bed | 752 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $399 |
| Luxury | $625 |
| Professionally Managed | $447 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $4,560 |
| Entire Place | $7,056 |
| House | $8,025 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 23.4% |
| vrbo | 11.5% |
| both | 65% |
Investment Analysis
Galveston offers one of the more accessible coastal STR acquisition profiles in Texas. The typical home value is $322,132 as of April 2026, with a median sale price of $346,000 and a median list price of $413,000. At an average monthly revenue of $3,361, annualized gross revenue is approximately $40,332, implying an estimated gross yield of roughly 12.5% against the typical home value of $322,132. This yield estimate is based on April monthly revenue and will vary depending on property size, management quality, and full-year seasonality.
Note that the for-sale inventory is 1,209 units with a sale-to-list ratio of 0.838 and a median 101 days to pending, indicating a slower, buyer-favorable housing market where negotiated prices below list are common. This suggests acquisition costs may be negotiable.
Tier differentiation is meaningful. The all-listings ADR of $291.09 compares to $294.21 for entire-home listings (a small premium), $320.80 for professionally managed properties (a 10% premium), and $474.88 for luxury-tier listings (63% premium over the average). The 3BR bedroom tier is the largest segment by listing count, aligning with the beach vacation profile where groups of 6-10 are common. The revenue growth market score of 83.4 is the strongest score in the set, indicating improving revenue trends relative to peer markets.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Galveston guests book an average of 36.9 days in advance, a relatively short lead time for a coastal beach market. This suggests demand is somewhat opportunistic, with many Houston-area guests making decisions 5-6 weeks before travel. Operators should finalize summer pricing by April to capture the primary booking window for June and July.
Average length of stay is 3.0 nights, the shortest in the batch and consistent with a beach market dominated by Houston weekend trips. The 3-night average indicates near-pure weekend demand: Friday-through-Sunday or Saturday-through-Tuesday stays. This high-turnover model means cleaning costs are a significant line item. Operators targeting longer stays (minimum 4-5 nights during peak) can reduce turnover while maintaining yield if occupancy supports it, but the market’s natural demand pattern runs shorter. During summer peak, a Friday-Saturday minimum is common and consistent with the demand profile.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Galveston operates a registration-based STR regime without caps or owner-occupancy requirements, making it one of the more operator-friendly coastal Texas markets. Any dwelling rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days must register and obtain a Galveston Vacation Rental (GVR) registration number. This number must be displayed in all advertisements on Airbnb, VRBO, management sites, and social media. Registration costs $250 per property per year, with renewals due by December 31 (a $500 late fee applies for missing the deadline).
As of October 1, 2025, registration and Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) administration moved from the Galveston Park Board to the City of Galveston. The total lodging tax rate is 15% (6% state plus 9% city), applied to gross rental revenue including cleaning, pet, and other fees, remitted monthly or quarterly.
Operators must provide a 24/7 local contact who responds to complaints within one hour and resolves them within two hours. House rules covering occupancy limits, parking, noise, emergency numbers, and flood-evacuation guidance must be posted. STRs are prohibited in the R-0 zoning district. Enforcement uses a Class C misdemeanor structure: fines up to $500 per offense per day for standard violations, up to $2,000 for zoning, health, sanitation, or fire-safety violations under the November 2025 Ordinance 25-060. Three violations within 12 months can trigger license-revocation review by the city’s STR licensing board.
Market Comparison
Galveston’s April 2026 occupancy of 40.2% is below the US short-term rental median of approximately 55%, but April is a well-documented shoulder month for Galveston. The market’s summer peak occupancy of 69.5% (July) is well above national norms. The ADR of $291.09 is above the national median of roughly $220, reflecting the beach-market premium and the dominance of larger entire-place beach homes in the supply mix.
Among property managers, Vacasa leads with 386 listings and a 4.390 average rating across 21,460 reviews. Ryson Vacation Rentals by Vtrips operates 370 listings (4.333 rating, 7,450 reviews). Evolve holds 354 listings with 17,277 reviews at 4.565. Sand N Sea Properties manages 195 listings with a 4.659 rating, and Cobb Real Estate operates 190 listings with 3,899 reviews at 4.790. The top 5 operators collectively manage 1,495 listings, approximately 16.2% of total market supply. Cobb Real Estate carries the highest guest rating in the group at 4.790, while Vacasa and Evolve carry the highest review volumes, indicating established market presence.
Frequently Asked Questions About Galveston, Texas
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