Short-Term Rental Viability by City
AirDNA charges $40–$200 a month for what their algorithm calls "Investment Index." We don't have their daily-rate or occupancy data, but the directional question — should I be pricing this as an STR or an LTR? — is answerable from public BLS leisure-employment share, the city's price premium over its state, and the city's value-to-rent ratio. Below is that lean, free.
Top STR-leaning market Alamo, California Score 100 · 3.44x state median · 7.3% leisure share
Top LTR-leaning market Bradford, Pennsylvania Score 0 · 15.1% gross LTR yield
Distribution 941 / 2709 / 1103 STR-leaning · mixed · LTR-leaning (out of 4753)
Top 50 STR-leaning cities
High score = price decoupled from local long-term rent in a tourism-heavy state. Verify locally for STR regulations and HOA restrictions before underwriting; we do not maintain a regulation database.
| # | City | Score | Lean | City Price | vs State | LTR Yield | State Leisure | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alamo California | 100 | STR-leaning | $3,055,000 | 3.44x | 0.9% | 7.3% | 15 |
| 2 | Anna Maria Florida | 100 | STR-leaning | $2,062,500 | 4.89x | 1.1% | 11.5% | 10 |
| 3 | Ardmore Pennsylvania | 100 | STR-leaning | $875,000 | 2.65x | 1.8% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 4 | Aspen Colorado | 100 | STR-leaning | $2,240,000 | 3.63x | 1.1% | 10.5% | 12 |
| 5 | Atherton California | 100 | STR-leaning | $11,200,000 | 12.62x | 0.3% | 7.3% | 11 |
| 6 | Atlantic Beach Florida | 100 | STR-leaning | $840,000 | 1.99x | 2.8% | 11.5% | 15 |
| 7 | Avalon New Jersey | 100 | STR-leaning | $1,900,000 | 3.28x | 1.4% | 6.4% | 11 |
| 8 | Bald Head Island North Carolina | 100 | STR-leaning | $1,320,000 | 3.32x | 1.4% | 7.5% | 16 |
| 9 | Bay Harbor Islands Florida | 100 | STR-leaning | $2,820,000 | 6.69x | 0.8% | 11.5% | 17 |
| 10 | Bellaire Texas | 100 | STR-leaning | $1,316,000 | 3.70x | 1.3% | 7.4% | 23 |
| 11 | Belmont California | 100 | STR-leaning | $2,300,000 | 2.59x | 1.2% | 7.3% | 21 |
| 12 | Bethesda Maryland | 100 | STR-leaning | $1,375,000 | 2.88x | 1.5% | 6.4% | 87 |
| 13 | Beverly Hills California | 100 | STR-leaning | $5,300,000 | 5.97x | 0.5% | 7.3% | 15 |
| 14 | Big Pine Key Florida | 100 | STR-leaning | $802,000 | 1.90x | 2.9% | 11.5% | 12 |
| 15 | Big Sky Montana | 100 | STR-leaning | $1,492,500 | 2.82x | 1.3% | 10.0% | 14 |
| 16 | Bigfork Montana | 100 | STR-leaning | $855,000 | 1.62x | 2.3% | 10.0% | 11 |
| 17 | Blackhawk California | 100 | STR-leaning | $2,385,000 | 2.69x | 1.2% | 7.3% | 11 |
| 18 | Boca Raton Florida | 100 | STR-leaning | $835,000 | 1.98x | 2.8% | 11.5% | 188 |
| 19 | Braddock Virginia | 100 | STR-leaning | $1,318,367 | 2.64x | 1.4% | 6.3% | 11 |
| 20 | Bradenton Beach Florida | 100 | STR-leaning | $865,000 | 2.05x | 2.7% | 11.5% | 10 |
| 21 | Breckenridge Colorado | 100 | STR-leaning | $1,335,000 | 2.16x | 1.9% | 10.5% | 21 |
