Florida Airbnb Demand by City: 10 Top Locations

We listed the 10 best Florida cities for Airbnb investment to help you boost the profitability of your real estate portfolio.

Investing in the real estate world can be complicated. You may already know where to look for profitable investment opportunities, but you may not know what kind of property to invest in. Though it can be tricky, a great place to start is investing in a vacation property. No matter the location, people are always traveling and looking for a place to stay short term.

Table of Contents

1. 10 Best Florida Cities for Airbnb Investment
2. How to Find a Profitable Airbnb Investment Property in the Best Florida Cities
3. Things to Consider When Investing in Florida
4. Frequently Asked Questions

Airbnb properties are excellent for real estate investors of all kinds as they offer a high return on investment.

Florida’s Airbnb real estate market is one of the best in the United States. With its warm climate, beautiful beaches, and numerous tourist attractions, it remains a popular destination for travelers from all over the world. As a result, the demand for short term rental properties continues to grow, creating a robust market for Airbnb investors and hosts.

Florida’s diverse real estate market offers plenty of opportunities to real estate investors looking to invest there. 

In this article, you will discover the 10 best Florida cities for Airbnb investment. You will also learn how to find a profitable Airbnb investment property. Plus, we will show you some of the things you need to consider before investing in Florida.

10 Best Florida Cities for Airbnb Investment

As Florida is quite a large state with many opportunities for investments, we created a list of the 10 most profitable cities for investors this year.

This list is based on the location report from Mashvisor as of March 2023. The list consists of cities with property median price of less than $1 million, with Airbnb listings of at least 100, and Airbnb rental income of at least $2,000 monthly. Also, the list is ranked from the highest to the lowest average Airbnb cash on cash returns, which all range from 3% to 6%. Plus, the occupancy rate of these cities is at least 50%.

1. Hialeah, FL

• Median Property Price: $474,121
• Average Price per Square Foot: $438
• Days on Market: 88
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 140
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $4,985
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 6.86%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 6.94%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $161
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 50%
• Walk Score: 73

Hialeah would be a great place to invest in because it’s a popular tourist destination due to its easy access to Miami Beach and other nearby attractions. Secondly, the cultural scene in Hialeah is strong because of the many festivals and events held throughout the year that attract visitors from all over the world.

The city is home to 223,109 people as of the 2020 census. Also, the city attracts a large number of business travelers who prefer to stay in an Airbnb instead of a traditional hotel. Lastly, real estate investors can buy properties at a lower price and still get a high return on their investment because of the low cost of living in this city.

2. Gulfport, FL 

• Median Property Price: $542,786
• Average Price per Square Foot: $380
• Days on Market: 55
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 177
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $5,097
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 6.63%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 6.71%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $134
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 50%
• Walk Score: 66

Gulfport is a great location for Airbnb investing because of its attractive scenery, charming atmosphere, and many tourist attractions. It also has amazing beaches, great restaurants, and a bustling art scene.

With the many festivals held in Gulfport throughout the year, you can be sure to welcome guests from all over while charging premium daily rates.

3. Kissimmee, FL 

• Median Property Price: $437,229
• Average Price per Square Foot: $248
• Days on Market: 84
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 3,211
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $4,207
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 6.50%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 6.59%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $207
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 50%
• Walk Score: 65

Kissimmee in Florida is a great location for Airbnb investing because it is close to major tourist attractions like Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld. Thanks to these parks, many tourists flock to this city every year.

The city is also a suitable vacation spot for families with children because it offers many outdoor activities. Plus, there are many shopping centers, restaurants, and entertainment options for both families and solo travelers.

4. Winter Haven, FL 

• Median Property Price: $348,253
• Average Price per Square Foot: $191
• Days on Market: 82
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 120
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $2,867
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 4.98%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 5.07%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $141
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 62%
• Walk Score: 74

Winter Haven is home to Legoland, which attracts families with children. It also has many lakes, making it a haven for water sports enthusiasts.

