Short-Term Rental Markets by Season: A Buyer/Renter's Reference

Every short-term rental market runs on a rhythm. Some fill up for twelve weeks a year and sit empty the rest. Others hold steady occupancy no matter the season, or run two peaks instead of one. Knowing which pattern you're buying into matters more than the headline cap rate — it determines your financing runway, your pricing strategy, and how much cash you need in reserve for the slow months. Below are the leading U.S. short-term rental markets, grouped by their dominant demand pattern.

Summer-Driven Markets

Beach, lake, and coastal escape markets. Occupancy peaks Memorial Day through Labor Day and drops off sharply after.

Florida Keys, Monroe County, FL

Diving, fishing, and boat culture pull steady summer crowds. Winter still performs on snowbird overflow from the mainland, but summer carries the ADR. Heavy regulation and flood insurance costs are the tradeoff.

Cape Cod & the Islands, Barnstable County, MA

Classic New England beach demand plus overflow from New York and Boston travelers. Shoulder seasons are thin, so the model depends on a short, high-ADR window. Town-by-town STR rules vary widely.

Outer Banks, Dare County, NC

Family beach-week demand runs June through August and drives the bulk of annual revenue. Large, multi-bedroom homes that sleep extended families command the strongest rates.

Northern Michigan Lakes, Traverse City / Petoskey, MI

Cottage-country demand from Midwest drive markets. Lower entry price than coastal alternatives, but the season is genuinely short — plan cash flow around roughly 15 strong weeks, not 52.

Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, Baldwin County, AL

Drive-to beach market for the Southeast, with a long summer season stretching from spring break through early fall. Large condo inventory keeps entry price accessible.

Lake of the Ozarks, MO

Boating and lake-house demand from Kansas City and St. Louis. Summer weekends dominate the calendar; winter occupancy is minimal outside a handful of holiday weeks.

Wisconsin Dells, WI

Family water-park and resort demand keeps summer occupancy high, with a secondary bump around Christmas week. A short but very reliable season.

Lake Tahoe, CA/NV

Summer lake recreation on the California and Nevada shores drives the stronger of Tahoe's two seasons in most micro-markets, with boating, hiking, and casino traffic on the Nevada side. Winter ski demand is a close second — see the winter section below.

Big Sur & the Central Coast, Monterey County, CA

Scenic-drive tourism along Highway 1 peaks in summer and early fall. Strict coastal development limits keep supply constrained, which supports rate but also limits how much inventory an investor can realistically acquire.

Glacier National Park Gateway, West Glacier & Whitefish, MT

Going-to-the-Sun Road typically opens in June and closes by October, which compresses nearly all park visitation into a single summer window. Whitefish adds a secondary ski season, so a property split between the two towns can capture both.

Yosemite National Park Gateway, Oakhurst & Mariposa, CA

Summer and early fall carry the bulk of visitation, with a smaller spring bump for waterfall season. Winter access is weather-dependent and occupancy drops accordingly, though Yosemite Valley itself stays open year-round.

Acadia National Park Gateway, Bar Harbor, ME

Summer coastal tourism plus a strong fall-foliage window in early October give this market two real peaks within an otherwise short season. Winter occupancy is minimal — many local businesses close entirely.

Rocky Mountain National Park Gateway, Estes Park, CO

Summer hiking traffic is the primary driver, with a notable secondary peak during the September–October elk rut that draws wildlife tourism specifically. Winter occupancy is real but modest.

Sequoia & Kings Canyon Gateway, Three Rivers, CA

A smaller, quieter park market than Yosemite with a shorter season concentrated in summer. Lower entry price than most California mountain markets, reflecting the smaller visitor base.

Yellowstone Gateway, West Yellowstone & Gardiner, MT

Most park roads close to regular vehicle traffic from November through April, which concentrates the bulk of demand into a five-month summer window. A niche winter snowmobile and snowcoach season exists but is a fraction of summer volume.

