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

Bottom line

Dallas edges ahead of Hawaii on higher occupancy (24.1% vs 15.9%).

Head-to-head metrics

	Dallas	Hawaii
Median occupancy	24.1%	15.9%
Median daily rate	£153	£284
Median RevPAR	£37	£46
Active listings	4,855	23,915
YoY occupancy	-0.6 pts	-0.5 pts
YoY daily rate	+71.4%	+72.6%
Regulation risk	—	—
Annual night cap	None	None
License required	No	No

Full analysis: Dallas vs Hawaii

Dallas 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. Dallas's listings run at 24.1% occupancy against 15.9% in Hawaii, worth 8.2 extra points of booked calendar every year. Dallas is the less crowded of the two — 4,855 active listings to 23,915 — so a well-run property has fewer near-identical rivals to out-rank. 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 £153, some 85.3% more, but it converts fewer of those nights at 15.9% occupancy. Dallas is the volume market, filling 24.1% of its calendar at a lower headline price. Revenue per available night settles it: £46 in Hawaii against £37. 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 turns its rate and occupancy into £46 per available night against £37 in Dallas, a 24.2% edge on the only yield figure that nets the empty nights out. Across a full year the median Hawaii listing grosses £16,727 against £13,454 in Dallas. If your model leans on that dimension, the ordering above can reasonably flip.

Neither Dallas 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. Dallas peaks in September at 41.8% and bottoms in February at 20.6%; 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. Dallas 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. 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 4,855 active Dallas listings and 23,915 in Hawaii.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dallas or Hawaii better for Airbnb investment?

Dallas, on the data we track. It leads on higher occupancy (24.1% vs 15.9%), a thinner competitive field (4,855 vs 23,915 active listings), and a lower price point (£153 a night vs £284). Hawaii is not the weak side of this pair, though — it wins on stronger RevPAR (£46 vs £37).

Which has higher occupancy, Dallas or Hawaii?

Dallas, at 24.1% median occupancy against 15.9% in Hawaii — a gap of 8.2 points. That is a real but modest edge; a well-run listing in Hawaii can close most of it. Over the last twelve months Dallas shed 0.6 points and Hawaii shed 0.5 points, so the gap is closing.

Which has higher nightly rates, Dallas or Hawaii?

Hawaii, at £284 a night against £153 in Dallas — roughly 85.3% more. Revenue per available night agrees rather than contradicts: £46 in Hawaii against £37, so the rate premium survives contact with the occupancy figures.

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

Neither is growing on occupancy — both cooled over the last year. Dallas gave up 0.6 points and Hawaii 0.5, so Hawaii is the shallower decline rather than the winner. Nightly rates rose 71.4% in Dallas and rose 72.6% in Hawaii over the same window.

Which is the bigger Airbnb market, Dallas or Hawaii?

Hawaii, with 23,915 active listings against 4,855 in Dallas. 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 Dallas vs Hawaii?

Hawaii earns more: roughly £16,727 a year for a median listing against £13,454 in Dallas. 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 Dallas →

Occupancy, ADR, neighborhoods, regulation

Market guide

Airbnb in Hawaii →

Occupancy, ADR, neighborhoods, regulation

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