| 22 | Brentwood Tennessee | 100 | STR-leaning | $1,425,000 | 3.45x | 1.2% | 8.4% | 79 |
| 23 | Bulverde Texas | 100 | STR-leaning | $897,500 | 2.52x | 1.9% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 24 | Burlingame California | 100 | STR-leaning | $3,125,000 | 3.52x | 0.9% | 7.3% | 27 |
| 25 | Burr Ridge Illinois | 100 | STR-leaning | $982,500 | 2.91x | 1.4% | 6.4% | 10 |
| 26 | Cape Elizabeth Maine | 100 | STR-leaning | $905,000 | 2.06x | 2.3% | 9.4% | 15 |
| 27 | Carbondale Colorado | 100 | STR-leaning | $1,097,750 | 1.78x | 2.3% | 10.5% | 12 |
| 28 | Carmel California | 100 | STR-leaning | $3,079,500 | 3.47x | 0.9% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 29 | Castle Pines North Colorado | 100 | STR-leaning | $975,000 | 1.58x | 2.6% | 10.5% | 26 |
| 30 | Castle Pines Village Colorado | 100 | STR-leaning | $1,637,803 | 2.65x | 1.5% | 10.5% | 10 |
| 31 | Castle Pines Colorado | 100 | STR-leaning | $996,751 | 1.62x | 2.5% | 10.5% | 31 |
| 32 | Cherry Hills Village Colorado | 100 | STR-leaning | $3,207,600 | 5.20x | 0.8% | 10.5% | 15 |
| 33 | Closter New Jersey | 100 | STR-leaning | $1,625,000 | 2.80x | 1.6% | 6.4% | 17 |
| 34 | Colleyville Texas | 100 | STR-leaning | $1,025,000 | 2.88x | 1.6% | 7.4% | 39 |
| 35 | Concord Massachusetts | 100 | STR-leaning | $1,767,500 | 2.57x | 1.6% | 6.9% | 26 |
| 36 | Cooper City Florida | 100 | STR-leaning | $625,000 | 1.48x | 3.7% | 11.5% | 38 |
| 37 | Coral Gables Florida | 100 | STR-leaning | $1,700,000 | 4.03x | 1.4% | 11.5% | 61 |
| 38 | Coral Springs Florida | 100 | STR-leaning | $630,000 | 1.49x | 3.7% | 11.5% | 117 |
| 39 | Coral Terrace Florida | 100 | STR-leaning | $767,500 | 1.82x | 3.0% | 11.5% | 13 |
| 40 | Coronado California | 100 | STR-leaning | $2,790,000 | 3.14x | 1.0% | 7.3% | 20 |
| 41 | Cos Cob Connecticut | 100 | STR-leaning | $1,510,000 | 3.03x | 1.7% | 5.9% | 10 |
| 42 | Coto de Caza California | 100 | STR-leaning | $2,475,000 | 2.79x | 1.1% | 7.3% | 22 |
| 43 | Cottage Lake Washington | 100 | STR-leaning | $1,600,000 | 2.45x | 1.3% | 7.0% | 24 |
| 44 | Cupertino California | 100 | STR-leaning | $3,326,000 | 3.75x | 0.8% | 7.3% | 32 |
| 45 | Darien Connecticut | 100 | STR-leaning | $2,450,000 | 4.92x | 1.1% | 5.9% | 26 |
| 46 | Darnestown Maryland | 100 | STR-leaning | $1,250,000 | 2.62x | 1.7% | 6.4% | 11 |
| 47 | Del Monte Forest California | 100 | STR-leaning | $2,500,000 | 2.82x | 1.1% | 7.3% | 11 |
| 48 | Delray Beach Florida | 100 | STR-leaning | $645,000 | 1.53x | 3.6% | 11.5% | 143 |
| 49 | Des Peres Missouri | 100 | STR-leaning | $965,000 | 3.24x | 1.4% | 6.4% | 12 |
| 50 | Destin Florida | 100 | STR-leaning | $647,000 | 1.53x | 3.6% | 11.5% | 60 |
Top 30 LTR-leaning cities
Low score = price tracks local rent in a non-tourism market. These are buy-and-hold markets where the cap-rate math works on a 30-year horizon without seasonal optimism.
