Best Cities for Airbnb Investment 2026: Ranked by Real Market Data

Picking the best cities for Airbnb investment in 2026 is harder than it looks. The same blog posts and YouTube channels keep recycling the same names: Nashville, Scottsdale, Orlando. What they rarely show you is the underlying data. Entry prices have shifted. Markets that were obvious STR winners in 2022 have corrected sharply. And some under-the-radar markets have quietly moved to the top of the short-term rental opportunity stack.

PropertyIQ scored 11 of the most-discussed short-term rental markets in the U.S. using live data as of February 2026. We pulled PropertyIQ Scores, median listing prices, rent indexes, days on market, demand signals, and home value trends for each market. Here is what the numbers actually show.

What Makes a Market Good for Airbnb Investment

Before the rankings, here is the framework that drives this analysis. A strong short-term rental market needs four things to line up at the same time.

Rental demand. Tourists, business travelers, or seasonal visitors need to book nights consistently. Hotness scores and rent trend data capture this in quantitative form.

Affordable entry. A market with $700,000 median prices needs extraordinary occupancy rates and nightly rates to make cash flow work. Entry price is a direct input into your gross yield calculation, and it cannot be ignored.

Market stability. A market where home values are declining 9 percent per year creates double risk. Your STR income may not cover losses in your underlying asset. PropertyIQ Scores capture the stability dimension across dozens of economic, housing, and demographic indicators.

Regulatory environment. Many cities have passed or are actively debating STR restrictions. This is a qualitative factor that market data alone cannot capture. Apply your own research on local regulations before making any acquisition decision.

The data below covers the quantitative side. Eleven markets, one clean dataset, ranked by the numbers.

The 11 Markets We Analyzed: Best Cities for Airbnb Investment 2026 at a Glance

All data is sourced from the PropertyIQ platform and reflects conditions as of February 2026. PropertyIQ Scores run from 0 to 100, with 50 representing the state average. A score above 50 indicates above-average market health relative to comparable markets in the same state.

| Market | PropertyIQ Score | Median Price | Rent Index | Days on Market | Home Value YoY | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Denver, CO | 76 | $564,995 | $1,846 | 38 | -1.31% | | Tampa, FL | 47 | $399,900 | $1,991 | 80 | +0.23% | | Phoenix, AZ | 45 | $494,998 | $1,731 | 55 | -3.88% | | Orlando, FL | 44 | $415,000 | $1,929 | 82 | -0.94% | | Charleston, SC | 40 | $488,200 | $1,959 | 55 | -3.29% | | Knoxville, TN | 39 | $449,900 | $1,712 | 79 | +1.10% | | Savannah, GA | 37 | $410,000 | $1,791 | 79 | -3.53% | | Nashville, TN | 26 | $527,225 | $1,782 | 60 | -0.42% | | Austin, TX | 18 | $455,000 | $1,571 | 76 | -8.82% | | Destin/Fort Walton Beach, FL | 14 | $575,000 | $1,920 | 94 | -4.72% | | Myrtle Beach, SC | 8 | $327,950 | $1,680 | 81 | +1.14% |

A few things stand out immediately from this table.

Denver leads on PropertyIQ Score by a significant margin. Tampa produces the highest rent index in the group at $1,991 and has the most affordable entry price of any mid-tier market. Nashville and Austin, two of the most discussed STR destinations in the country, sit near the bottom of the PropertyIQ rankings. And Destin, home to some of the most photographed white-sand beaches in the U.S., scores 14 out of 100.

That is the difference between following the data and following the hype.

Top Picks: Best Cities for Airbnb Investment 2026

Denver, CO: Strongest Market Health (PropertyIQ Score: 76)

Denver scores 76 out of 100 on the PropertyIQ Score as of February 2026, the only market in this analysis with a score meaningfully above the national midpoint. That reflects a fundamental difference in market structure. Denver's days on market reading of 38 is the fastest in this analysis by a wide margin. Buyers are still competing for properties here, which signals that underlying demand is intact even as prices have pulled back.

The median entry price of $564,995 sits near the top of this list. That creates real math challenges for STR investors operating on thin margins, particularly in neighborhoods with lower nightly rate ceilings. But investors who view STR as a hybrid strategy (rental income from short-term guests combined with long-term asset stability) will find Denver's market health profile the most attractive on this list.

