Austin vs Hawaii: which is better for Airbnb investment? (2026)

Bottom line

Austin edges ahead of Hawaii on higher occupancy (23% vs 15.9%).

Head-to-head metrics

	Austin	Hawaii
Median occupancy	23%	15.9%
Median daily rate	£181	£284
Median RevPAR	£43	£46
Active listings	8,061	23,915
YoY occupancy	-1.7 pts	-0.5 pts
YoY daily rate	+81.7%	+72.6%
Regulation risk	—	—
Annual night cap	None	None
License required	No	No

Full analysis: Austin vs Hawaii

Austin finishes clearly ahead of Hawaii on our composite of occupancy, revenue per available night and regulation risk — and it is the calendar rather than the price tag doing the work. Austin's listings run at 23% occupancy against 15.9% in Hawaii, worth 7.1 extra points of booked calendar every year. Nightly rates are also climbing faster in Austin, +81.7% over the last year against +72.6% in Hawaii. Those gaps are wide enough to survive a normal year's variance.

The two markets reach their revenue by different routes, which is what makes this pairing worth reading rather than just tabulating. Hawaii is the rate market: £284 a night against £181, some 56.8% more, but it converts fewer of those nights at 15.9% occupancy. Austin is the volume market, filling 23% of its calendar at a lower headline price. Revenue per available night settles it: £46 in Hawaii against £43. Rate is what you advertise; RevPAR is what you bank.

That verdict needs a caveat, because Hawaii is not simply the weaker market of the two. Hawaii commands 56.8% more per night, £284 against £181. Hawaii is the deeper market at 23,915 active listings against 8,061, which usually means better comparables going in and a wider buyer pool coming out. If your model leans on nightly rate rather than volume, the ordering above can reasonably flip.

Neither Austin nor Hawaii 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. Austin peaks in October at 50.1% and bottoms in February at 28.5%; Hawaii runs from 49.4% in October down to 28.6% in May. Both swing by a similar amount across the year, so neither offers meaningfully steadier cash flow than the other.

Who each suits, then. Austin suits buyers who want a conventional, lightly regulated entry and whose economics survive high turnover — more bookings, more cleans, more guest contact per pound of revenue. It is the contrarian side: buying it means buying a market that has cooled. Hawaii answers to the same regulatory profile, so the split between them is operational rather than legal: it is the market for an owner who can hold rate through the shoulder season rather than discounting to fill the calendar. 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 8,061 active Austin listings and 23,915 in Hawaii.

Frequently asked questions

Is Austin or Hawaii better for Airbnb investment?

Austin, on the data we track. It leads on higher occupancy (23% vs 15.9%), faster rate growth (+81.7% vs +72.6% year over year), and a thinner competitive field (8,061 vs 23,915 active listings). Hawaii is not the weak side of this pair, though — it wins on a higher nightly rate (£284 vs £181).

Which has higher occupancy, Austin or Hawaii?

Austin, at 23% median occupancy against 15.9% in Hawaii — a gap of 7.1 points. That is a real but modest edge; a well-run listing in Hawaii can close most of it. Over the last twelve months Austin shed 1.7 points and Hawaii shed 0.5 points, so the gap is closing.

Which has higher nightly rates, Austin or Hawaii?

Hawaii, at £284 a night against £181 in Austin — roughly 56.8% more. Revenue per available night agrees rather than contradicts: £46 in Hawaii against £43, so the rate premium survives contact with the occupancy figures.

Which has stronger year-over-year growth, Austin or Hawaii?

Neither is growing on occupancy — both cooled over the last year. Austin gave up 1.7 points and Hawaii 0.5, so Hawaii is the shallower decline rather than the winner. Nightly rates rose 81.7% in Austin and rose 72.6% in Hawaii over the same window.

Which is the bigger Airbnb market, Austin or Hawaii?

Hawaii, with 23,915 active listings against 8,061 in Austin. 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 Austin vs Hawaii?

Hawaii earns more: roughly £16,727 a year for a median listing against £15,720 in Austin. 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 Austin →

Occupancy, ADR, neighborhoods, regulation

Market guide

Airbnb in Hawaii →

Occupancy, ADR, neighborhoods, regulation

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