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

Bottom line

Los Angeles edges ahead of Hawaii on higher occupancy (54% vs 30%), stronger RevPAR (£34 vs £29).

Head-to-head metrics

	Hawaii	Los Angeles
Median occupancy	30%	54%
Median daily rate	£164	£122
Median RevPAR	£29	£34
Active listings	22,154	23,969
YoY occupancy	+11.9 pts	—
YoY daily rate	+1.5%	—
Regulation risk	—	—
Annual night cap	None	None
License required	No	No

Full analysis: Hawaii vs Los Angeles

Los Angeles finishes decisively 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. Los Angeles sells 24 more points of its calendar — 54% median occupancy against 30% in Hawaii. Los Angeles turns its rate and occupancy into £34 per available night against £29 in Hawaii, a 17.3% edge on the only yield figure that nets the empty nights out. That is not a rounding difference, and it compounds over a hold period.

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: £164 a night against £122, some 35.1% more, but it converts fewer of those nights at 30% occupancy. Los Angeles is the volume market, filling 54% of its calendar at a lower headline price. Revenue per available night settles it: £34 in Los Angeles against £29. 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 35.1% more per night, £164 against £122. Its strongest submarket, Lanai, clears £98 RevPAR on its own — city medians hide that kind of spread. If your model leans on nightly rate rather than volume, the ordering above can reasonably flip.

Neither Hawaii nor Los Angeles 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. Hawaii peaks in October at 48% and bottoms in May at 26.5%; Los Angeles runs from 52.2% in August down to 30.5% in January. Both swing by a similar amount across the year, so neither offers meaningfully steadier cash flow than the other.

Who each suits, then. Hawaii suits buyers who want a conventional, lightly regulated entry and who can hold rate through the shoulder season rather than discounting to fill the calendar. Los Angeles answers to the same regulatory profile, so the split between them is operational rather than legal: it is the market for an owner whose economics survive high turnover — more bookings, more cleans, more guest contact per pound of revenue. 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 14,266 active Hawaii listings and 11,708 in Los Angeles.

Frequently asked questions

Is Hawaii or Los Angeles better for Airbnb investment?

Los Angeles, on the data we track. It leads on higher occupancy (54% vs 30%), stronger RevPAR (£34 vs £29), and higher median annual revenue (£12,324 vs £10,485). Hawaii is not the weak side of this pair, though — it wins on a higher nightly rate (£164 vs £122).

Which has higher occupancy, Hawaii or Los Angeles?

Los Angeles, at 54% median occupancy against 30% in Hawaii — a gap of 24 points. That is a wide spread by short-term rental standards and usually reflects a structural demand difference rather than better hosting.

Which has higher nightly rates, Hawaii or Los Angeles?

Hawaii, at £164 a night against £122 in Los Angeles — roughly 35.1% more. The nightly rate is not the whole story, though. On revenue per available night — rate multiplied by how often the room actually sells — Los Angeles comes out ahead at £34 against £29, so Los Angeles's cheaper nights are more than repaid by how often they fill.

Which has stronger year-over-year growth, Hawaii or Los Angeles?

We can only measure one side, so this comparison stays open. Hawaii moved +11.9 points on occupancy year over year. Los Angeles lacks a comparable snapshot from roughly twelve months earlier, and we would rather leave the cell empty than compare against a mismatched date.

Which is the bigger Airbnb market, Hawaii or Los Angeles?

Los Angeles, with 23,969 active listings against 22,154 in Hawaii. 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 Hawaii vs Los Angeles?

Los Angeles earns more: roughly £12,324 a year for a median listing against £10,485 in Hawaii. 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 Hawaii →

Occupancy, ADR, neighborhoods, regulation

Market guide

Airbnb in Los Angeles →

Occupancy, ADR, neighborhoods, regulation

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