Huntsville, Texas Short-Term Rental Market
Huntsville, TX STRs averaged $204/night at 42.7% occupancy in April 2026, generating $2,436 average monthly revenue.
Quick Answer: Huntsville, 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 772 listings. market score is 63/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Texas East Area regional market, which includes Huntsville. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Huntsville.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Huntsville is a Walker County city of approximately 47,864 residents located about 70 miles north of Houston on I-45. Demand drivers include Sam Houston State University (roughly 21,000 enrolled students), the Sam Houston Memorial Museum (80,000 annual visitors), the Texas Prison Museum (34,000 annual visitors), Huntsville State Park, and the 67-foot Sam Houston statue landmark.
The short-term rental market recorded an average daily rate of $204 in April 2026, with occupancy at 42.7% and average monthly revenue of $2,436. RevPAR was $87. Year-over-year, occupancy edged up 1.0 percentage point while ADR softened 3.3%, producing essentially flat revenue (down 0.1%).
Entire-place listings dominate the mix, accounting for 20,911 of the 22,190 tracked listings (94%). Private rooms make up 1,267 listings (6%) and shared rooms account for 12 (less than 1%). By bedroom count, 3-bedroom properties are the most common at 5,654, followed by 1-bedroom (7,128), 2-bedroom (5,371), 4-bedroom (2,441), and 5-bedroom-plus (1,528).
Channel distribution: Airbnb accounts for 10,314 listings, 9,635 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, and 2,241 are VRBO-only. The market’s total score is 62.5 out of 100, with investability notably high at 89.0, suggesting the entry price point relative to revenue is favorable. Seasonality scores 75.1, rental demand 58.5, and revenue growth 60.6.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33% | $161 | $1,618 |
| Feb | 41% | $161 | $1,627 |
| Mar | 50% | $211 | $2,696 |
| Apr | 41% | $206 | $2,332 |
| May | 44% | $231 | $2,695 |
| Jun | 53% | $272 | $3,781 |
| Jul | 53% | $275 | $4,011 |
| Aug | 42% | $236 | $2,767 |
| Sep | 39% | $215 | $2,248 |
| Oct | 42% | $205 | $2,399 |
| Nov | 41% | $201 | $2,223 |
| Dec | 37% | $190 | $2,097 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Huntsville
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 772 | 27,488 | ★ 4.72 |
| 2 | Vacasa | 225 | 8,425 | ★ 4.68 |
| 3 | FCR Partners, LP | 103 | 172 | ★ 4.68 |
| 4 | Neal’s Lodges | 97 | 170 | ★ 4.79 |
| 5 | 979 Vacation Property Services | 96 | 3,212 | ★ 4.60 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Huntsville?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 7,128 |
| 2 bed | 5,371 |
| 3 bed | 5,654 |
| 4 bed | 2,441 |
| 5 bed | 1,528 |
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 | 46.5% |
| vrbo | 10.1% |
| both | 43.4% |
Investment Analysis
Huntsville offers one of the more compelling entry-cost-to-revenue ratios in the Texas STR dataset. The typical home value was $261,762 as of April 2026, with median sale price at $288,000 and median list price at $297,467. Homes averaged 62 days to pending, indicating a measured rather than competitive market.
Using the 2025 annual average monthly revenue of $2,653, annualized gross revenue runs approximately $31,836, implying a gross yield of roughly 12.2% on the typical home value and approximately 10.7% at the median sale price. These are pre-expense figures.
Tier analysis shows significant upside potential. Luxury-tier ADR reached $444 in April 2026, more than double the market average of $204. Professionally managed listings averaged $315, a 55% premium over the overall average. Entire-home listings specifically averaged $211, modestly above the all-listings average.
Revenue by property type in April 2026: houses averaged $2,609/month, entire-place listings averaged $2,514, and apartment-type listings averaged $1,683. The professionally managed tier premium ($315 ADR vs. $204 overall) is particularly wide here, suggesting that well-operated properties in Huntsville can capture rates well above the market average.
The YoY trend shows occupancy recovering: after a 2021-2022 peak (2021 revenue average $3,007/month), the market softened in 2023-2024 before stabilizing at $2,653/month average in 2025. The investability score of 89.0 is the highest across all market scores, reflecting the favorable price-to-income relationship at current home values.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Huntsville guests book an average of 39 days in advance as of April 2026, and average length of stay is 3.8 nights. Compared to markets with longer lead times, the 39-day average means most bookings arrive just over 5 weeks out.
A 3.8-night average stay is shorter than leisure-focused rural markets but consistent with a market that blends university visits, weekend outdoor recreation, and road-trip stops. Shorter stays mean higher turnover frequency per month, which can increase housekeeping costs and logistics. Minimum stay requirements of 2-3 nights can help reduce the proportion of single-night bookings without materially cutting into weekend demand.
Pricing strategy should focus rate increases in the 45-day window ahead of the June-July summer peak and any university event weekends (graduation in May, move-in in August/September). The relatively low ADR market ($204 average) means that rate optimization and occupancy management both matter to achieving above-average returns.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Huntsville has not enacted a dedicated STR registration or permit ordinance as of May 2026. No specific per-unit permit, owner-occupancy requirement, or maximum nights cap has been confirmed in Huntsville city code. Enforcement is rated minimal.
Hotel Occupancy Tax is the primary compliance obligation. Operators owe two layers: the Texas state HOT at 6% and the City of Huntsville local HOT at 7%, for a combined rate of 13% on stays under 30 consecutive days on room charges above $15/night. Airbnb and VRBO collect and remit the state 6% on behalf of Texas hosts. Operators are responsible for the local 7% if the platform does not remit it directly to the city.
Huntsville operates under a Unified Development Ordinance. STRs may be treated as lodging uses subject to zoning district rules. Operators should confirm zoning compliance with the City of Huntsville Planning and Development Department before listing. Walker County does not appear to impose a separate countywide hotel occupancy tax.
As a reference point, Houston adopted a new STR ordinance requiring registration effective January 1, 2026. Huntsville had not adopted a comparable ordinance as of May 2026, though regulatory activity in the broader Houston-metro region warrants monitoring.
Market Comparison
Huntsville’s 42.7% April 2026 occupancy is below the US STR median of approximately 55%. The lower occupancy reflects the market’s smaller visitor draw and the dominance of university-cycle demand rather than year-round leisure travel. ADR at $204 is close to the US STR median of roughly $220.
Where Huntsville stands out is in the investability score of 89.0 out of 100, driven by the low typical home value of $262,000 relative to revenue output. The gross yield implied by the 2025 average revenue is approximately 12.2% on the typical home value, which is notably higher than in higher-cost Austin-adjacent markets.
Top operators by listing volume: Evolve leads with 772 listings and 27,488 reviews at a 4.72 average rating. Vacasa holds 225 listings with 8,425 reviews at a 4.68 rating. FCR Partners LP operates 103 listings with 172 reviews at a 4.68 rating. Neal’s Lodges manages 97 listings with 170 reviews and the highest rating of the top 5 at 4.79. 979 Vacation Property Services rounds out the top 5 with 96 listings and 3,212 reviews at a 4.60 rating. Evolve’s dominance (772 listings) is substantial relative to the overall market size.
Frequently Asked Questions About Huntsville, Texas
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