5. Inverness, FL 

• Median Property Price: $309,663
• Average Price per Square Foot: $199
• Days on Market: 66
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 134
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $2,470
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 4.76%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 4.85%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $170
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 51%
• Walk Score: 30

Inverness is a great place to invest in Airbnb because it has beautiful scenery and many recreational opportunities. It also provides visitors with many outdoor activities like boating, fishing, kayaking, and hiking. All of these make this city a great place to vacation for adventure seekers. 

6. Brandon, FL 

• Median Property Price: $378,173
• Average Price per Square Foot: $228
• Days on Market: 78
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 129
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $3,127
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 4.52%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 4.58%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $171
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 51%
• Walk Score: 75

Brandon is also a great option for Airbnb investing due to its central location, family-friendly atmosphere, and plenty of entertainment options. Located just outside of Tampa, this city offers easy access to attractions like Busch Gardens, Adventure Island, and the Florida Aquarium.

7. University Park, FL 

• Median Property Price: $594,125
• Average Price per Square Foot: $357
• Days on Market: 14
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 405
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $4,338
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 4.22%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 4.27%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $170
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 53%
• Walk Score: 69

University Park, as the name implies, is close to many top-ranked universities, and features beautiful natural surroundings, and upscale amenities. The city is home to the University of South Florida, which attracts a large number of students, faculty, and visitors all year. As a result, there is a high demand for short term rentals in the area, making it an attractive location for Airbnb investors. 

8. Lakeland, FL 

• Median Property Price: $382,818
• Average Price per Square Foot: $217
• Days on Market: 81
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 193
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $2,897
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 4.18%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 4.25%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $128
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 53%
• Walk Score: 38

Lakeland is great for Airbnb investing due to its charming downtown area, historic landmarks, and easy access to popular attractions. The city contains many art galleries, boutique shops, and restaurants, which provide visitors and Airbnb renters with a unique and authentic experience. 

9. Winter Park, FL

• Median Property Price: $858,436
• Average Price per Square Foot: $406
• Days on Market: 124
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 155
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $4,092
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 3.83%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 3.88%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $158
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 59%
• Walk Score: 25

Winter Park is popular for its many outdoor spaces, like the leafy Central Park. This city is where many of Orlando’s business and tourist sector elite live, making it a wealthy place to invest in Airbnb. Also, with its increased demand for beautiful homes and properties, you can easily invest here and start getting a return on your investment.

Winter Park is just 20 miles from Walt Disney World. This means that travelers can live here and visit Disney World whenever they want.

10. Wildwood, FL 

• Median Property Price: $459,421
• Average Price per Square Foot: $475
• Days on Market: 185
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 150
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $2,575
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 3.52%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 3.58%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $127
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 51%
• Walk Score: 56

Wildwood is a great place to invest because it attracts many travelers who are interested in outdoor activities. This city has lots of places where visitors can fish, hunt, hike, bike, camp, and birdwatch. Also, visitors can really just chill and enjoy the rural natural setting.

There are also many parks in this city, making it ideal for families with children.

Search for investment properties in the best Florida cities for Airbnb investment.

How to Find a Profitable Airbnb Investment Property in the Best Florida Cities

Now you know the best Florida cities for Airbnb investment. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of other profitable locations for an Airbnb property in the state. If you’re interested in accessing data for other cities in Florida, use Mashvisor’s various tools like Market Finder, Heatmap, Property Finder, and Calculator to see the most accurate Airbnb analytics.

Market Finder

Mashvisor’s Market Finder tool helps real estate investors find profitable investment properties in various markets across the United States, including the best Florida cities mentioned above. The tool provides investors with real estate data, projections, and estimates that help them make informed investment decisions based on their investment goals and strategy.

Using a comprehensive investment property analysis, the Market Finder tool allows users to get accurate projections for important real estate metrics. These metrics include rental income, property expenses, cash on cash return, cap rate, cash flow, occupancy rate, and ideal rental strategy.

