Cedar City, Utah Short-Term Rental Market
Cedar City, UT STRs averaged $210/night at 46.9% occupancy in April 2026, anchored by Shakespeare Festival tourism and national park gateway demand.
Quick Answer: Cedar City, Utah is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 56%. average monthly revenue is $3,975. average daily rate is $276. the top operator is Evolve with 341 listings. market score is 52/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Utah Area regional market, which includes Cedar City. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Cedar City.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Cedar City is a mid-size southern Utah city with a population of 38,524, widely known as the home of the Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespeare Festival and as a lodging gateway to Cedar Breaks National Monument, Zion, and Bryce Canyon. The STR market reflects this dual-purpose tourism economy: arts-and-culture visitors in summer and outdoor recreation travelers in other seasons.
The market tracks 8,001 total listings in the latest snapshot. Entire-place rentals dominate at 7,561 listings (94.5%), with 431 private rooms and 9 shared rooms. The bedroom distribution is broad: 1-bedroom leads at 2,443 listings, followed by 3-bedroom (1,842), 2-bedroom (1,568), 5-bedroom-plus (1,106), and 4-bedroom (1,017). A high share of listings cross-lists: 4,444 are active on both Airbnb and VRBO, with 3,002 Airbnb-only and 555 VRBO-only.
In April 2026, average occupancy was 46.87% and ADR was $209.65, generating $2,778 in average monthly revenue per active listing. Year-over-year, occupancy edged down 1.09 percentage points and revenue fell 4.02%, though ADR rose 5.06%. The 2025 annual average was 47.55% occupancy, $258 ADR, and $3,361 monthly revenue. The market’s overall index score is 52.1 out of 100, with investability (70.7) and seasonality stability (72.6) as the stronger subcategories.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38% | $266 | $2,983 |
| Feb | 47% | $282 | $3,213 |
| Mar | 50% | $238 | $3,277 |
| Apr | 46% | $186 | $2,465 |
| May | 55% | $189 | $2,669 |
| Jun | 59% | $238 | $3,492 |
| Jul | 60% | $264 | $4,202 |
| Aug | 50% | $240 | $3,330 |
| Sep | 49% | $196 | $2,638 |
| Oct | 49% | $183 | $2,582 |
| Nov | 41% | $178 | $1,944 |
| Dec | 46% | $264 | $2,964 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Cedar City
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 341 | 18,745 | ★ 4.75 |
| 2 | Vacasa | 163 | 4,223 | ★ 4.47 |
| 3 | Family Time Vacation Rentals | 124 | 3,957 | ★ 4.47 |
| 4 | Stay Midway | 97 | 845 | ★ 4.17 |
| 5 | Midway Vacation Properties | 87 | 2,019 | ★ 4.53 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Cedar City?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 2,443 |
| 2 bed | 1,568 |
| 3 bed | 1,842 |
| 4 bed | 1,017 |
| 5 bed | 1,106 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $284 |
| Luxury | $537 |
| Professionally Managed | $371 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,563 |
| Entire Place | $4,089 |
| House | $4,760 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 37.5% |
| vrbo | 6.9% |
| both | 55.5% |
Investment Analysis
Cedar City’s investment case combines a genuine year-round demand base (Shakespeare Festival summer, national park spring and fall, Brian Head ski resort in winter) with a relatively investor-friendly regulatory framework (no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement, no annual night cap).
No Zillow housing data was available for Cedar City at the time of generation, so a specific purchase price or gross yield calculation cannot be included here. Investors should source current home values independently.
The 2025 annual average monthly revenue of $3,361 translates to approximately $40,332 annualized for a typical active listing. House rentals are the strongest sub-segment, averaging $3,285 per month in April 2026. Entire-place listings averaged $2,847, and apartments averaged $1,749.
The professionally managed tier shows a notable premium: $276.95 ADR versus the market-wide $209.65, a 32% rate advantage. This is one of the larger PM premiums in the dataset and suggests that operational sophistication (pricing, photography, guest experience) generates material yield uplift in this market. The luxury tier commands $421.73 ADR. The market’s investability score is 70.7 out of 100.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
Run a Free Address Analysis
Skip the market averages. Get revenue projections, comp analysis, and ROI for your specific property address. Free, instant, no signup required.
