Hawaii vs New York City: which is better for Airbnb investment? (2026)

Bottom line

New York City edges ahead of Hawaii on higher occupancy (32.9% vs 15.9%), stronger RevPAR (£55 vs £46).

Head-to-head metrics

	Hawaii	New York City
Median occupancy	15.9%	32.9%
Median daily rate	£284	£152
Median RevPAR	£46	£55
Active listings	23,915	10,670
YoY occupancy	-0.5 pts	-9.3 pts
YoY daily rate	+72.6%	+31.5%
Regulation risk	—	—
Annual night cap	None	None
License required	No	No

Full analysis: Hawaii vs New York City

New York City 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. New York City sells 17 more points of its calendar — 32.9% median occupancy against 15.9% in Hawaii. New York City turns its rate and occupancy into £55 per available night against £46 in Hawaii, a 20.5% 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: £284 a night against £152, some 87% more, but it converts fewer of those nights at 15.9% occupancy. New York City is the volume market, filling 32.9% of its calendar at a lower headline price. Revenue per available night settles it: £55 in New York City against £46. 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 87% more per night, £284 against £152. The twelve-month direction favours Hawaii too: occupancy there moved −0.5 points while New York City moved −9.3 points. If your model leans on nightly rate rather than volume, the ordering above can reasonably flip.

Neither Hawaii nor New York City 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 49.4% and bottoms in May at 28.6%; New York City runs from 63.7% in September down to 38.9% in February. Hawaii is the steadier of the two at 20.8 points peak-to-trough against 24.8 — easier to underwrite against a mortgage — while New York City 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. 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. New York City 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. It is the contrarian side: buying it means buying a market that has cooled. 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 23,915 active Hawaii listings and 10,670 in New York City.

Frequently asked questions

Is Hawaii or New York City better for Airbnb investment?

New York City, on the data we track. It leads on higher occupancy (32.9% vs 15.9%), stronger RevPAR (£55 vs £46), and higher median annual revenue (£20,145 vs £16,727). Hawaii is not the weak side of this pair, though — it wins on a higher nightly rate (£284 vs £152).

Which has higher occupancy, Hawaii or New York City?

New York City, at 32.9% median occupancy against 15.9% in Hawaii — a gap of 17 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 Hawaii shed 0.5 points and New York City shed 9.3 points, so the gap is closing.

Which has higher nightly rates, Hawaii or New York City?

Hawaii, at £284 a night against £152 in New York City — roughly 87% more. The nightly rate is not the whole story, though. On revenue per available night — rate multiplied by how often the room actually sells — New York City comes out ahead at £55 against £46, so New York City's cheaper nights are more than repaid by how often they fill.

Which has stronger year-over-year growth, Hawaii or New York City?

Neither is growing on occupancy — both cooled over the last year. Hawaii gave up 0.5 points and New York City 9.3, so Hawaii is the shallower decline rather than the winner. Nightly rates rose 72.6% in Hawaii and rose 31.5% in New York City over the same window.

Which is the bigger Airbnb market, Hawaii or New York City?

Hawaii, with 23,915 active listings against 10,670 in New York City. 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 New York City?

New York City earns more: roughly £20,145 a year for a median listing against £16,727 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 New York City →

Occupancy, ADR, neighborhoods, regulation

Ready to buy?

Get a full investment report on either city

Property-level financials, stress tests, and an AI verdict — £19 each.

Hawaii report →New York City report →

From the same team

Already hosting? Meet HostPal

An AI concierge that answers your guests on WhatsApp 24/7 — in 50+ languages, from your own guidebook and house rules. Emergencies get escalated to you; the WiFi password doesn't. Live in under 10 minutes.

Try HostPal free for 7 days →