Jefferson, Texas Short-Term Rental Market
Jefferson, TX STRs averaged $203/night at 42.8% occupancy in April 2026 with strong investability scores.
Quick Answer: Jefferson, 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 Jefferson. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Jefferson.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Jefferson, Texas is a heritage-tourism destination in deep East Texas, historically marketed as the Bed and Breakfast Capital of Texas. The STR market here reflects that identity: the market data covers a regional area anchored by Jefferson and surrounding Marion County. In April 2026, the market posted an average daily rate of $203 and occupancy of 42.8%, generating average monthly revenue of $2,435 per active listing. RevPAR stood at $86.95.
The listing mix is heavily weighted toward entire-place rentals, which account for 22,225 of the roughly 22,225 total listings tracked (20,944 entire-place, 1,269 private room, and 12 shared room). By bedroom count, 1-bedroom properties lead at 7,144 units, followed by 3-bedroom (5,660), 2-bedroom (5,376), 4-bedroom (2,451), and 5-bedroom-plus (1,530). Distribution across booking channels shows Airbnb-only listings at 10,311, VRBO-only at 2,244, and dual-listed at 9,670.
Year-over-year as of April 2026, occupancy rose 1.08 percentage points, ADR slipped 3.36%, and total revenue was nearly flat at -0.17%. The market’s investability score of 89 out of 100 is notably high, suggesting favorable conditions for new entry despite the modest topline growth.
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 Jefferson
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 Jefferson?
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
Jefferson’s investability score of 89 out of 100 is the strongest dimension in the market scorecard, indicating favorable entry conditions relative to comparable markets. The overall market score is 62.99, with seasonality at 75.07 and revenue growth at 60.71.
At the listing tier level, the spread between average and premium performance is substantial. All-listing ADR in April 2026 was $203, while entire-home ADR reached $211, professionally managed listings averaged $315, and the luxury tier averaged $443. That tier gap suggests meaningful upside for well-positioned or actively managed properties.
Annual revenue potential at the all-listing April average works out to approximately $29,219 (revenue_avg of $2,435 times 12). House-type listings generated $2,608 per month on average versus $2,513 for all entire-place units, and apartments ran lower at $1,679.
No housing price data was available in the database for this area, so entry-cost yield calculations cannot be made with sourced numbers. Investors should source current property values independently before modeling returns. The regulatory environment is permissive: no permit, no owner-occupancy requirement, and enforcement rated minimal.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
The average booking lead time in Jefferson is 38.7 days, meaning most reservations are placed just over five weeks before arrival. This is a moderately short booking window that favors dynamic pricing strategies: operators can hold rates firm in the 3-6 week window and apply promotional pricing only for inventory that remains unsold inside 2 weeks.
Average length of stay is 3.81 nights, which is slightly above a standard weekend stay. This suggests a meaningful portion of bookings are extended weekend or short-week trips, common in heritage-tourism destinations where visitors want multiple days to explore historic sites, railway events, and bayou tours. A 3.8-night average creates roughly 8 turnovers per month at average occupancy, so cleaning and turnover logistics are a real operational cost to underwrite.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Jefferson is permissive toward short-term rentals. No dedicated STR permit, license, owner-occupancy requirement, primary-residence rule, or annual night cap was found in city sources. The str_permitted flag is true and permit_required is false.
The primary regulatory obligation is hotel occupancy tax (HOT) compliance. Operators must collect and remit the Texas state HOT of 6% plus the Jefferson city HOT of 7%, for a combined 13% on stays under 30 consecutive nights. To comply, operators obtain a Sales Tax ID from the Texas Comptroller (which also handles state HOT registration), register with Avenu Insights to remit the city portion, and notify the Jefferson Tourism Department at 903-665-3733.
Enforcement is rated minimal and oriented toward tax collection rather than restricting operations. The city actively promotes lodging operators and lists STR properties on its tourism website at no charge.
Investors should still verify any property-level deed restrictions and confirm current city ordinances directly with City Hall, as local rules in small municipalities can change without wide publication. No recent regulatory changes were noted in the profile data.
Market Comparison
The U.S. STR market median occupancy runs around 55% and median ADR around $220. Jefferson’s April 2026 occupancy of 42.8% is below the national median, and ADR of $203 is also modestly below, reflecting the market’s small-town, drive-to-visitor profile rather than a coastal or major-metro draw.
The investability score of 89 out of 100 places Jefferson above many markets with higher raw occupancy, suggesting the cost-to-enter and competitive dynamics remain favorable even with below-median utilization rates.
Among professional operators, Evolve leads the market with 774 listings and 27,617 reviews at a 4.71 average rating. Vacasa holds second place with 238 listings and 8,722 reviews at 4.67. FCR Partners, LP ranks third with 103 listings (172 reviews, 4.68 rating), followed by Neal’s Lodges with 97 listings (170 reviews, 4.79) and 979 Vacation Property Services with 96 listings (3,231 reviews, 4.62). The top two operators together hold approximately 1,012 listings, representing a notable but not dominant share of the roughly 22,225 tracked units in the regional dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jefferson, Texas
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