Port Bolivar, Texas Short-Term Rental Market
The Port Bolivar, TX area STR market averaged $395/night at 64.4% occupancy, revenue up 6.6% year over year.
Quick Answer: Port Bolivar, Texas is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Galveston market area is 64%. average monthly revenue in the Galveston market area is $6,976. average daily rate in the Galveston market area is $395. the top operator in the Galveston market area is Vacasa with 386 listings. market score is 54/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Galveston regional market, which includes Port Bolivar. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Port Bolivar.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Port Bolivar sits on the western tip of the Bolivar Peninsula in the Galveston Bay area of the Texas Gulf Coast, reached by the free 24-hour Galveston-Port Bolivar Ferry, with a population of just 1,907. Visitors are overwhelmingly leisure and seasonal, drawn to roughly 27 miles of drive-on beach, fishing, birding, and beach-house rentals, with a notable spike around the Texas Crab Festival on Mother’s Day weekend. The peninsula, which also includes Crystal Beach, Gilchrist, and High Island, functions as an affordable, lower-density alternative to Galveston Island. The StaySTRA STR series for this area is tracked at a shared submarket level covering Port Bolivar and nearby Bolivar Peninsula communities rather than uniquely for this town, so the figures below describe the Port Bolivar, TX area STR market.
The Port Bolivar, TX area STR market posted an average daily rate of $395.32 and 64.35% occupancy in June 2026, with a trailing average revenue per listing of about $6,976.35, among the higher per-listing revenue figures in this batch. Year over year, revenue is up 6.60% and occupancy is up 2.82%, even as ADR is down modestly (4.64%). Average booking lead time is 53.33 days and average length of stay is 3.46 nights.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 27% |
| Feb | 39% |
| Mar | 52% |
| Apr | 41% |
| May | 51% |
| Jun | 67% |
| Jul | 69% |
| Aug | 46% |
| Sep | 35% |
| Oct | 38% |
| Nov | 31% |
| Dec | 32% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Port Bolivar are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Galveston market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Galveston market as a whole, which includes Port Bolivar, so these counts are not Port Bolivar-only figures.
| # | 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 Port Bolivar?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Port Bolivar 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 | 23.4% |
| vrbo | 11.5% |
| both | 65% |
Home Value Trends (Port Bolivar)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Port Bolivar 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 Port Bolivar — 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
Port Bolivar is unincorporated Galveston County, not part of the City of Galveston, and this distinction matters: Galveston’s own STR licensing program, including its annual $250 registration, Park Board oversight, and listing-tracking software, does not apply to Port Bolivar or the rest of the Bolivar Peninsula. The city tightened that ordinance effective early 2026, but those tighter rules stop at the Galveston city line.
Galveston County currently has no separate STR license or permit requirement for unincorporated areas like Port Bolivar, and there are no county-imposed caps on nights, owner-occupancy, or primary-residence rules, making this one of the more permissive STR markets in the Galveston Bay area. There is no municipal zoning code here at all; the main practical limiter comes from private deed restrictions and HOA rules where they exist, not government regulation. Operators are still responsible for taxes: the 6.0% Texas state Hotel Occupancy Tax, remitted to the Comptroller with a Texas taxpayer number, plus a county hotel occupancy tax; multiple STR guides cite a combined rate around 15.0% (roughly 6% state plus 9% county) for unincorporated Galveston County, though the exact county portion should be confirmed directly with the Galveston County Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office. Airbnb and Vrbo may collect the state portion automatically. Enforcement is rated minimal at the county level, with no dedicated STR compliance program, driven mostly by tax remittance and nuisance or noise complaints.
Market Comparison
The Port Bolivar, TX area’s $395.32 ADR runs far above the roughly $220 national median ADR, about 80% higher, and its 64.35% occupancy also runs well above the commonly cited US short-term rental median of about 55%. That combination places Port Bolivar among the stronger-performing markets in this batch on both rate and fill, consistent with its position as a Gulf Coast beach destination with a low-regulation entry path relative to nearby Galveston.
Property-manager-level data for this market is tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Port Bolivar, so this profile omits it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Port Bolivar, Texas
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Does the City of Galveston's short-term rental ordinance apply to Port Bolivar?
Are short-term rentals legal in Port Bolivar, Texas?
What is the best month to operate a short-term rental in Port Bolivar?
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