Albany vs Washington Dc: which is better for Airbnb investment? (2026)

Bottom line

Washington Dc edges ahead of Albany on higher occupancy (31.2% vs 18.1%), stronger RevPAR (£47 vs £19).

Head-to-head metrics

	Albany	Washington Dc
Median occupancy	18.1%	31.2%
Median daily rate	£120	£167
Median RevPAR	£19	£47
Active listings	391	4,661
YoY occupancy	-2.4 pts	-1.7 pts
YoY daily rate	+66.4%	+71.5%
Regulation risk	—	—
Annual night cap	None	None
License required	No	No

Full analysis: Albany vs Washington Dc

On the money side of this comparison — what a listing actually earns against the nights it has available — Washington Dc finishes decisively ahead of Albany. Revenue per available night — rate and occupancy combined, the figure that actually reaches an owner — is 143.5% higher in Washington Dc: £47 against £19. Washington Dc sells 13.1 more points of its calendar — 31.2% median occupancy against 18.1% in Albany. That is not a rounding difference, and it compounds over a hold period.

Washington Dc takes both halves of the yield equation, which is less common than it sounds. It charges more per night — £167 against £120 — and still fills more of the year, 31.2% against 18.1%. A market that leads on price and utilisation at once is normally one where demand has outrun supply, rather than one where hosts are discounting to keep the calendar busy. RevPAR reflects the double advantage at £47 against £19.

That verdict needs a caveat, because Albany is not simply the weaker market of the two. Albany's calendar is the flatter of the two — 21 points between its best and worst month against 27.4 in Washington Dc — which makes debt service easier to underwrite. Albany is the less crowded of the two — 391 active listings to 4,661 — so a well-run property has fewer near-identical rivals to out-rank. If your model leans on that dimension, the ordering above can reasonably flip.

Neither Albany nor Washington Dc currently has a verified short-term rental regulation record in our register, so the comparison above is a yield comparison only. Regulation is the single largest source of downside in this asset class — an unverified market is an unpriced risk, not an absent one.

The two calendars also behave differently. Albany peaks in September at 44.2% and bottoms in February at 23.2%; Washington Dc runs from 52.1% in September down to 24.7% in February. Albany is the steadier of the two at 21 points peak-to-trough against 27.4 — easier to underwrite against a mortgage — while Washington Dc concentrates its return into a shorter window and rewards operators who price the peak aggressively instead of holding a flat rate all year.

Who each suits, then. Albany suits buyers who want a conventional, lightly regulated entry. It is the contrarian side: buying it means buying a market that has cooled. Washington Dc answers to the same regulatory profile, so the split between them is operational rather than legal. Every figure above comes from the same Inside Airbnb snapshot pipeline on both sides, dated 2026-09, filtered to listings with at least one booking in the last twelve months. Occupancy medians are drawn from 391 active Albany listings and 4,661 in Washington Dc.

Frequently asked questions

Is Albany or Washington Dc better for Airbnb investment?

Washington Dc, on the data we track. It leads on stronger RevPAR (£47 vs £19), higher occupancy (31.2% vs 18.1%), and a higher nightly rate (£167 vs £120). Albany is not the weak side of this pair, though — it wins on a flatter season (21-point swing vs 27.4).

Which has higher occupancy, Albany or Washington Dc?

Washington Dc, at 31.2% median occupancy against 18.1% in Albany — a gap of 13.1 points. That is a wide spread by short-term rental standards and usually reflects a structural demand difference rather than better hosting. Over the last twelve months Albany shed 2.4 points and Washington Dc shed 1.7 points, so the gap is widening.

Which has higher nightly rates, Albany or Washington Dc?

Washington Dc, at £167 a night against £120 in Albany — roughly 38.5% more. Revenue per available night agrees rather than contradicts: £47 in Washington Dc against £19, so the rate premium survives contact with the occupancy figures.

Which has stronger year-over-year growth, Albany or Washington Dc?

Neither is growing on occupancy — both cooled over the last year. Albany gave up 2.4 points and Washington Dc 1.7, so Washington Dc is the shallower decline rather than the winner. Nightly rates rose 66.4% in Albany and rose 71.5% in Washington Dc over the same window.

Which is the bigger Airbnb market, Albany or Washington Dc?

Washington Dc, with 4,661 active listings against 391 in Albany. Size cuts both ways: a deep market gives you comparables, contractors and an exit, while a thinner one means fewer near-identical rivals competing for the same search results.

How much can you earn from an Airbnb in Albany vs Washington Dc?

Washington Dc earns more: roughly £17,286 a year for a median listing against £7,091 in Albany. Those are gross booking revenues before cleaning, management, platform fees, furnishing amortisation and tax — budget for a meaningful share of them, and note that a median listing is a median operator, not a good one.

Go deeper on each city

Market guide

Airbnb in Albany →

Occupancy, ADR, neighborhoods, regulation

Market guide

Airbnb in Washington Dc →

Occupancy, ADR, neighborhoods, regulation

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