Home values are down 1.31 percent year-over-year. That is the shallowest correction of any market in this analysis with a negative trend, and it reflects Denver's economic diversity. A major tech presence, a large healthcare sector, and consistent in-migration from coastal metros have cushioned the pullback from 2022 peak prices.

PropertyIQ Score: 76 as of February 2026. Full market data: Denver, CO real estate market 2026

Tampa, FL: Best Rent-to-Price Ratio (PropertyIQ Score: 47)

Tampa produces the highest rent index in this analysis at $1,991 per month and enters the list at $399,900, the most accessible entry point outside of Myrtle Beach. That combination produces a raw rent-to-price ratio of approximately 0.50 percent monthly, which is one of the more favorable starting points for investors running cash-on-cash return models.

The PropertyIQ Score of 47 reflects a market that is softening but not in distress. Home values are nearly flat year-over-year at plus 0.23 percent. Days on market have extended to 80, which means buyers have negotiating room that did not exist in 2021 or 2022.

For STR operators, Tampa's position on the Gulf Coast, its year-round warm climate, major sports franchises, a busy convention calendar, and strong airport connectivity make it a consistent demand generator. The data suggests 2026 is a meaningfully better time to acquire here than at the market's 2022 peak.

PropertyIQ Score: 47 as of February 2026.

Charleston, SC: Strongest Demand Signal (PropertyIQ Score: 40)

Charleston produces the highest hotness score in this analysis at 55.2 out of 100 and matches Phoenix with a days-on-market reading of 55 days. For an STR investor, hotness is a useful proxy for how aggressively buyers are competing for properties. That same competitive dynamic tends to track with traveler demand, since both buyers and visitors are attracted to the same location characteristics: historic districts, waterfront access, high-end dining, and a distinctive cultural identity.

The rent index of $1,959 is the second-highest in this dataset. The entry price of $488,200 creates a workable yield picture for properties that achieve strong occupancy on the STR platform.

Charleston scores 40 on the PropertyIQ Score. Home values are down 3.29 percent year-over-year, which is a real headwind for total return modeling. STR investors considering Charleston should factor the correction into their underwriting rather than assuming the appreciation tailwinds from prior years will continue.

PropertyIQ Score: 40 as of February 2026. Full market data: Charleston, SC real estate market 2026

Knoxville, TN: Best Value Gateway to the Smoky Mountains (PropertyIQ Score: 39)

Knoxville is not an obvious STR destination. But investors focused on the East Tennessee market should look closely. Knoxville carries the highest demand score in this analysis at 63.5 out of 100, indicating that buyer demand is outpacing available inventory. Home values are up 1.10 percent year-over-year, one of only three markets in this dataset showing positive appreciation. The pending ratio of 0.57 is the highest in our data, another signal that contracts are being written at an active pace.

The entry price of $449,900 sits in the middle of this list. The rent index of $1,712 is on the lower end for this group, but Knoxville functions as the urban anchor for the Smoky Mountains short-term rental corridor. Properties within driving distance of the national park, or in the mountain communities that feed off Knoxville's airport and retail infrastructure, often command nightly rates that the metro rent index does not fully capture.

Investors who prefer Knoxville over more rural Smoky Mountain communities gain a benefit that matters in a downturn: a functioning real estate market with genuine exit liquidity.

PropertyIQ Score: 39 as of February 2026. Full market data: Knoxville, TN real estate market 2026

Phoenix, AZ: Most Active Buyer Market Outside Denver (PropertyIQ Score: 45)

Phoenix scores 45 on the PropertyIQ Score with a hotness reading of 43.0, the third-highest in this analysis. Days on market at 55 is the second-fastest in this dataset, behind only Denver. Phoenix went through one of the more dramatic correction cycles in the country after its pandemic-era price spike, and the data now suggests the market is absorbing that correction and returning to transactional activity.

The rent index of $1,731 is mid-range for this group. The median entry price of $494,998 is on the higher end. The STR investment case for the Phoenix and Scottsdale corridor rests on consistent demand drivers: warm weather for nine months of the year, golf tourism, spring training for 15 MLB teams, major events including the Super Bowl and Waste Management Open, and continuing corporate relocation activity that drives executive housing demand.

Home values are down 3.88 percent year-over-year. Phoenix went through one of the sharpest appreciation cycles in the country from 2020 through 2022, and the correction reflects normalization from those peaks. The PropertyIQ Score of 45 signals ongoing stabilization.

