Airbnb market analysis and investment insights
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Houston, TX — Market Intelligence Report
Researched by Chalet's Senior STR Analysts · Verified with local Houston market partners
Houston is the fourth-largest U.S. city and the only major American metro without zoning laws — a structural distinction that makes it one of the most accessible short-term rental markets in the country. Chalet data shows the city's 2,076 full-time Airbnb listings generate $46,783 in average annual revenue at 54% occupancy, producing an 18% gross yield against a $261,052 median home value. That yield ranks #11 nationally and stands as the highest among major U.S. metros — roughly 80% above Austin's 10% on nearly double the home price. Houston adopted its first STR ordinance in April 2025, requiring a $275 annual registration and $1 million liability insurance effective January 2026, but the framework imposes no caps, no density limits, and no owner-occupancy requirements. Full details are available in the Houston STR regulations guide.
Midtown and the Museum District in 77004 anchor the market with 342 active listings generating $68,805 in annual revenue at a 19% gross yield against $353,000 median home values. Proximity to the Texas Medical Center, NRG Stadium, and Hermann Park creates year-round demand from medical travelers, event attendees, and tourists. EaDo (77003), Houston's emerging arts district beside Minute Maid Park, offers 152 listings producing $29,626 on $356,000 homes at an 8% yield — an earlier-stage gentrification play anchored by MLB game-day demand and a growing innovation corridor.
The Heights corridor (77007 and 77008) hosts 267 combined listings generating $31,682–$33,766 in annual revenue, attracting family travelers to its bungalow aesthetic, though yields compress to 5–7% against $506,000–$585,000 home values. For investors seeking recession-resistant demand, the Medical Center cluster hosts 359 listings drawing from the world's largest medical complex — over 72,600 employees and five million patients annually. The value entry point is 77054, where $138,000 median home values produce a 17% gross yield on $23,103 in annual revenue. Revenue scales meaningfully by bedroom count, from $20,396 for one-bedrooms to $57,356 for four-bedrooms — making the 3–4 bedroom range the sweet spot for yield-focused investors. Connect with a Chalet agent specializing in Houston STR acquisitions to identify the right neighborhood and property type.
Houston's investor case rests on affordable acquisitions meeting institutional-grade demand. The city welcomed a record 53.9 million visitors in 2024 spending nearly $11 billion, Rodeo Houston draws 2.7 million attendees every March pushing ADRs to $303 per night, and NRG Stadium will host 2026 FIFA World Cup matches. With no state income tax, a 17% hotel occupancy tax passed through to guests, and property prices 47% below Austin's, investors can enter at the $250,000–$400,000 range where cash-on-cash returns are maximized. The Chalet ROI calculator models specific scenarios across bedroom counts and neighborhoods.
Risks demand honest assessment. Hurricane and flood exposure dominates the profile — Harvey caused $125 billion in damage impacting 200,000 homes, and new FEMA flood maps released in draft form February 2026 will more than double properties in Harris County's 100-year floodplain. Flood insurance adds $800–$2,000 annually and complicates DSCR financing. Property taxes average 2.13% effective in Harris County, the highest in Texas. Summer heat indices above 105°F suppress leisure travel from June through September, and corporate demand correlates with volatile oil prices. HOA deed restrictions function as Houston's de facto zoning and can prohibit STRs through supermajority amendment, requiring careful due diligence before any acquisition.
Houston is the highest-yielding major metro STR market in the United States because no other city combines a $261,000 median home price with 54 million annual visitors, the world's largest medical center, Fortune 500 energy headquarters, and a regulatory framework that still says yes — and the investors who win here will be those who underwrite flood risk as carefully as they underwrite cash flow.
Get matched with top Houston, TX lenders who specialize in short-term rental financing — they understand STR underwriting and offer competitive rates for investment properties.
