Original research by AustinNews.org reveals heavy revenue concentration among short-term rental operators in Austin.
(PRUnderground) January 21st, 2026
Just 56 hosts earn nearly one-quarter of all Airbnb revenue in Austin, while the bottom half of hosts combined earn less than 5%, according to new research published by AustinNews.org.
The analysis of 10,533 active Airbnb listings found extreme revenue concentration in Austin’s short-term rental market. The top 1% of hosts earned an estimated $34.5 million over the past year, while 2,761 hosts in the bottom 50% split just $6.7 million.
Key findings from the research include:
- The top 10% of hosts (553 operators) earn 60% of all Airbnb revenue in Austin
- Commercial operators with five or more listings represent just 5% of hosts but capture 37% of total revenue
- The median single-listing host earns $9,240 per year
- 75% of hosts operate just one property but collectively earn only 36% of platform revenue
- Top earners include publicly traded vacation rental company Vacasa and national corporate housing operator Kasa
“The data challenges the narrative of Airbnb as a platform primarily serving individual homeowners earning extra income,” said the AustinNews.org research team. “While thousands of Austinites participate at small scale, the economic gains flow disproportionately to professional operators running dozens of properties.”
The research uses publicly available data from Inside Airbnb, an independent watchdog organization. The full methodology, data sources, and supplementary files are available in the complete report.
The full analysis is available at https://austinnews.org/n/56-hosts-earn-24-of-austins-145-million-airbnb-market/
About AustinNews.org
Local news coverage for Austin and Central Texas.
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Original Press Release.