PropertyIQ Score: 45 as of February 2026.

Markets That Require Caution in 2026

Austin, TX: The Data Does Not Support the Narrative (PropertyIQ Score: 18)

Austin carries the steepest negative trend in this analysis. Home values have fallen 8.82 percent year-over-year, the sharpest correction on this list by a wide margin. The PropertyIQ Score of 18 reflects sustained market weakness across multiple indicators. The demand score of 6.4 out of 100 signals that buyer activity has contracted significantly.

The rent index of $1,571 is the lowest in this dataset. The median price of $455,000 has not corrected enough relative to local income levels and rent income to produce compelling STR cash flow without strong occupancy assumptions. Austin built aggressively during the 2020 to 2022 boom, and the supply overhang is now pressing on both purchase prices and rental rates simultaneously.

Austin remains an economically dynamic city. The STR fundamentals as of February 2026 are not where investors would want them to be.

PropertyIQ Score: 18 as of February 2026. Full market data: Austin real estate market 2026

Destin/Fort Walton Beach, FL: Beautiful Beaches, Challenging Numbers (PropertyIQ Score: 14)

Destin scores 14 on the PropertyIQ Score, and the supporting metrics explain the reading. The median listing price of $575,000 is the highest in this analysis. Days on market have stretched to 94, the longest in this dataset. Home values are down 4.72 percent year-over-year. The hotness score of 15.1 is the second-lowest in the group.

Destin produces genuine STR demand. Visitors come for the sugar-white beaches and emerald water of the Gulf Coast, and occupancy in peak summer weeks can be strong. But at $575,000 entry, the math requires very high occupancy rates and nightly rates to produce positive cash flow. Investors need to model STR income with conservative assumptions before committing capital at these price points.

PropertyIQ Score: 14 as of February 2026.

Myrtle Beach, SC: Low Entry Price, Low Market Health (PropertyIQ Score: 8)

Myrtle Beach offers the lowest median price in this analysis at $327,950. Home values are up 1.14 percent year-over-year, which looks attractive at the surface level. But the PropertyIQ Score of 8 is the lowest in this entire analysis, reflecting serious concerns about market health beneath the surface.

Myrtle Beach is a legitimate STR destination with high annual visitor counts. The question for investors is whether the low entry price and tourism demand compensate for a PropertyIQ Score that sits in the bottom tier of all U.S. markets. A score of 8 warrants thorough due diligence on local economic conditions, vacancy trends, and regulatory direction before proceeding.

PropertyIQ Score: 8 as of February 2026. Full market data: Myrtle Beach, SC real estate market 2026

How to Use PropertyIQ Scores in Your STR Evaluation

The PropertyIQ Score is a 0 to 100 measure of overall market health. It draws on Zillow, Census, Realtor.com, and economic data updated monthly. A score of 50 represents the state average. A score above 50 means the market is performing above its state peer group on a composite of supply, demand, pricing, and economic indicators.

The PropertyIQ Score is not a short-term rental occupancy predictor. It is a market health signal. Use it alongside STR-specific occupancy platforms and local regulatory research.

A market with a PropertyIQ Score above 50 combined with documented tourism or business travel demand gives you two independent signals pointing toward the same conclusion. A market with a PropertyIQ Score of 8 and high tourism demand is a more complex risk profile that requires deeper analysis on both sides of the equation.

Markets that score above 50 on PropertyIQ tend to have tighter supply, more active buyer competition, and stronger underlying economic fundamentals. These characteristics also make an STR property easier to sell or convert to long-term rental if the short-term strategy does not perform as projected.

Track Every Short-Term Rental Market on PropertyIQ

PropertyIQ tracks more than 400 U.S. markets from individual ZIP codes to metro areas. Every market receives a monthly PropertyIQ Score update. You can compare any two markets side by side, track score changes over time, and ask Quinn, our AI market assistant, specific questions using live PropertyIQ data.

Explore your target short-term rental markets at no cost: propertyiq.app/markets.

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All PropertyIQ Scores and market data in this post are as of February 2026. Data sources include Zillow, Realtor.com, and U.S. Census data as processed by the PropertyIQ platform. This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Consult a licensed real estate professional and conduct your own due diligence before making any real estate acquisition decision.