Analyze My Property →Home Value Trends (Cedar City)
Booking Insights
In April 2026, Cedar City STR guests booked an average of 51.0 days in advance. This is a long planning horizon, consistent with Shakespeare Festival visitors (who reserve festival tickets and accommodations months ahead) and national park travelers coordinating multi-stop road trips. Operators benefit from setting rates and opening availability well ahead of summer windows, particularly June through August.
Average length of stay is 3.1 nights. This is typical for a gateway destination where most guests are passing through on a longer itinerary rather than staying in one location for a week. A 3-night average at peak occupancy generates roughly 10 turnovers per month per listing. Operators should build cleaning costs and minimum-night policies around this turnover cycle. Minimum 2 or 3-night stays are common and appropriate for this market.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are legal in Cedar City and require a Residential Short-Term Rental Business License under Chapter 23, Section 23-9 of the city ordinances. The license renews annually on January 1. No owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement applies, and there is no cap on nights per year, making this relatively permissive for Utah.
Application requirements include: proof of liability insurance, a Utah lodging sales-tax number, an off-street parking diagram showing at minimum 9-by-18-foot stalls, designation of a local property representative reachable within 24 hours for neighbor complaints, and certifications on smoke and carbon monoxide detector installation. Before licensing, the City Building Official conducts an on-site inspection to verify parking. Applicants must notify all property owners within a 300-foot radius by mail or hand-delivery. Maximum occupancy is 2 guests per bedroom plus 4 per property. No outdoor advertising signage is permitted. STRs are not allowed where an HOA or CC&Rs prohibit their operation.
On taxes, lodging stays are subject to Utah’s transient room tax stack. The occupancy tax rate in the data is 4.57%, reflecting Iron County’s county TRT (4.25%, at the statutory maximum) plus a Cedar City municipal TRT component. This stacks on top of the combined state and local sales tax that applies to short-term lodging. Operators must register for Utah’s transient room tax independently. The permit fee was not available in the data record; the comparable Rental Dwelling Business License on the city’s fee schedule is approximately $40 per year, though operators should confirm the current STR license fee directly with Cedar City.
Note: Iron County’s county TRT ceiling was raised from 4.25% to 4.5% effective July 1, 2025 under Utah HB456. Operators should verify the current combined rate with the city or county.
Market Comparison
Cedar City’s April 2026 occupancy of 46.87% is below the US STR median of approximately 55%. The $209.65 ADR is near the national median of approximately $220, reasonable for a mid-size Utah city without beach or major ski resort pricing. RevPAR of $98.26 places Cedar City in the mid-range for Utah STR markets.
The 32% rate premium earned by professionally managed listings ($276.95 vs. $209.65 market average) is notable and above what professional management typically achieves in comparable markets. This signals real return potential for quality operators relative to self-managed listings.
Evolve leads the Cedar City market by a wide margin with 341 listings and a 4.752 average rating across 18,745 reviews. Vacasa holds second with 163 listings (4.472 rating, 4,223 reviews), and Family Time Vacation Rentals manages 124 listings (4.469 rating, 3,957 reviews). Stay Midway operates 97 listings (4.171 rating) and Midway Vacation Properties holds 87 listings (4.529 rating, 2,019 reviews). Together the top five operators manage 812 listings, representing 10.1% of the 8,001 total tracked listings.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cedar City, Utah
What is the average occupancy rate for Airbnb rentals in Cedar City, UT?
How much revenue can a short-term rental generate in Cedar City, UT?
Do I need a permit to run an Airbnb in Cedar City, UT?
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Cedar City, UT?
Which months are best for Airbnb revenue in Cedar City, UT?
How does professional management affect earnings in Cedar City, UT?
Who are the largest short-term rental operators in Cedar City, UT?
Analyze Cedar City Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Cedar City.
Free Cedar City STR Calculator →
