Leavenworth, Washington Short-Term Rental Market
Leavenworth restricts new short-term rentals, with September 2026 ADR of $348, 46.5% occupancy and $4,489 monthly revenue.
Quick Answer: Leavenworth, Washington is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Leavenworth/Cascade Mtns market area is 47%. average monthly revenue in the Leavenworth/Cascade Mtns market area is $4,489. average daily rate in the Leavenworth/Cascade Mtns market area is $348. the top operator in the Leavenworth/Cascade Mtns market area is Vacasa with 175 listings. market score is 56/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Leavenworth/Cascade Mtns regional market, which includes Leavenworth. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Leavenworth.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Leavenworth is a Bavarian-themed mountain village in Washington’s Cascades with a population of 2,569 and an estimated 2 million visitors a year. The short-term rental market here is tightly regulated, and new permits are largely unavailable, which shapes every number below. As of September 2026, the Leavenworth area STR market posted an average daily rate (ADR) of $348, occupancy of 46.5%, and average monthly revenue of $4,489 per listing. Compared with September 2025, ADR is up 7.8%, occupancy is down 0.5%, and revenue is essentially flat at negative 0.1%. Higher rates are offsetting softer demand. For the first nine months of 2026, occupancy has averaged 48.0% at an ADR of $353, against 50.2% and $339 for all of 2025. Entire places dominate the Leavenworth area STR market, with 2,523 entire-place listings against 105 private rooms. By size, 2-bedroom listings are the largest group at 788, followed by 1-bedroom at 763, 3-bedroom at 559, 4-bedroom at 342, and 5-bedroom at 172. By channel, 1,512 listings are on both Airbnb and Vrbo, 876 are on Airbnb only, and 240 are on Vrbo only. The overall market score is 56.4 out of 100. Revenue growth (73.1), regulation (71.3), and investability (70.6) score highest, while seasonality (50.5) scores lowest. Visitors are mostly regional drive-market travelers from the Seattle area and the wider Pacific Northwest. They come for Oktoberfest, the Christmas Lighting Festival, Maifest, and summer outdoor recreation along the Wenatchee and Icicle valleys. Demand is event-driven and highly seasonal, so annual results depend on how well an operator captures the summer and December peaks. Treat the figures here as market-wide averages. Individual results depend on permit status, unit size, and location.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 41% |
| Feb | 43% |
| Mar | 37% |
| Apr | 46% |
| May | 48% |
| Jun | 60% |
| Jul | 71% |
| Aug | 69% |
| Sep | 50% |
| Oct | 41% |
| Nov | 41% |
| Dec | 61% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Leavenworth 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 Leavenworth, so these counts are not Leavenworth-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 175 | 14,910 | ★ 4.41 |
| 2 | Chelan Lookout Rentals | 154 | 3,610 | ★ 4.78 |
| 3 | Windermere Vacation Rentals Lake Chelan | 141 | 4,256 | ★ 4.53 |
| 4 | Love Leavenworth Vacation Rentals | 140 | 20,840 | ★ 4.80 |
| 5 | NW Comfy Cabins | 62 | 7,453 | ★ 4.81 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Leavenworth?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Leavenworth 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 | 33.3% |
| vrbo | 9.1% |
| both | 57.5% |
Home Value Trends (Leavenworth)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Leavenworth 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 Leavenworth — 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
Leavenworth has two regulatory regimes, and both are restrictive. Inside the City of Leavenworth, short-term rentals are prohibited in residential zones. The only legal options are an owner-occupied bed-and-breakfast, which needs a Conditional Use Permit, an on-site owner, and a business license, or a unit in a commercial zone that has completed life-safety and building code conversion. In unincorporated Chelan County, rentals under 30 days need an annual operating permit under a three-tier system. Tier 1 is owner-occupied, limited to 8 guests, with whole-home rental capped at 15 days a year. Tier 2 is non-owner-occupied, limited to 12 guests. Tier 3 covers owner or non-owner properties with up to 16 guests. County permits cost about $600 a year for Tiers 1 and 2 and $900 for Tier 3, require $1 million in liability insurance, and need a fire-marshal inspection every other year. Renewals fall between September 1 and October 31. The county caps STRs at about 6% of housing stock, and the Leavenworth, Lake Wenatchee, and Plain zones are over capacity, so no new county permits are being issued there until counts fall below the cap. County code updates took effect in January 2025 and count all occupants, with annual self-certification between inspections. Since September 26, 2026, permits no longer transfer on sale, so a buyer must reapply and cannot do so in capped zones. Guests pay about 8.6% sales tax plus a lodging tax of roughly 3%. Enforcement is rated strict. Verify permit status with the city or county before any purchase.
Market Comparison
Leavenworth shows a distinctive profile. The September 2026 ADR was $348, and the 2026 year-to-date ADR is $353. September 2026 occupancy was 46.5%, and the year-to-date average is 48.0%. July and August (70.5% and 69.2%) and June and December (60.3% and 61.4%) are the strongest months, so results rely on a small number of peak months. Management is concentrated among a handful of operators. Vacasa leads with 175 listings and a 4.4 rating, followed by Chelan Lookout Rentals with 154 listings and a 4.8 rating, Windermere Vacation Rentals Lake Chelan with 141 and a 4.5 rating, Love Leavenworth Vacation Rentals with 140 and a 4.8 rating, and NW Comfy Cabins with 62 and a 4.8 rating. Love Leavenworth has the deepest review base at 20,840 reviews. For investors, the high rates and constrained supply are favorable, while the low off-peak occupancy and permit barriers are the main risks.
Frequently Asked Questions About Leavenworth, Washington
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