Smithville, Texas Short-Term Rental Market
The Greater Austin area (including Smithville) STR market averaged $229/night at 62.0% occupancy.
Quick Answer: Smithville, Texas is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Austin market area is 62%. average monthly revenue in the Austin market area is $3,874. average daily rate in the Austin market area is $229. the top operator in the Austin market area is AvantStay with 358 listings. market score is 57/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Austin regional market, which includes Smithville. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Smithville.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Smithville is a small historic railroad town of about 4,216 people in Bastrop County, roughly 40 miles southeast of Austin. Its tourism identity centers on a well-preserved 19th-to-mid-20th-century downtown and residential historic district, made famous as the primary filming location for the 1998 film ‘Hope Floats,’ and the town was named the first ‘Film Friendly Texas’ community in 2008. Visitors come for antique and boutique shopping, outdoor recreation at nearby Buescher State Park and Rocky Hill Ranch mountain-biking trails, Colorado River access, and long-running events like the Jamboree, held since 1958. Smithville’s STR performance data in StaySTRA’s dataset is tracked at a shared Greater Austin regional level, combined with 14 other communities across the Austin metro spanning from Georgetown and Round Rock in the north to Wimberley and Driftwood in the Hill Country southwest, rather than reported uniquely for Smithville, so all performance figures below describe that broader regional STR market rather than Smithville in isolation. In the most recent tracked month (June 2026), the Greater Austin area STR market shows an average daily rate of $229 and occupancy of 62.0%, with average revenue of $3,874 per listing for the month. Year over year, occupancy is up 7.1 percentage points and revenue is up 5.4%, even as ADR is down 4.0%. Bedroom mix, channel split, listing-type counts, and top property manager rosters are tracked at the same shared regional level rather than uniquely for Smithville, so this profile omits those figures rather than present a regional total as the town’s own. Housing data is available specifically for Smithville: the typical home value was $347,090 as of June 2026, with 111 homes for sale.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 50% |
| Feb | 59% |
| Mar | 63% |
| Apr | 57% |
| May | 58% |
| Jun | 60% |
| Jul | 60% |
| Aug | 57% |
| Sep | 56% |
| Oct | 59% |
| Nov | 53% |
| Dec | 51% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Smithville are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Austin market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Austin market as a whole, which includes Smithville, so these counts are not Smithville-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AvantStay | 358 | 1,955 | ★ 4.79 |
| 2 | Landing, Inc. | 311 | 528 | ★ 4.29 |
| 3 | Hill Country Premier Lodging | 287 | 23,955 | ★ 4.62 |
| 4 | Landing | 272 | 53 | ★ 3.67 |
| 5 | Vacasa | 250 | 17,032 | ★ 4.70 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Smithville?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Smithville 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 | 52.5% |
| vrbo | 6.6% |
| both | 40.9% |
Home Value Trends (Smithville)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Smithville 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 Smithville — 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
Smithville adopted a short-term rental ordinance on September 9, 2024, updated December 8, 2025. It applies to properties rented for 29 or fewer days within Smithville city limits and its extraterritorial jurisdiction. Any owner must obtain a valid, active city STR permit before using, allowing, or advertising a property as a short-term rental. Permits are non-transferable and expire on the last day of the month one year after issuance, making renewal effectively annual, with a $150 renewal fee. The city imposes a 7% Hotel Occupancy Tax on hotels, motels, STRs, and bed and breakfasts within city limits and the ETJ; combined with state and county taxes, the total lodging tax reaches 13.75%, filed and remitted quarterly. The city launched an online STR permitting platform via Avenu Insights and Analytics in January 2025 but is bringing all HOT collection and STR permitting in-house starting April 2026. Early compliance was reportedly low, with an estimated 86% of STRs operating without a permit at rollout, suggesting enforcement is still maturing. No owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement and no annual night cap were found in available sources. Specific zoning district allow and prohibit lists were not available from a text-readable source and should be confirmed directly with the city. Enforcement is rated moderate.
Market Comparison
At 62.0% occupancy, the Greater Austin area STR market, which includes Smithville, is running well above the commonly cited U.S. STR median occupancy of roughly 55%. Its $229 ADR is also above the national median of roughly $220, though only modestly, reflecting a large, diverse metro market that spans dense inner suburbs and small Hill Country and historic towns alike. That combination of above-average occupancy and roughly average ADR is typical of a big, established metro STR market rather than a premium resort destination. Smithville’s own STR permit ordinance, adopted in 2024, is a real but still-maturing compliance requirement, with the city reporting low early compliance rates. Top property manager rosters are tracked at the same shared regional level rather than uniquely for Smithville, so this profile omits operator rankings rather than present regional totals as the town’s own.
Frequently Asked Questions About Smithville, Texas
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How is the Greater Austin area STR market trending year over year?
What draws visitors to the Smithville area?
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