Olympic National Park Gateway, Port Angeles, WA

Summer is the clear peak for this temperate-rainforest and coastal park; Pacific Northwest rain suppresses shoulder-season and winter demand more than cold does. Diverse terrain (coast, rainforest, alpine) in one park is the draw.

Mount Rainier Gateway, Ashford & Packwood, WA

Summer wildflower and hiking season drives nearly all visitation; several park roads close for winter snow. A smaller, more predictable season than the bigger-name Western parks.

Denali National Park Gateway, Healy & Talkeetna, AK

The most extreme single-season market on this list — the park road and most lodging effectively operate only late May through mid-September. High ADR compresses a full year of revenue into about 16 weeks, so financing has to assume a true off-season, not a slow one.

Badlands National Park Gateway, Interior & Wall, SD

Summer road-trip and Mount Rushmore-corridor traffic drives the season. A small, low-entry-price market best suited to investors already active in the broader Black Hills tourism corridor.

Winter-Driven Markets

Ski towns and snowbird markets. Peak season runs December through March, with a smaller secondary bump in shoulder months for outdoor recreation.

Park City, Summit County, UT

Ski-in/ski-out product commands premium ADR December through March, with summer hiking and biking traffic covering the rest of the calendar at a lower rate. Regulation is tight, which protects existing licensed owners.

Vail, Eagle County, CO

One of the highest ADR ski markets in the country. Winter carries the property; summer mountain-town tourism adds a real but secondary revenue layer. Entry price and licensing costs are both high.

Breckenridge, Summit County, CO

Slightly more accessible price point than Vail or Aspen with comparable winter demand. Summer festivals and hiking traffic give it a stronger shoulder season than most single-peak ski towns.

Steamboat Springs, Routt County, CO

A quieter, more family-oriented ski market than Vail or Aspen, with correspondingly lower ADR but also lower entry price. Hot springs and ranch-country tourism support summer bookings.

Jackson Hole, Teton County, WY

Ski demand in winter and Grand Teton / Yellowstone gateway traffic in summer create two real peaks rather than one. Among the most land-constrained, and therefore supply-limited, mountain markets in the country.

Big Bear Lake, San Bernardino County, CA

Southern California's closest ski market, drawing winter weekend traffic from Los Angeles and San Diego. Lake recreation drives a genuine second season in summer.

Scottsdale, Maricopa County, AZ

Snowbird season and spring golf/bachelorette traffic carry the winter and spring months; summer heat drops occupancy hard. Arizona's state-level STR protections make it one of the more legally stable markets to build in.

Aspen & the Roaring Fork Valley, Pitkin County, CO

High-end ski demand with some of the strongest winter ADRs in the country. Entry price is steep and local licensing is restrictive, so this is a market for well-capitalized buyers, not a starter property.

Mammoth Lakes, Mono County, CA

California's largest ski resort market. Winter carries the ADR; summer hiking, fishing, and mountain-bike traffic adds a real but lower-rate second season. Remote location keeps supply naturally limited.

Palm Springs, Riverside County, CA

Snowbird and desert-escape demand runs October through May, with Coachella and Stagecoach festival weekends producing the highest ADR spikes of the year. Summer heat (110°F+) collapses occupancy almost entirely, so budget for a genuine off-season, not just a slow one.

Joshua Tree & the High Desert, San Bernardino County, CA

Fall through spring is the workable season for this market; extreme summer heat suppresses both park visitation and occupancy. Design-forward, off-grid-style cabins command a premium over standard desert homes.

Everglades National Park Gateway, Homestead & Florida City, FL

Runs opposite most parks on this list: the dry season, November through April, is peak, since summer brings heat, humidity, and mosquito pressure that suppresses both wildlife visibility and visitation. Pairs well in a portfolio with a summer-driven market to smooth annual cash flow.

Year-Round Markets

Markets with more than one demand driver — business travel, events, healthcare, higher education, or a diversified economy — that keep occupancy from collapsing in any one month.

Nashville, Davidson County, TN

Bachelorette and bachelor tourism, live music, healthcare and industry conventions, and weekend leisure travel overlap all year. Downtown and East Nashville hold rate best; oversupply is a real risk in saturated pockets.

