Olympia, Washington Short-Term Rental Market
The Olympia area STR market averaged $205 a night at 73.3% occupancy in June 2026.
Quick Answer: Olympia, Washington is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Tacoma/Olympia market area is 73%. average monthly revenue in the Tacoma/Olympia market area is $3,834. average daily rate in the Tacoma/Olympia market area is $205. the top operator in the Tacoma/Olympia market area is Evolve with 103 listings. market score is 61/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Tacoma/Olympia regional market, which includes Olympia. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Olympia.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Olympia, Washington’s capital city and the hub of the broader Thurston County tourism region, has its short-term rental performance tracked as part of a wider regional StaySTRA data series; this profile omits total listing counts, bedroom and channel mix, and property manager rankings since that dimension and property manager data is tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Olympia.
The Olympia area’s own STR performance averaged $204.63 a night (ADR) at 73.3% occupancy in June 2026, generating an average of $3,834 in monthly revenue per listing. Revenue is up 8.0% year over year, while occupancy is down 2.1% and ADR is down 1.1%.
Revenue varies by property type in the Olympia area itself: apartment-style units average $3,088 a month, entire-place units average $4,414, and standalone houses average $4,067; the broader entire-place category, which includes larger multi-unit and specialty properties, actually outpaces the house-specific figure here.
Olympia is anchored by the Washington State Capitol and draws largely regional Pacific Northwest drive-market travelers for government and civic tourism, outdoor recreation, the downtown waterfront, and the Olympia Farmers Market, alongside meaningful business and legislative travel tied to the state government.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 55% |
| Feb | 61% |
| Mar | 62% |
| Apr | 62% |
| May | 67% |
| Jun | 75% |
| Jul | 77% |
| Aug | 75% |
| Sep | 67% |
| Oct | 59% |
| Nov | 58% |
| Dec | 59% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Olympia are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Tacoma/Olympia market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Tacoma/Olympia market as a whole, which includes Olympia, so these counts are not Olympia-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 103 | 4,812 | ★ 4.73 |
| 2 | Vacasa | 65 | 2,033 | ★ 4.63 |
| 3 | Amera Property Management | 25 | 641 | ★ 4.89 |
| 4 | Tip Top Management | 19 | 2,260 | ★ 4.87 |
| 5 | Blizzard Realty | 13 | 228 | ★ 4.75 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Olympia?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Olympia 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 | 58.3% |
| vrbo | 4.2% |
| both | 37.5% |
Home Value Trends (Olympia)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Olympia 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 Olympia — 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
Olympia regulates short-term rentals under an ordinance effective September 27, 2021. The city distinguishes two types: a homestay, where rooms are rented while the owner or a permanent resident also lives on-site, and a vacation rental, an entire dwelling unit rented with no permanent resident present. Both require a valid City of Olympia business license, but only vacation rentals additionally require a Short-Term Rental Permit, renewed every two years.
Homestays require owner-occupancy whenever guests are present, but vacation rentals carry no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement, making Olympia relatively investor-friendly compared with several other markets in this project. Vacation rentals must designate a 24/7 local contact who lives within Thurston County or within 15 miles of the property.
New operators may hold a maximum of two vacation rental permits; operators who already exceeded that before the September 27, 2021 effective date are grandfathered. STRs are allowed across most residential zone types, including accessory dwelling units, single-family through fourplex, townhouse, and multifamily, but are banned in Auto Services and Industrial zones.
Hosts must register with the Washington State Department of Revenue and remit lodging taxes; Olympia levies a 4.0% special excise lodging tax on top of state and local sales taxes. STRs must meet building, fire, sanitation, noise, and nuisance standards; violations can lead to civil penalties and suspension or revocation of the license.
Market Comparison
The Olympia area’s 73.3% occupancy runs well above the national short-term rental median of roughly 55%, about 18.3 percentage points higher, one of the strongest occupancy figures in this project, while its $204.63 ADR is roughly 7.0% below a national median ADR of about $220. This high-occupancy, moderate-rate combination reflects a capital-city market with a broad, steady demand base rather than a high-dollar leisure destination.
Property manager data for this market area is tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Olympia, so no property manager breakdown is presented here. Buyers researching management options should verify any specific operator’s actual coverage of the South Puget Sound area directly. Olympia’s own housing and regulatory profile, covered elsewhere in this report, remain reliable at the city level regardless of this limitation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Olympia, Washington
What is the average Airbnb occupancy rate in Olympia, WA?
What is the average nightly rate for a vacation rental in Olympia, WA?
Do I need to live in the property to run a vacation rental in Olympia?
How many short-term rental permits can I hold in Olympia?
How much revenue does the average Olympia area short-term rental generate per month?
When is peak season for vacation rentals in Olympia?
What lodging tax applies to short-term rentals in Olympia?
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