A year-end analysis by Chalet, a data-first platform for short-term rental (STR) investments, reveals that 32.5% of all Airbnb market searches on its platform in 2025 were concentrated in just three states: Florida, California, and Texas. The data, based on tens of thousands of searches across 3,080 U.S. cities, underscores the enduring pull of the Sun Belt and highlights shifting dynamics as regional markets gain traction over traditional urban hotspots.
The analysis shows that search activity translated into actual purchases: Florida, Texas, and California accounted for 69% of Chalet-assisted acquisitions in 2025. Chalet users closed 205% more STR property deals in 2025 than in the prior year, with big city markets representing only 27.3% of all closed deals. Instead, secondary “drive-to” vacation markets saw higher engagement rates per listing, with nearly 70% of the 30 most-searched markets being regional or destination-driven rather than large urban metros.
Sevierville, Tennessee, a gateway to the Smoky Mountains, ranked as the most-searched city on the platform, capturing 1.8% of total searches, outranking any major city like Austin (1.2%), Houston (1.1%), or San Diego (1.0%). Despite the broad distribution of searches—no single market dominated—actual purchases were more concentrated. Austin emerged as the single most active market for closed deals, accounting for just over 9% of transactions, followed by San Diego, Fort Lauderdale, Dallas, Kissimmee, and Myrtle Beach, each representing roughly 6%.
The data also underscores the impact of strict regulations: interest in regulation-heavy metros like New York City and Los Angeles was negligible, under 0.2% of all searches. This pattern highlights the role of regulatory environment as a critical market filter, with host-friendly policies consistently drawing higher engagement.
“The overwhelming focus on Sun Belt states is both a warning and an opportunity,” said Ashley Durmo, CEO of Chalet. “It shows where momentum is strongest, but also where markets may be overheating. Our goal is to arm users with unbiased data so they can spot the next big market or avoid the next saturated hotspot.”
Chalet’s full 2025 analysis and interactive market dashboard are available at https://www.getchalet.com. The platform, founded in 2021 and based in San Diego, offers free Airbnb market analytics, ROI calculators, and a network of STR-savvy agents and lenders. The company plans to introduce an AI Copilot in 2026 to support more efficient data interpretation and market trend comparisons.
