Williams Bay, Wisconsin Short-Term Rental Market
The Lake Geneva area (including Williams Bay) STR market averaged $542/night at 62.0% occupancy in June 2026.
Quick Answer: Williams Bay, Wisconsin is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Lake Geneva/Alpine Valley market area is 62%. average monthly revenue in the Lake Geneva/Alpine Valley market area is $8,411. average daily rate in the Lake Geneva/Alpine Valley market area is $542. the top operator in the Lake Geneva/Alpine Valley market area is Geneva Lakes Vacations with 141 listings. market score is 69/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Lake Geneva/Alpine Valley regional market, which includes Williams Bay. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Williams Bay.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Williams Bay is a small resort village of about 2,981 people on the northwest shore of Geneva Lake in Walworth County, Wisconsin, part of the broader Lake Geneva tourism region, one of southern Wisconsin’s premier lake-resort destinations. The area draws heavy weekend and summer visitation from the Chicago and Milwaukee metros, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours away, with day-trippers, boaters, and second-home owners drawn to the lakefront, the 21-mile Geneva Lake Shore Path, and the historic Yerkes Observatory. Williams Bay’s STR performance data in StaySTRA’s dataset is tracked at the Lake Geneva regional level, shared with the city of Lake Geneva itself, rather than reported uniquely for the village, so all performance figures below describe the Lake Geneva area STR market rather than Williams Bay in isolation. In the most recent tracked month (June 2026), the Lake Geneva area STR market shows an average daily rate of $542 and occupancy of 62.0%, with average revenue of $8,411 per listing for the month. Year over year, occupancy is up 0.9 percentage point and revenue is up 5.9%, even as ADR is down 5.5%, a pattern consistent with more bookings at somewhat lower rates. Bedroom mix, channel split, listing-type counts, and top property manager rosters are tracked at the same shared regional level rather than uniquely for Williams Bay, so this profile omits those figures rather than present a Lake Geneva-wide total as the village’s own. Housing data is available specifically for Williams Bay: the typical home value was $550,670 as of June 2026, notably higher than nearby Lake Geneva’s $419,626, with 31 homes for sale.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 29% |
| Feb | 32% |
| Mar | 35% |
| Apr | 34% |
| May | 46% |
| Jun | 59% |
| Jul | 67% |
| Aug | 59% |
| Sep | 42% |
| Oct | 36% |
| Nov | 32% |
| Dec | 38% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Williams Bay are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Lake Geneva/Alpine Valley market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Lake Geneva/Alpine Valley market as a whole, which includes Williams Bay, so these counts are not Williams Bay-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geneva Lakes Vacations | 141 | 6,018 | ★ 4.83 |
| 2 | Grand Welcome | 47 | 1,240 | ★ 4.84 |
| 3 | Evolve | 32 | 1,545 | ★ 4.86 |
| 4 | Vacation Rental Property Partners | 21 | 475 | ★ 4.85 |
| 5 | Portside Rentals | 9 | 92 | ★ 4.86 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Williams Bay?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Williams Bay 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 | 24.5% |
| vrbo | 9.8% |
| both | 65.8% |
Home Value Trends (Williams Bay)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Williams Bay 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 Williams Bay — 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
Short-term rentals are permitted in Williams Bay but require a village-specific permit. The village has regulated STRs since 2011 under Article III of its village code. Operators need a village short-term rental permit plus a room tax permit before listing, costing $975 a year combined ($950 license fee plus $25 room tax permit fee), renewed annually by June 30 (full-month February rentals are exempt from the license fee). Operators must collect and remit the village’s 5% room tax monthly, even in months with zero rentals. Operational rules require at least two off-street parking spaces per rental with no on-street parking for renters, a designated local operator reachable within one hour of a complaint or emergency, posted property rules, and notice to the Village Clerk within 10 days of any ownership or operator change. No owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement applies. Wisconsin’s statewide Right to Rent law (Wis. Stat. 66.1014) bars the village from prohibiting rentals of seven or more consecutive days, and the state allows localities to cap rentals at 180 days a year, though no explicit Williams Bay night cap was confirmed. Enforcement is rated moderate, running through the Village Treasurer’s office and Village Police, with active room-tax compliance historically pursued. Local news has reported the village may be revisiting its STR rules; specific 2025-2026 changes could not be verified from primary sources, so operators should confirm the current fee schedule directly with the Village Clerk.
Market Comparison
At 62.0% occupancy, the Lake Geneva area STR market, which includes Williams Bay, is running well above the commonly cited U.S. STR median occupancy of roughly 55%. Its $542 ADR is far above the national median of roughly $220, more than double, reflecting the market’s position as a premium lakefront resort destination for the Chicago and Milwaukee metros rather than a budget or drive-through market. That combination of strong occupancy and premium pricing is one of the stronger profiles in this dataset, though ADR is down 5.5% year over year even as occupancy and revenue both grew, suggesting either new supply or a shift toward somewhat less expensive inventory. Top property manager rosters are tracked at the same shared Lake Geneva regional level rather than uniquely for Williams Bay, so this profile omits operator rankings rather than present regional totals as the village’s own.
Frequently Asked Questions About Williams Bay, Wisconsin
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How is the Lake Geneva area STR market trending year over year?
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