| 77040 |
| 13% |
| $34,597 |
| 20 |
| $258K |
| 3 | 77077 | 5% | $20,323 | 68 | $382K |
| 4 | 77054 | 18% | $24,257 | 306 | $138K |
| 5 | 77070 | 10% | $29,198 | 44 | $292K |
| 6 | 77058 | 17% | $39,377 | 39 | $238K |
| 7 | 77026 | 19% | $27,111 | 53 | $144K |
| 8 | 77008 | 6% | $32,673 | 261 | $580K |
| 9 | 77044 | 9% | $26,409 | 35 | $284K |
| 10 | 77068 | 9% | $27,121 | 12 | $311K |
| 11 | 77072 | 16% | $32,568 | 93 | $204K |
| 12 | 77055 | 5% | $27,704 | 74 | $602K |
| 13 | 77018 | 5% | $28,670 | 75 | $525K |
| 14 | 77014 | 9% | $22,038 | 39 | $246K |
| 15 | 77010 | 0% | $68,776 | 5 | $0K |
| 16 | 77056 | 4% | $28,795 | 164 | $664K |
| 17 | 77027 | 3% | $21,941 | 119 | $794K |
| 18 | 77022 | 15% | $30,938 | 72 | $206K |
| 19 | 77029 | 18% | $28,205 | 14 | $153K |
| 20 | 77028 | 12% | $18,790 | 35 | $159K |
| 21 | 77039 | 12% | $21,768 | 23 | $187K |
| 22 | 77071 | 11% | $26,512 | 24 | $236K |
| 23 | 77095 | 8% | $26,631 | 30 | $321K |
| 24 | 77066 | 12% | $29,279 | 51 | $241K |
| 25 | 77020 | 20% | $31,506 | 131 | $161K |
| 26 | 77003 | 9% | $30,604 | 267 | $353K |
| 27 | 77065 | 11% | $31,500 | 26 | $284K |
| 28 | 77002 | 12% | $29,806 | 191 | $251K |
| 29 | 77033 | 29% | $39,931 | 93 | $139K |
| 30 | 77063 | 10% | $24,823 | 72 | $245K |
| 31 | 77093 | 13% | $21,950 | 9 | $164K |
| 32 | 77048 | 14% | $30,590 | 17 | $215K |
| 33 | 77091 | 11% | $29,102 | 63 | $265K |
| 34 | 77057 | 15% | $41,938 | 122 | $275K |
| 35 | 77060 | 5% | $10,159 | 6 | $193K |
| 36 | 77090 | 10% | $24,897 | 41 | $245K |
| 37 | 77075 | 7% | $17,651 | 30 | $248K |
| 38 | 77078 | 12% | $19,043 | 9 | $164K |
| 39 | 77061 | 12% | $26,453 | 42 | $227K |
| 40 | 77016 | 18% | $29,349 | 44 | $161K |
| 41 | 77098 | 5% | $33,588 | 122 | $692K |
| 42 | 77089 | 12% | $33,332 | 41 | $267K |
| 43 | 77096 | 8% | $33,048 | 65 | $424K |
| 44 | 77099 | 14% | $30,260 | 32 | $218K |
| 45 | 77086 | 17% | $36,988 | 5 | $215K |
| 46 | 77092 | 10% | $28,442 | 47 | $273K |
| 47 | 77083 | 10% | $26,814 | 96 | $260K |
| 48 | 77076 | 12% | $22,120 | 18 | $186K |
| 49 | 77032 | 7% | $12,914 | 26 | $185K |
| 50 | 77082 | 10% | $24,748 | 75 | $253K |
| 51 | 77009 | 8% | $30,022 | 285 | $376K |
| 52 | 77017 | 15% | $26,520 | 33 | $180K |
| 53 | 77073 | 10% | $22,333 | 60 | $228K |
| 54 | 77062 | 14% | $42,748 | 21 | $305K |
| 55 | 77015 | 15% | $29,613 | 30 | $195K |
| 56 | 77042 | 8% | $20,269 | 65 | $268K |
| 57 | 77019 | 4% | $28,475 | 234 | $681K |
| 58 | 77088 | 12% | $26,239 | 66 | $211K |
| 59 | 77011 | 17% | $32,071 | 98 | $187K |
| 60 | 77036 | 11% | $17,575 | 119 | $165K |
| 61 | 77013 | 7% | $14,198 | 6 | $191K |
| 62 | 77038 | 13% | $29,068 | 14 | $216K |
| 63 | 77085 | 9% | $20,209 | 12 | $222K |
| 64 | 77084 | 10% | $27,474 | 114 | $263K |
| 65 | 77067 | 15% | $31,156 | 9 | $209K |
| 66 | 77004 | 9% | $33,109 | 804 | $349K |
| 67 | 77049 | 17% | $39,924 | 23 | $238K |
| 68 | 77051 | 16% | $30,567 | 140 | $188K |
| 69 | 77006 | 25% | $136,406 | 533 | $556K |
| 70 | 77012 | 15% | $23,304 | 15 | $154K |
| 71 | 77045 | 8% | $16,358 | 32 | $193K |
| 72 | 77005 | 2% | $32,253 | 27 | $1639K |
| 73 | 77024 | 2% | $26,109 | 39 | $1374K |
| 74 | 77047 | 12% | $30,327 | 90 | $249K |
| 75 | 77030 | 7% | $35,631 | 501 | $518K |
| 76 | 77025 | 8% | $36,458 | 201 | $467K |
| 77 | 77023 | 13% | $32,113 | 114 | $245K |
| 78 | 77087 | 13% | $22,151 | 41 | $176K |
| 79 | 77081 | 13% | $32,368 | 18 | $243K |
| 80 | 77069 | 13% | $43,541 | 21 | $324K |
| 81 | 77064 | 8% | $22,364 | 51 | $267K |
| 82 | 77074 | 9% | $18,982 | 66 | $212K |
| 83 | 77041 | 11% | $33,548 | 27 | $296K |
| 84 | 77031 | 11% | $27,323 | 23 | $252K |
| 85 | 77053 | 24% | $46,419 | 6 | $193K |
| 86 | 77079 | 4% | $26,671 | 42 | $701K |
| 87 | 77007 | 7% | $35,208 | 336 | $500K |
| 88 | 77021 | 17% | $33,084 | 309 | $191K |
| 89 | 77059 | 5% | $22,087 | 8 | $441K |
| 90 | 77080 | 8% | $28,666 | 81 | $345K |
| 91 | 77043 | 6% | $22,917 | 30 | $384K |
| 92 | 77037 | 6% | $11,119 | 8 | $196K |
| 93 | 77035 | 14% | $35,765 | 51 | $254K |
Click any zipcode above to explore detailed analytics for that specific neighborhood in Houston, TX. Each neighborhood page includes comprehensive data on occupancy rates, seasonal trends, and investment projections.
