Livingston, Texas Short-Term Rental Market
Livingston, TX STRs averaged $204/night at 42.7% occupancy in April 2026, with summer peaks reaching $275 ADR in July.
Quick Answer: Livingston, 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 772 listings. market score is 63/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Texas East Area regional market, which includes Livingston. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Livingston.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Livingston, TX is a small East Texas city (population 5,718) and the county seat of Polk County, situated roughly one hour north of Houston near Lake Livingston, one of the largest reservoirs in Texas at approximately 84,800 acres. The STR market primarily serves Houston-area visitors seeking weekend lake access, outdoor recreation, and the nearby Lake Livingston State Park and Alabama-Coushatta tribal gaming. The market data associated with this area reflects the broader Lake Livingston region rather than Livingston city limits exclusively, as the market-area dataset includes surrounding rural and lakefront properties.
In April 2026, the latest data month, active STR listings averaged $204 per night (ADR) at 42.7% occupancy, producing a RevPAR of $87. Average monthly revenue per listing reached $2,436. Listing composition shows 94.2% entire-place units, 5.7% private rooms, and under 0.1% shared rooms. Three-bedroom units represent the largest bedroom segment at 25.5% of supply, followed by one-bedroom (32.2%), two-bedroom (24.3%), four-bedroom (11.0%), and five-or-more-bedroom (6.9%). Both Airbnb and VRBO have strong market presence: 46.5% of listings appear on Airbnb only, 43.4% on both platforms, and 10.1% on VRBO only.
Year-over-year as of April 2026, occupancy gained 1.02 percentage points while ADR slipped 3.34%, producing an essentially flat revenue change of -0.06%. Annual averages show a range of $210-$218 ADR over 2024-2025 with occupancy around 42-45%.
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 Livingston 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 Livingston, so these counts are not Livingston-only figures.
| # | 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 Livingston?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Livingston 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 | 46.5% |
| vrbo | 10.1% |
| both | 43.4% |
Home Value Trends (Livingston)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Livingston 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 Livingston — 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
Livingston, TX does not have a dedicated short-term rental ordinance or permit requirement as of mid-2026. The City of Livingston’s published permit list does not include an STR or vacation-rental registration category, and no STR-specific zoning provision has been identified in the city code. STRs are effectively permitted with no city permit, no owner-occupancy mandate, and no cap on rental nights.
Note on a common research error: online STR regulation summaries referencing Livingston permit requirements, registration fees, and night caps appear to conflate this city with Livingston, Montana, which was actively reviewing STR rules during 2024-2025. Those rules do not apply to Livingston, Texas.
The primary tax obligation is the Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT): operators must collect and remit the 6% Texas state HOT plus the City of Livingston’s 7% local HOT, for a combined 13% on stays under 30 days within city limits. Properties in unincorporated Polk County outside city limits would substitute the Polk County 7% HOT for the city portion.
Enforcement is rated minimal. Investors should still verify directly with the City of Livingston Community Development Office (936-327-4311) and Polk County, as small-city rules can change, and lake-area subdivision HOAs may impose their own private rental restrictions.
Market Comparison
Livingston’s April 2026 ADR of $204 is below the approximate U.S. STR median of $220, though peak summer months of $272-$275 approach or exceed median levels. The 42.7% April occupancy is below the national median of approximately 55%, a product of the strong seasonal concentration in June and July.
The operator landscape is led by Evolve with 772 listings and a 4.716 rating across 27,488 reviews, the largest single-operator listing count in this content batch. Vacasa holds 225 listings with a 4.676 rating across 8,425 reviews. FCR Partners, LP holds 103 listings (4.684 rating). Neal’s Lodges ranks fourth with 97 listings and the highest rating in the top five at 4.794 across 170 reviews. 979 Vacation Property Services, likely a regional East Texas operator, holds 96 listings with a 4.596 rating across 3,212 reviews.
The investability score of 89.0 out of 100 makes Livingston one of the most investability-favorable markets in this batch, driven by the low entry price ($196,125 typical home value) relative to revenue potential. The 117-day median days to pending and available inventory of 271 units further support buyer negotiating position.
Frequently Asked Questions About Livingston, Texas
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