Orlando, Orange County, FL

Theme parks generate demand in every season, including a strong holiday and summer-break bump on top of a steady baseline. Purpose-built vacation-home communities simplify STR licensing compared to buying in a standard subdivision.

Gulf Coast, Mississippi (Biloxi / Ocean Springs / Bay St. Louis)

Casino and convention traffic anchor the shoulder months while beach tourism carries spring through fall. Entry prices remain well below Florida's Gulf Coast for a comparable water-access product.

Austin, Travis County, TX

Tech corporate travel, University of Texas events, and a year-round festival calendar — SXSW, ACL, F1 — keep demand distributed across the calendar rather than concentrated in one season.

Savannah, Chatham County, GA

Historic-district tourism runs steady all year, with spring and fall as the strongest windows and a manageable summer dip. Strict historic-district regulations limit new supply, which protects existing licensed operators.

Asheville, Buncombe County, NC

Blue Ridge Mountain scenery, breweries, and a college-town base support demand in every season, with color-season (October) and summer as the two strongest windows.

Sedona, Coconino County, AZ

Red-rock tourism draws visitors year-round, with spring and fall as peak windows and a milder summer and winter than most desert or mountain markets. Local STR permitting is limited, which caps new supply.

San Antonio, Bexar County, TX

River Walk tourism, military relocation traffic, and convention business create a broad, diversified demand base with no single dominant season.

San Diego, San Diego County, CA

Mild year-round climate, a large convention calendar (Comic-Con among them), beaches, and military-family relocation traffic keep demand broad. Entry price and STR licensing caps in the city proper are real barriers — several neighborhoods have permit waitlists.

Napa & Sonoma Wine Country, CA

Wine tourism runs all year with a harvest-season peak in September and October. High-end, design-driven properties outperform standard homes by a wide margin in this market. Some Napa County jurisdictions restrict or ban new STR permits — confirm before buying.

Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County, CA

Mediterranean climate and a wine-and-coast draw support demand in every season, with summer as the strongest window. Limited buildable land and restrictive local zoning keep supply tight, which supports rate but also raises entry price.

Grand Canyon Gateway, Tusayan & Williams, AZ

The South Rim stays open and accessible all year, giving this market a steady baseline with a summer peak on top. Tusayan's proximity commands the premium; Williams offers a lower-cost alternative on the historic Route 66 corridor.

Zion National Park Gateway, Springdale, UT

One of the most-visited parks in the country, with strong demand spring through fall and a real, if smaller, winter season since the park stays open year-round. Springdale's limited buildable footprint keeps supply constrained.

Great Smoky Mountains Gateway, Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge, TN

The most-visited national park in the U.S., with no entrance fee removing a barrier to visitation in every season. Summer and fall-foliage weekends are strongest, but the Dollywood-anchored tourism economy keeps winter and spring workable too.

Moab Gateway (Arches & Canyonlands), Moab, UT

Spring and fall are the true peak seasons here, not summer — desert heat suppresses both hiking and occupancy in July and August. Mountain-biking tourism adds demand outside the two shoulder peaks.

Bryce Canyon Gateway, Tropic & Bryce Canyon City, UT

Higher elevation than Zion keeps summer more comfortable and extends the workable season further into fall. Often paired with Zion on a single itinerary, which supports steady demand through most of the year.

Shenandoah National Park Gateway, Luray & Front Royal, VA

Fall foliage along Skyline Drive is the single strongest demand window, with a solid secondary summer season. Proximity to Washington, D.C. supports weekend-getaway traffic year-round on top of the two peaks.

Redwood National & State Parks Gateway, Crescent City & Eureka, CA

Mild, fog-moderated coastal climate keeps temperature swings small across seasons, which supports steadier year-round demand than most park markets. Remote location and limited lodging supply are the tradeoff.

These are reasonable starting patterns, not guarantees — verify current occupancy data, local STR ordinances, and HOA rules with a local property manager before buying in any of these markets.