Additionally, the tool takes into consideration historical user data and the criteria of other real estate investors searching for similar investment properties.

Heatmap

Mashvisor’s Heatmap tool is a powerful real estate analysis tool that can help investors find profitable Airbnb investment properties in the best cities in the United States, including Florida. It allows savvy real estate property investors to perform a comprehensive analysis of a location based on specific metrics. These metrics include cap rate, cash on cash return, occupancy rate, property price, and income. 

The tool provides a color-coded overlay of the map that shows you how different areas of the city or country are performing based on the metric you provided. You can easily understand how different areas of the map are doing based on metrics like the price of the property, cap rate, cash on cash return, occupancy rate, and even income.

Armed with this information, you, as a real estate investor, can easily discover the best area to invest in.

Property Finder

Mashvisor’s Property Finder tool provides real estate investors with a quick method of finding the best performing Airbnb rental properties. This is the case if you already have a market in mind, or a few markets in mind and you just want to know which market has the best properties with high profitability. The property finder tool will show you these properties based on your search criteria.

With this property finder tool, you can avoid the stress and hassle of having to find these properties by yourself, which lets face it, will take you a few weeks. This tool uses an AI-learning algorithm to find the best Airbnb properties for you based on your preferences and it will sort them based on their profitability levels. 

Airbnb Calculator

Mashvisor’s Airbnb calculator allows investors to conduct a comprehensive investment property analysis of all the listings on Mashvisor’s Property Finder.

With this tool, investors can input numbers regarding their mortgage/financing, rental income, expenses, and other variables to determine whether an investment property is worth pursuing. 

This calculator has a section where you can put in your financing method, down payment, and interest rate. You can even find out the cost of running the property (including the cost of landlord insurance in Florida). This is already pre-filled by the calculator, so you don’t have to do a thing to figure it out. But if you like, you can change the numbers in order to get a more accurate estimate. 

The numbers you get for your return on investment and rental strategy are connected. Therefore, any changes you make to one will affect the other. This way, it will be easy to choose the best investment properties that align with your goals.

Start your 7-day free trial with Mashvisor’s tools to find the best cities in Florida to invest in.

Where Does Mashvisor Get Its Data?

Now that you have learned all about the helpful tools we offer, you may be asking yourself: where do they get this data from? How did they identify the Florida Airbnb demand by city? Any real estate investor would know that reliable data is the key to investing. As we offer all of these useful tools, you should know where we get our data that gives you the search results within the tools mentioned above.

We gather our data from proven, accurate, and reliable sources only, such as MLS and Airbnb. Once data is collected from these sites, it is then processed through our algorithms that ensure the data is valid. This process ensures that users are only presented with data that will help them make informed investment decisions.

Things to Consider When Investing in Florida

The real estate market in Florida has been experiencing significant growth in recent years, making it an attractive prospect for investors looking to put their money into property. However, as with any investment, it’s important to consider certain factors before making any decisions. 

After discovering the 10 best Florida cities for Airbnb investment, there are other things you should consider. In this section, we’ll explore some of the things you should keep in mind when investing in Florida’s real estate market.

1. Location

Different parts of Florida offer investment opportunities that are vastly different from one another. This difference usually depends on certain factors such as job growth, infrastructure, and local amenities. 

For instance, Miami is known for its strong luxury real estate market, while Orlando’s market is driven by tourism and vacation properties. This means that visitors to Miami will be those who earn a higher-than-average income and do not mind spending. But those who visit Orlando might just want to stay for a short period of time. These people are mostly just tourists.

Therefore, when you are looking for a place to invest in, keep the location in mind, and do not forget the type of people you want to rent your investment property.

But we have provided the best cities in Florida to invest in. Just go through the list above and check out the properties for sale in each area. This removes any guesswork on your side.

