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

Bottom line

Washington Dc edges ahead of Albany on higher occupancy (48% vs 36%), stronger RevPAR (£34 vs £16).

Head-to-head metrics

	Albany	Washington Dc
Median occupancy	36%	48%
Median daily rate	£77	£97
Median RevPAR	£16	£34
Active listings	371	4,576
YoY occupancy	+8.9 pts	+6.9 pts
YoY daily rate	-4.4%	-5.4%
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 109.8% higher in Washington Dc: £34 against £16. Washington Dc sells 12 more points of its calendar — 48% median occupancy against 36% 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 — £97 against £77 — and still fills more of the year, 48% against 36%. 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 £34 against £16.

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 — 19.6 points between its best and worst month against 26.6 in Washington Dc — which makes debt service easier to underwrite. Albany is the less crowded of the two — 371 active listings to 4,576 — 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 November at 43.6% and bottoms in February at 24%; Washington Dc runs from 52.9% in September down to 26.3% in February. Albany is the steadier of the two at 19.6 points peak-to-trough against 26.6 — 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 also the momentum side of this pair. 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, filtered to listings with at least one booking in the last twelve months. Occupancy medians are drawn from 217 active Albany listings and 1,995 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 (£34 vs £16), higher occupancy (48% vs 36%), and a higher nightly rate (£97 vs £77). Albany is not the weak side of this pair, though — it wins on a flatter season (19.6-point swing vs 26.6).

Which has higher occupancy, Albany or Washington Dc?

Washington Dc, at 48% median occupancy against 36% in Albany — a gap of 12 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 gained 8.9 points and Washington Dc gained 6.9 points, so the gap is closing.

Which has higher nightly rates, Albany or Washington Dc?

Washington Dc, at £97 a night against £77 in Albany — roughly 26.8% more. Revenue per available night agrees rather than contradicts: £34 in Washington Dc against £16, so the rate premium survives contact with the occupancy figures.

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

Albany, on occupancy: +8.9 points over the last twelve months against +6.9 points in Washington Dc. Nightly rates fell 4.4% in Albany and fell 5.4% in Washington Dc over the same window. One year of movement is a direction, not a trend — weigh it against the regulation picture before treating it as momentum.

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

Washington Dc, with 4,576 active listings against 371 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 £12,287 a year for a median listing against £5,840 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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