East Wenatchee, Washington Short-Term Rental Market
East Wenatchee STRs averaged $275/night at 40.9% occupancy in April 2026, with summer and holiday months producing over $6,000 in monthly revenue per listing.
Quick Answer: East Wenatchee, Washington is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Leavenworth/Cascade Mtns market area is 60%. average monthly revenue in the Leavenworth/Cascade Mtns market area is $6,388. average daily rate in the Leavenworth/Cascade Mtns market area is $404. the top operator in the Leavenworth/Cascade Mtns market area is Vacasa with 177 listings. market score is 57/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Leavenworth/Cascade Mtns regional market, which includes East Wenatchee. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to East Wenatchee.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
East Wenatchee sits on the Douglas County side of the Columbia River, directly across from Wenatchee in North Central Washington’s Apple Capital region. The short-term rental market is almost entirely entire-place listings: 2,545 of the roughly 2,650 active units tracked (96%) are entire-place rentals, with 105 private-room listings and no shared-room inventory recorded.
In April 2026, the market posted an average daily rate of $275 and occupancy of 40.9%, producing a RevPAR of $113. Average monthly revenue per listing came in at $2,871. Year-over-year, ADR grew 7.1% but occupancy fell 3.7%, resulting in a net revenue decline of 4.1% versus April 2025. The ADR growth signals pricing power even as the market absorbs softer occupancy.
The bedroom mix is relatively balanced at the smaller end. One-bedroom properties lead at 767 listings, followed by two-bedroom (794) and three-bedroom (560) units. Four-bedroom and five-bedroom properties account for 350 and 176 listings respectively. Airbnb hosts 893 listings, VRBO 244, and 1,513 properties cross-list on both platforms.
The market’s overall score of 57 out of 100 is modest, with revenue growth (73) and investability (71) as the stronger dimensions. Rental demand scores 67 and regulation scores 72, reflecting the permissive local regulatory environment. The seasonality score of 51 is the lowest dimension, consistent with the notable summer and December demand concentration.
Annual averages for 2025 show occupancy of 50.2%, ADR of $340, and average monthly revenue of $4,843 per listing. Revenue has grown steadily from $3,130/month in 2017 and has remained above $4,400/month since 2021, recovering well after the 2022-2023 dip.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 41% |
| Feb | 43% |
| Mar | 37% |
| Apr | 46% |
| May | 48% |
| Jun | 60% |
| Jul | 70% |
| Aug | 71% |
| Sep | 50% |
| Oct | 41% |
| Nov | 41% |
| Dec | 61% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for East Wenatchee are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Leavenworth/Cascade Mtns market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Leavenworth/Cascade Mtns market as a whole, which includes East Wenatchee, so these counts are not East Wenatchee-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 177 | 15,010 | ★ 4.40 |
| 2 | Chelan Lookout Rentals | 155 | 3,534 | ★ 4.79 |
| 3 | Love Leavenworth Vacation Rentals | 142 | 20,892 | ★ 4.81 |
| 4 | Windermere Vacation Rentals Lake Chelan | 139 | 4,271 | ★ 4.52 |
| 5 | NW Comfy Cabins | 62 | 7,466 | ★ 4.81 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in East Wenatchee?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for East Wenatchee 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 | 33.7% |
| vrbo | 9.2% |
| both | 57.1% |
Home Value Trends (East Wenatchee)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for East Wenatchee 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 East Wenatchee — 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
East Wenatchee has one of the most permissive regulatory environments for short-term rentals among markets reviewed. No dedicated STR ordinance was found in the East Wenatchee Municipal Code (current through Ordinance 26-02, January 2026). Operators are treated as home-based businesses: the city requires an annual City of East Wenatchee business license endorsement on a Washington State business license, which costs approximately $70 per year for properties with zero to two employees.
There is no published cap on the number of STRs, no maximum-nights restriction, and no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement at the city level. No STR-specific zoning overlay was found; properties would need to comply with the city’s general zoning and home-occupation provisions under EWMC Chapter 17.66.
At the state level, Washington’s RCW 64.37 applies to all STRs: operators must register with the Department of Revenue, carry at least $1,000,000 in liability insurance (or rely on platform-provided equivalent coverage), provide 24/7 guest contact information, and meet consumer-safety requirements including carbon monoxide alarms.
The combined lodging tax rate is 6.0%. East Wenatchee and Wenatchee are grandfathered under RCW 67.28.181 with a special combined lodging tax that applies on top of the standard retail sales tax on lodging.
Note: East Wenatchee (Douglas County) is distinct from neighboring Chelan County, which enforces a strict STR permit program capping rentals at approximately 6% of housing stock. That cap does not apply within East Wenatchee city limits. Enforcement is rated minimal.
Market Comparison
East Wenatchee’s April 2026 occupancy of 40.9% is below the US STR median of approximately 55%, typical for a shoulder month in a seasonally concentrated Pacific Northwest market. The ADR of $275 is above the national median of approximately $220, reflecting the predominantly entire-place inventory in a regional recreation destination.
The 2025 annual average ADR of $340 has grown from $275 in 2017, and revenue per listing at $4,843/month (2025 average) compares favorably to similarly sized interior Washington markets. No housing price data is available for direct yield comparison in this dataset.
The operator landscape includes both national and highly specialized regional firms. Vacasa leads with 177 listings and a 4.40 average rating across 15,010 reviews. Chelan Lookout Rentals, a regional specialist, ranks second with 155 listings and a 4.79 rating. Love Leavenworth Vacation Rentals manages 142 listings and carries the second-highest rating at 4.81 across 20,892 reviews, reflecting deep regional review history. Windermere Vacation Rentals Lake Chelan holds 139 listings with a 4.52 rating. Together the top four operators account for 613 listings, roughly 23% of total market inventory, indicating a higher concentration of professional management than most markets in this batch.
The market’s total score of 57 is moderate. The strongest dimension is revenue growth (73), supporting a case for continued ADR appreciation even as occupancy stabilizes.
Frequently Asked Questions About East Wenatchee, Washington
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