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

Bottom line

New York City edges ahead of Hawaii on higher occupancy (60% vs 30%), stronger RevPAR (£47 vs £29).

Head-to-head metrics

	Hawaii	New York City
Median occupancy	30%	60%
Median daily rate	£164	£117
Median RevPAR	£29	£47
Active listings	22,154	10,918
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 New York City

On the money side of this comparison — what a listing actually earns against the nights it has available — New York City finishes decisively ahead of Hawaii. Revenue per available night — rate and occupancy combined, the figure that actually reaches an owner — is 62.6% higher in New York City: £47 against £29. New York City sells 30 more points of its calendar — 60% median occupancy against 30% in Hawaii. 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 £117, some 40.5% more, but it converts fewer of those nights at 30% occupancy. New York City is the volume market, filling 60% of its calendar at a lower headline price. Revenue per available night settles it: £47 in New York City 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 40.5% more per night, £164 against £117. Hawaii is the deeper market at 22,154 active listings against 10,918, 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 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 48% and bottoms in May at 26.5%; New York City runs from 67% in November down to 47.3% 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. 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. 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 3,530 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 stronger RevPAR (£47 vs £29), higher occupancy (60% vs 30%), and higher median annual revenue (£17,064 vs £10,485). Hawaii is not the weak side of this pair, though — it wins on a higher nightly rate (£164 vs £117).

Which has higher occupancy, Hawaii or New York City?

New York City, at 60% median occupancy against 30% in Hawaii — a gap of 30 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 New York City?

Hawaii, at £164 a night against £117 in New York City — roughly 40.5% 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 £47 against £29, 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?

We can only measure one side, so this comparison stays open. Hawaii moved +11.9 points on occupancy year over year. New York City 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 New York City?

Hawaii, with 22,154 active listings against 10,918 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 £17,064 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 New York City →

Occupancy, ADR, neighborhoods, regulation

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