How Much Does an Airbnb Earn in Palm Beach County?

One of the first questions property owners in Palm Beach County ask us: how much would my house actually make as a short term rental? Here are real numbers from the last 12 months.

The short answer

The typical short-term rental in Palm Beach County (3+ bedrooms, entire home) earned about $62,500 over the last year. The average nightly rate was $390 at 60% occupancy.

Well-managed properties did significantly better: around $96,500. The top performers crossed $144,000. Properties with flat pricing, slow response times, or inconsistent quality came in closer to $39,000.

That's a $57,000 gap on the same type of property in the same county. The difference comes down to how the property is managed, not the property itself.

As a proof point, listings with a 4.8+ average review rating earned 10-14% more than the market average across every bedroom count. A 4-bedroom in that cohort pulled in around $100,000, compared to $89,000 for the market at large. Ratings reflect guest experience, and guest experience reflects how the property is set up and managed.

Revenue by bedroom count

Bedroom count is the single biggest driver of revenue. Here's what each size earned on average over the last 12 months:

A 4-bedroom earns roughly 40% more than a 3-bedroom. A 5-bedroom earns nearly double. Larger homes have less competition and attract groups willing to pay more per night.

Seasonality

Palm Beach County has a clear high season and low season. If you're projecting income, you need to account for both.

Data source: AirDNA, West Palm Beach market (Palm Beach County), April 2025 through March 2026. Filtered to 3+ bedroom entire-home listings.

February and March are the strongest months, with nightly rates above $500 and occupancy over 80%. September is the slowest. This is why dynamic pricing matters. A flat rate all year either sits empty in the off-season or leaves money on the table during peak weeks.

What it costs to operate

These revenue numbers are gross. Here's a rough idea of what comes out before you see your net:

• Management: 20% of gross booking revenue (if using a manager like us)
• Technology and software: $100/month for channel management, dynamic pricing, smart lock integration, etc.
• Supplies and restocking: Toiletries, coffee, paper goods, linens, etc. Typically $100-300/month depending on occupancy.
• Maintenance and repairs: Varies month to month. Some months nothing, others a few hundred for plumbing, HVAC, or appliance fixes.
• Taxes: Florida transient rental tax and county tourist development tax (some collected by Airbnb, some not)

Florida also requires a DBPR license for every short-term rental property. We can handle that setup as part of onboarding.

What separates the top earners

The difference between a $62,000 property and a $96,000 property in the same market is not the house. Here's what we do for every property we manage:

• Daily rate adjustments based on local demand, events, day of the week, and booking pace. A well-priced 4BR in this market routinely swings from $170 in the off-season to over $470 during peak weeks.
• Listing on both Airbnb and VRBO. Most self-managing owners only use Airbnb and miss the VRBO audience entirely.
• 24/7 guest communication with fast response times. Airbnb rewards quick replies with better search placement.
• Consistent cleaning and turnover standards that keep five-star reviews coming, which drives higher rates over time.
• Thoughtful interior design and professional photography. Listing photography drives more revenue than most owners expect. Guests book what they see. A well-styled home with bright, magazine-quality photos earns more bookings at higher nightly rates than an identical home with iPhone photos and mismatched furniture. We coordinate design direction and photography with trusted local partners during onboarding as an add-on service.

The gap between a $39k year and a $144k year is usually management, not the house. See what our full service management actually does day to day, or read about what running a short term rental in Palm Beach County takes. For how the 2026 Airbnb landscape is shifting around these numbers, see Airbnb’s 2026 hotel push and what it means for Florida investors.

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