Mason, Texas Short-Term Rental Market
Mason, TX STRs averaged $203/night at 42.8% occupancy in April 2026, with summer monthly revenue reaching $4,009.
Quick Answer: Mason, 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 Mason. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Mason.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Mason, TX is a Hill Country community of approximately 1,999 residents in Mason County, located roughly 110 miles northwest of San Antonio and about 90 miles west of Austin. The town draws leisure visitors from Texas metros on weekend and extended stays anchored by outdoor recreation, gem hunting, wildlife watching, and historic downtown tourism.
In April 2026, the short-term rental market posted an average daily rate of $203 and an occupancy rate of 42.8%, with revenue per available rental (RevPAR) of $86.95. April is a shoulder month in this market, and the numbers reflect that seasonal positioning.
Year-over-year through April 2026, occupancy improved by 1.1 percentage points while ADR declined 3.4%, producing a near-flat revenue change of -0.2%. On a five-year basis, annual average revenue has remained in the $2,600 range after peaking in 2021 at $3,006/month during the post-pandemic STR surge.
The listing mix is dominated by entire-place rentals, which account for approximately 94% of all listings. This reflects the area’s vacation-home character: standalone cabins, cottages, and houses rather than multi-unit or room-share properties. Private-room listings represent a small minority, and shared-room listings are rare.
Bedroom distribution spans one to five bedrooms. One-bedroom units are the most represented category, followed by three-bedroom and two-bedroom properties. Four- and five-bedroom homes are also present in the inventory. Airbnb is the primary distribution channel, with a substantial share of properties cross-listed on VRBO.
The market’s Apivex composite score is 63.0 overall. The standout dimension is investability at 89.0, reflecting the low regulatory friction and consistent leisure demand that make the market accessible for new operators. Seasonality scores 75.1, capturing the pronounced summer concentration. Rental demand scores 58.5, revenue growth 60.7, and regulation risk 60.0.
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 Mason
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 Mason?
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
ADR varies significantly across property tiers, offering investors a clear picture of the yield premium available through larger or higher-end properties. The all-property average ADR is $203. Entire-home listings average $211. Professionally managed properties average $315, a 55% premium over the market average. Luxury-tier listings average $443, more than double the market-wide ADR.
Average monthly revenue for Mason STRs was $2,435 in April 2026. On an annualized basis at that rate, a typical property would generate approximately $29,220 per year. The summer peak months of June and July produce $3,768 to $4,009 per month, while January averages $1,617. Operators who sustain above-average occupancy across shoulder months will materially outperform the market average.
No Zillow housing price data is available for the Mason submarket in this dataset, so a gross yield calculation using typical home value cannot be completed from this source. Investors should obtain current property valuations from the Mason County Appraisal District or local brokers before modeling returns.
By property type, house listings average $2,608/month in revenue, entire-place listings average $2,513/month, and apartment-category listings average $1,679/month. The gap of approximately $929/month between houses and the apartment segment illustrates the advantage of single-family or cabin-style inventory in this rural market.
Annual revenue averages have been stable: $2,544 in 2023, $2,613 in 2024, and $2,652 in 2025. The trend is modestly positive with no dramatic acceleration. The investability score of 89.0 is the highest-rated dimension in this market, suggesting the combination of low regulation, affordable entry relative to gateway markets, and consistent demand compares favorably on an opportunity-adjusted basis.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
The average booking lead time for Mason STRs is 38.7 days, or roughly 5.5 weeks before arrival. This is moderately forward-looking, indicating that most guests plan their trips in advance rather than booking on impulse. The lead time window gives operators useful visibility into upcoming occupancy and allows rate adjustments for unfilled weeks before the arrival date.
Average length of stay is 3.8 nights, consistent with a long-weekend destination. Guests typically arrive on Thursday or Friday and depart Sunday or Monday, rather than committing to week-long stays. This pattern is common in rural Hill Country STR markets where the primary visitor profile consists of couples, retirees, and small groups from nearby Texas metros.
The combination of a 38.7-day lead time and 3.8-night stays means operators can expect most of their near-term calendar to fill 5 to 6 weeks out. Gaps closer to the arrival date can often be captured with last-minute pricing reductions or shorter minimum-stay policies. A minimum stay of 2 to 3 nights is typical in this type of market and helps reduce turnover cleaning costs relative to single-night bookings.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are permitted in Mason, TX under a Bed & Breakfast/Short Term Rental Registration framework administered by the City of Mason. Each rental unit must be registered separately with the city. The registration form captures business and owner information as well as any property management company details. No registration fee is published in the city’s online materials at this time.
The primary compliance obligation is collecting and remitting Hotel Occupancy Tax. Mason levies a local HOT of 7% on gross rental receipts, on top of the Texas state HOT of 6%, for a combined rate of 13%. Airbnb and VRBO typically collect and remit the state 6% automatically, but operators should confirm platform tax handling. Operators are responsible for remitting the local 7% to the city using Mason’s HOT reporting form.
No owner-occupancy requirement, primary-residence requirement, or annual night cap applies under the published framework. No zoning restrictions specific to STRs are identified in the city’s materials. Enforcement is characterized as minimal, focused on tax compliance rather than operational restriction.
Mason’s regulatory posture is tourism-supportive. The city actively lists its 70-plus lodging properties on its tourism site and promotes short-term lodging as a visitor asset. No regulatory changes have been announced or identified through mid-2026. Texas has no statewide STR licensing law, so the local framework controls.
Investors should verify current fee schedules, HOT filing frequency, and any unpublished zoning interpretations directly with City Hall at (325) 347-6449, as not all operational details are published online.
Market Comparison
The US median annual STR occupancy is approximately 55%, and the national median ADR is roughly $220. Mason’s April 2026 occupancy of 42.8% is below both benchmarks, as expected for a small rural market in a shoulder month. The 2025 annual average occupancy of 44.6% reflects the structural gap: rural Hill Country markets tend to run 10 to 15 percentage points below national medians due to smaller active-guest pools and stronger seasonality.
ADR of $203 in April 2026 is slightly below the national median, which is reasonable for a rural Texas destination competing on natural setting and low-key tourism rather than resort amenities or urban proximity.
The leading property management companies active in the broader Texas Hill Country region include Evolve (774 regional listings, 27,617 reviews, 4.71 average rating), Vacasa (238 listings, 8,722 reviews, 4.67 rating), and FCR Partners LP (103 listings, 172 reviews, 4.68 rating). Neal’s Lodges, a regional operator established in the Concho River and Hill Country corridor, holds 97 listings with a 4.79 rating, the highest among the top five. These operators manage portfolios across the Hill Country region, not exclusively in Mason.
The market’s investability score of 89.0 positions Mason favorably against many STR markets in the Apivex dataset, particularly given the permissive regulatory environment and established leisure tourism base.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mason, Texas
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