For years, the Florida short-term rental conversation started and ended with the same handful of names. Miami. The Keys. Siesta Key. Destin’s beachfront. Those were the markets everyone chased, and for a while the chase made sense.
But in 2026, this strategy doesn’t really work anymore.
The problem isn’t demand. Florida still leads the country in visitors, and beach and theme-park travel is as strong as ever.
The problem is price. Home values in the trophy markets ran up so far that the rent can no longer justify the purchase. A Key West property can gross six figures a year and still deliver a thin yield, because you paid close to two million dollars to get it. Miami condos and Siesta Key beachfront tell the same story. Big revenue, small return on the capital you sank in.
The investors doing well in Florida right now are buying in secondary markets. These are mid-sized beach towns and inland cities where home prices never detached from the rent, listing counts stay in the hundreds rather than the thousands, and gross yields run two to three times what the famous coastlines deliver. Several of these markets also happen to be seeing home values soften, which hands a patient buyer negotiating leverage that didn’t exist a year ago.
We ranked every Florida market in Chalet’s Airbnb Analytics by gross yield, which is annual revenue divided by median home value. Annual revenue here isn’t a headline or a best-case number. It’s what a typical full-time active listing earns over a year, calculated from each market’s average daily rate and its occupancy across all four seasons (ADR × occupancy × 365) on trailing 12-month data.
The 10 Best Airbnb Markets in Florida, Ranked by Yield
| Rank | Market | Gross Yield | Annual Revenue | Median Home Value | ADR | Occupancy | Active Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deerfield Beach | 18% | $56,400 | $273,836 | $239 | 54% | 368 |
| 2 | Delray Beach | 16% | $63,425 | $340,609 | $299 | 55% | 451 |
| 3 | Hallandale | 16% | $51,100 | $278,610 | $260 | 53% | 757 |
| 4 | Panama City | 15% | $50,688 | $286,664 | $244 | 48% | 2,493 |
| 5 | Clearwater | 13% | $43,567 | $332,544 | $196 | 56% | 1,390 |
| 6 | Davenport | 13% | $50,110 | $339,475 | $235 | 50% | 5,401 |
| 7 | Boynton Beach | 13% | $61,133 | $401,143 | $269 | 58% | 191 |
| 8 | Fort Walton Beach | 13% | $49,386 | $325,648 | $256 | 55% | 1,892 |
| 9 | Pensacola | 13% | $40,190 | $267,121 | $199 | 53% | 1,756 |
| 10 | Gulf Breeze | 13% | $70,941 | $474,665 | $316 | 56% | 1,272 |
Source: Chalet Airbnb Analytics, pulled July 2026. Gross yield is headline annual revenue divided by median home value (Zillow Home Value Index). Florida charges a 6% state sales tax plus a county tourist development tax of roughly 1 to 6% on rental income, and every operator needs a state DBPR vacation rental license. Rankings reflect data snapshots taken across May and June refresh cycles. Our full data methodology breaks down every metric.
A note before the individual markets. Every Chalet market page reports two revenue figures, and the gap between them is the whole game. The headline average includes every listing, part-time and dormant included, while the active-operator benchmark filters down to listings with real, sustained booking activity. The table above uses the headline number for consistency, but the deep dives call out the active-operator figure wherever it changes how you’d underwrite. It usually runs 20 to 30% below the headline, and it’s the number a serious buyer should plan around.
1. Deerfield Beach: 18% Gross Yield
Annual revenue: $56,400 · ADR: $239 · Occupancy: 54% · Median home: $273,836 · 368 active listings
Deerfield Beach is the highest-yield Airbnb market in Florida for 2026, and the reason is the denominator. You get Broward County beach demand, a $239 ADR, and 54% occupancy against a median home value under $275,000, which is remarkable for a coastal South Florida market. It ranks #17 in the entire US by gross yield.
This is a winter market. Occupancy peaks at 77% in March and ADR climbs to $410 in January as northern visitors escape the cold, so the revenue lever here is occupancy capture in the off months rather than pure peak-season pricing. Home values have softened 5.7% over the past year, which means a patient buyer has room to negotiate. Underwrite against the active-operator benchmark of roughly $40,800 rather than the headline, and the deal still works.
Regulation: Legal under Florida’s state preemption framework, which bars cities from banning short-term rentals outright. Expect a state DBPR license, Broward County registration and tourist tax, and always check the HOA or condo rules, since those sit outside state preemption. Verify current rules for the specific property before buying.
2. Delray Beach: 16% Gross Yield
Annual revenue: $63,425 · ADR: $299 · Occupancy: 55% · Median home: $340,609 · 451 active listings
Delray Beach pairs one of the strongest revenue figures in the top 10 with a still-reasonable entry price. The $299 ADR is the second-highest here, occupancy holds at 55%, and the market ranks #28 nationally. It’s a walkable, restaurant-dense downtown attached to a real beach, which is why guests keep coming.
Seasonality follows the South Florida winter pattern, with occupancy peaking at 74% in March and ADR reaching $459 in February. One thing to watch is Q2 2026, which showed occupancy rising while revenue per listing slipped, a sign that daily rates are compressing as more supply competes. Home values are down 3.8% year over year. The active-operator benchmark sits near $42,200, so plan around that.
Regulation: Legal under Florida state preemption, with a DBPR license and Palm Beach County tourist tax required. HOA and condo association rules are the real variable in this market and can restrict rentals regardless of city rules, so read the declaration before making an offer.
3. Hallandale: 16% Gross Yield
Annual revenue: $51,100 · ADR: $260 · Occupancy: 53% · Median home: $278,610 · 757 active listings
Hallandale (Hallandale Beach) sits directly between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, which gives it access to two demand engines at a sub-$280,000 median price. That location plus affordability is what produces a 16% yield and a #29 national ranking.
This is the most seasonally concentrated of the South Florida markets in the top 10. Winter occupancy hits 69% with a March peak of 83%, while fall drops to 38%, so the calendar rewards operators who price aggressively December through March and lean on longer stays in the slow months. Home values have fallen 7.5% over the past year, the steepest drop in the top 10, which is a genuine opening for a buyer willing to catch softening prices. Underwrite against the active-operator figure near $38,100.
Regulation: Legal under state preemption, DBPR license and Broward County tourist tax required. The condo-heavy inventory here makes HOA and building rules especially important to verify before purchase.
4. Panama City: 15% Gross Yield
Annual revenue: $50,688 · ADR: $244 · Occupancy: 48% · Median home: $286,664 · 2,493 active listings
Panama City is the first Panhandle market on the list and the first with a genuinely different demand shape. This is a summer market. Occupancy runs 73% in summer and peaks at 83% in July, then collapses to 9% in the depths of winter. That’s not a flaw, it’s the business model. A strong summer carries the year, and the $50,688 headline revenue reflects it.
With 2,493 active listings this is a deep, established market, so differentiation matters more than in the thinner markets above. Home values are essentially flat, up about 1% year over year, so this is a cash-flow play rather than an appreciation bet. The active-operator benchmark is roughly $38,100. Note that Panama City and Panama City Beach are different markets with different price points, so confirm which one a listing actually sits in.
Regulation: Legal under Florida state preemption, DBPR license and Bay County tourist tax required. Verify current local rules and any HOA restrictions before buying.