| # | City | Score | Lean | City Price | vs State | LTR Yield | State Leisure | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bradford Pennsylvania | 0 | LTR-leaning | $102,000 | 0.31x | 15.1% | 6.3% | 12 |
| 2 | Bridgeton New Jersey | 0 | LTR-leaning | $166,500 | 0.29x | 15.6% | 6.4% | 14 |
| 3 | Butler Pennsylvania | 0 | LTR-leaning | $119,900 | 0.36x | 12.8% | 6.3% | 11 |
| 4 | Cahokia Heights Illinois | 0 | LTR-leaning | $62,000 | 0.18x | 22.0% | 6.4% | 37 |
| 5 | Camden New Jersey | 0 | LTR-leaning | $150,000 | 0.26x | 17.3% | 6.4% | 46 |
| 6 | Center Point Alabama | 0 | LTR-leaning | $116,750 | 0.37x | 13.8% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 7 | Centralia Illinois | 0 | LTR-leaning | $97,500 | 0.29x | 14.0% | 6.4% | 19 |
| 8 | Crestwood Village New Jersey | 0 | LTR-leaning | $135,000 | 0.23x | 19.2% | 6.4% | 19 |
| 9 | Cumberland Maryland | 0 | LTR-leaning | $144,750 | 0.30x | 14.4% | 6.4% | 26 |
| 10 | Detroit Michigan | 0 | LTR-leaning | $95,000 | 0.32x | 17.2% | 5.8% | 407 |
| 11 | Elmira New York | 0 | LTR-leaning | $69,000 | 0.11x | 27.3% | 6.8% | 17 |
| 12 | Flint Michigan | 0 | LTR-leaning | $64,700 | 0.22x | 25.3% | 5.8% | 62 |
| 13 | Gloversville New York | 0 | LTR-leaning | $146,260 | 0.24x | 12.8% | 6.8% | 11 |
| 14 | Harvey Illinois | 0 | LTR-leaning | $90,000 | 0.27x | 15.2% | 6.4% | 11 |
| 15 | Jackson Michigan | 0 | LTR-leaning | $131,500 | 0.44x | 12.4% | 5.8% | 39 |
| 16 | Jamestown New York | 0 | LTR-leaning | $80,500 | 0.13x | 23.3% | 6.8% | 20 |
| 17 | Jennings Missouri | 0 | LTR-leaning | $65,000 | 0.22x | 21.1% | 6.4% | 13 |
| 18 | Kewanee Illinois | 0 | LTR-leaning | $65,000 | 0.19x | 21.0% | 6.4% | 15 |
| 19 | Kingsville Texas | 0 | LTR-leaning | $115,005 | 0.32x | 14.5% | 7.4% | 21 |
| 20 | Macomb Illinois | 0 | LTR-leaning | $74,000 | 0.22x | 18.4% | 6.4% | 20 |
| 21 | McComb Mississippi | 0 | LTR-leaning | $77,500 | 0.27x | 23.0% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 22 | Murphysboro Illinois | 0 | LTR-leaning | $85,000 | 0.25x | 16.1% | 6.4% | 13 |
| 23 | Muskegon Heights Michigan | 0 | LTR-leaning | $119,069 | 0.40x | 13.8% | 5.8% | 10 |
| 24 | New Castle Pennsylvania | 0 | LTR-leaning | $73,500 | 0.22x | 20.9% | 6.3% | 18 |
| 25 | North Adams Massachusetts | 0 | LTR-leaning | $207,500 | 0.30x | 13.7% | 6.9% | 11 |
| 26 | Oswego New York | 0 | LTR-leaning | $134,500 | 0.22x | 14.0% | 6.8% | 12 |
| 27 | Pottsville Pennsylvania | 0 | LTR-leaning | $101,000 | 0.31x | 15.2% | 6.3% | 16 |
| 28 | Saginaw Michigan | 0 | LTR-leaning | $90,000 | 0.30x | 18.2% | 5.8% | 31 |
| 29 | Salem New Jersey | 0 | LTR-leaning | $165,500 | 0.29x | 15.7% | 6.4% | 10 |
| 30 | Shamokin Pennsylvania | 0 | LTR-leaning | $56,250 | 0.17x | 27.3% | 6.3% | 10 |
Method & honest caveats
- This is not an ADR forecast. AirDNA, Mashvisor, and PriceLabs sell daily-rate + occupancy data we don't have. What we have is enough to flag where the LTR-vs-STR question even matters.
- +25 from city price premium over state. A city priced 1.5x its state median is in vacation-home territory; the math changes vs. a primary-residence market.
- +5 per leisure-employment point above 7%. States with above-average leisure-and-hospitality payroll share have the demand-side support that makes nightly rates exceed monthly-rent equivalents.
- −4 per LTR-yield point above 5%. A high LTR yield is a sign the market is best left as a long-term rental — STR risk and management overhead aren't justified.
- +10 combo bonus when both leisure share and price ratio cross the threshold (true vacation markets).
- Verify regulations locally. A high score doesn't help if your city has banned STRs (NYC Local Law 18, San Francisco's 90-day cap, increasing HOA bans). Do that diligence before transacting.
- Volume floor. 10+ closed sales in the most recent four-week window required.
Sources: Redfin Data Center (city price + value-to-rent), BLS State and Area Employment (leisure share). Methodology composed by HomeStats.