2. Property Type

Another important factor to consider when investing in Florida real estate is the type of property you’re interested in. Different property types can offer different investment opportunities and risks. 

For example, investing in single-family homes can offer steady rental income. On the other hand, multi-family properties can provide higher returns but may need more hands-on management, which can be hectic. Commercial properties, such as office buildings or retail spaces, can also offer attractive returns but may require more capital upfront. 

3. Market Conditions

Of course, no investment takes place in a vacuum, and it’s important to consider the overall market conditions before you invest in any city. Factors such as interest rates, inflation, and supply and demand can all impact the performance of the real estate market, as well as your returns as an investor. 

Interest rates will remain relatively low, which could drive demand for mortgage loans and support the housing market.

4. Local Regulations

Florida has many unique regulations that can impact real estate investing. For example, Florida’s homestead exemption law provides a tax break for primary residences but can make it more challenging for investors to find properties for rental income. 

This law is a tax benefit that can save real estate investors up to $50,000 on their taxable value. The first half of the money is for all tax authorities, while the second half is not for school board taxes and only applies to homes with assessed values of more than $50,000.

Note that different states have specific regulations around short term vacation rentals, which can impact the profitability of your investment property. Therefore, it is important to work with a local real estate professional who can help you navigate these regulations and find investment opportunities in your chosen city that align with your goals.

5. Property Management

Finally, it’s important to think about the logistics of managing your investment property in Florida. Depending on the type of property you invest in, you may need to handle tasks such as maintenance, tenant screening, and rent collection. This can be hectic if you’re investing in a property that is far from where you live.

Therefore, it’s important to consider working with a property management company that can handle these tasks on your behalf. 

Final Thoughts on the Best Airbnb Cities in Florida

The Florida real estate market offers many investment opportunities for Airbnb investors. With a surge in demand for vacation rentals and a rebound in tourism, the cities mentioned above provide attractive investment options for both seasoned investors and newbies. 

However, as with any investment, thorough research and due diligence are necessary to ensure success. 

In this article, you have discovered how to find a profitable Airbnb investment in Florida. You have also learned the things you should think about before investing in Florida’s real estate market. Also, we provided you with the top 10 Florida locations where you can get the highest returns on your investment.

Hopefully, after reading this article, you have a better understanding of the 10 best Florida cities for Airbnb investment. We hope our list of Florida Airbnb cities and reliable data and tools will help you find a profitable investment.

Schedule a demo with Mashvisor to find the best Florida cities for Airbnb investment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Airbnb a Good Investment?

Airbnb can be a good choice for those looking to invest in real estate. This rental strategy offers some incredible benefits like favorable tax treatment and a low initial investment amount. However, there are some drawbacks to consider, including a low rental yield and possible legal issues.

Where Should I Invest in Airbnb Property in Florida?

According to the list provided earlier in this article, here are the 10 best cities in Florida where you should invest in Airbnb properties:

1. Hialeah
2. Gulfport
3. Kissimmee
4. Winter Haven
5. Inverness
6. Brandon
7. University Park
8. Lakeland
9. Winter Park
10. Wildwood

What makes these cities the best in Florida is the fact that they have the best cap rates in the state.

Is Airbnb a Good Investment in Florida?

Airbnb can be a profitable investment in Florida. The state’s year-round warm weather and sunny environment attract visitors from all over the United States, making properties in high demand on the platform. Short term rentals in Florida can be a source of passive income because of the many tourists and visitors flocking to the location annually.

What Is the Most Profitable City for Airbnb?

The most profitable city for Airbnb in Florida is Hialeah. It is because it’s more affordable to buy a property there at a median price of $474,121. 

In addition, it is easy to get to the beach, and the city is home to a vibrant cultural scene and festivals that attract visitors all year round. Hialeah also attracts many business travelers who prefer to stay in an Airbnb instead of a traditional hotel. Plus, the cost of living in Hialeah is low.