The current number of Airbnb listings in the US

The exact count of Airbnb listings in the United States changes constantly because hosts add and remove properties every day. As of the most recent public data, there are somewhere between 700,000 and 900,000 active Airbnb listings across the country, though the precise number depends on when you check and how Airbnb counts a listing (whether a host with multiple properties counts as one listing or many).

Airbnb does not publish a real-time listing count for the US specifically. The company reports global numbers in earnings calls and investor documents, but breaks down US data less frequently. Third-party research firms that track the short-term rental market — including AirDNA, Inside Airbnb, and Mashvisor — estimate the US total by scraping Airbnb's website and analyzing patterns, which is why their numbers vary slightly depending on methodology.

The number has grown steadily since Airbnb's founding in 2008, with the sharpest growth between 2015 and 2019. The pandemic caused a temporary dip in 2020 as travel stopped, but listings rebounded quickly as domestic travel resumed. Regulatory changes in major cities like New York and San Francisco have reduced listings in those specific markets, but growth in secondary cities has offset those losses nationally.

Key Takeaways

  • The US has between 700,000 and 900,000 active Airbnb listings, a number that shifts daily as hosts add and remove properties.
  • Airbnb does not publish a precise US-only count, so estimates come from third-party research firms that analyze the platform's public data.
  • The number of listings varies significantly by state and city, with California, Florida, and New York holding the largest shares.
  • Local regulations in major cities have reduced listings in those areas, but the overall US total continues to grow in less-regulated markets.

Which states and cities have the most Airbnb listings

California leads by a large margin, with roughly 150,000 to 180,000 listings across the state. Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego account for the bulk of that total. Florida comes second with approximately 80,000 to 100,000 listings, concentrated in Miami, Orlando, and the Keys. New York State ranks third with 60,000 to 75,000 listings, though New York City itself has been capped by local law at around 10,000 to 12,000 listings since 2019.

Texas, Arizona, Colorado, and Illinois round out the top tier, each with 40,000 to 60,000 listings. Within those states, Austin, Phoenix, Denver, and Chicago are the dominant markets. Smaller cities like Sedona, Asheville, and Moab have high concentrations of Airbnbs relative to their population size, often because tourism and vacation rentals drive their local economy.

Rural areas and small towns typically have far fewer listings, though some mountain towns and beach communities punch above their weight. The distribution is not even — a handful of major metro areas and resort destinations account for a disproportionate share of all US listings.

How regulations have changed the number of listings

New York City's 2019 law capping short-term rentals to 10,000 to 12,000 listings was the most dramatic regulatory shift. Before that cap, the city had over 50,000 Airbnb listings. Hosts who did not register with the city had to remove their listings, and new registrations were frozen. This single regulation removed tens of thousands of listings from the platform.

San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other major cities have imposed restrictions on how many properties a single host can operate, required primary residence rules (meaning you can only rent out your own home, not investment properties), or limited the number of days per year a property can be rented. These rules do not eliminate Airbnbs entirely, but they slow growth and push out large-scale operators who own dozens of properties.

States and cities without restrictions have seen faster listing growth. Florida, Texas, and Arizona have relatively light regulation, which is one reason they rank high in total listings. Some cities have chosen not to regulate short-term rentals at all, treating them the same as long-term rentals.

Why the number keeps changing

Hosts constantly add new listings when they think they can earn money, and remove them when the market softens or regulations tighten. During the pandemic, some hosts paused their listings temporarily; many never reactivated them. Others converted vacation rentals back to long-term rentals when short-term rental demand dropped or local rules became stricter.

Seasonal variation also affects the count. Some hosts list properties only during peak travel months and delist in the off-season. A property listed in December might not appear in the count by February if the host has paused it. This means the "true" number of properties that could be rented on Airbnb is higher than the number of active listings at any given moment.

Economic conditions matter too. Rising property values and mortgage rates make it harder for new hosts to enter the market. Conversely, when short-term rental income is strong, more property owners decide to list. The number of listings is therefore a reflection of host economics and regulatory environment, not just demand from travelers.

How many listings are actually booked

Having a listing does not mean it is booked regularly. Research suggests that the median Airbnb in the US is booked between 60 and 120 nights per year, though this varies widely by location and property type. A beachfront home in Miami might be booked 200+ nights annually, while a spare bedroom in a small town might be booked only 20 nights.

Many listings sit vacant most of the time. Some hosts list properties speculatively, hoping to attract bookings but not actively managing them. Others use Airbnb as a backup income source and do not prioritize bookings. The number of listings therefore overstates how much short-term rental activity is actually happening on the ground.

Comparing Airbnb to other short-term rental platforms

Airbnb dominates the US short-term rental market with roughly 60 to 70 percent of all bookings, but it is not the only platform. Vrbo (Vacation Rental by Owner), owned by Expedia, has a smaller but significant presence with an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 US listings. Booking.com, Hotels.com, and smaller platforms like Vacasa and TurnKey also list vacation rentals, though many properties appear on multiple platforms simultaneously.

A single property might be listed on Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com at the same time, so the total number of unique short-term rental properties in the US is lower than the sum of all listings across all platforms. Estimating the true total is difficult because there is no central registry of short-term rentals.

What this number means for travelers and neighborhoods

A high number of listings in a city usually means more choice and potentially lower prices for travelers, since hosts compete for bookings. It also means more short-term rental activity in residential neighborhoods, which can create noise, parking, and turnover issues for permanent residents. Cities with strict regulations tend to have fewer listings but more stable neighborhoods; cities with light regulation have more listings but more friction between short-term rental guests and long-term residents.

For travelers, the size of the listing pool matters less than the quality and availability of properties that match your needs. A city with 50,000 listings might have only a handful that fit your budget and dates, while a smaller city with 5,000 listings might have several good options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Airbnb publish the exact number of US listings?

No. Airbnb reports global listing counts in investor documents but does not regularly break out US-specific numbers. The company treats listing data as proprietary. Third-party firms estimate the US total by analyzing publicly visible data on Airbnb's website.

Why do different sources give different numbers for US Airbnb listings?

Different research firms use different methods to count listings, and they update their counts on different schedules. Some count only active listings, while others include paused or inactive listings. The number also changes daily, so a count from January will differ from one taken in March.

Is the number of Airbnbs in the US still growing?

Yes, but at a slower rate than it did before 2019. Growth has slowed in heavily regulated cities like New York and San Francisco, but continues in less-regulated markets. The overall US trend is upward, though the pace varies by region.

How many Airbnbs are in my city?

Inside Airbnb and AirDNA both publish city-level data that you can search. Inside Airbnb is free and updated regularly; AirDNA requires a subscription for detailed analytics. You can also search your city name plus "Airbnb listings" to find recent reports from local news outlets.

Can I find out how many Airbnbs are in a specific neighborhood?

Yes. Inside Airbnb breaks listings down by neighborhood and shows their locations on a map. This is useful if you want to know whether a particular area has heavy short-term rental activity or if you are looking for properties in a specific part of town.