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

Bottom line

New York City edges ahead of Nashville on higher occupancy (60% vs 48%), stronger RevPAR (£47 vs £44).

Head-to-head metrics

	Nashville	New York City
Median occupancy	48%	60%
Median daily rate	£127	£117
Median RevPAR	£44	£47
Active listings	7,697	10,918
YoY occupancy	+15.1 pts	—
YoY daily rate	-6.4%	—
Regulation risk	—	—
Annual night cap	None	None
License required	No	No

Full analysis: Nashville vs New York City

New York City finishes decisively ahead of Nashville 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 12 more points of its calendar — 60% median occupancy against 48% in Nashville. New York City is the deeper market at 10,918 active listings against 7,697, which usually means better comparables going in and a wider buyer pool coming 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. Nashville is the rate market: £127 a night against £117, some 8.8% more, but it converts fewer of those nights at 48% 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 £44. Rate is what you advertise; RevPAR is what you bank.

That verdict needs a caveat, because Nashville is not simply the weaker market of the two. Nashville prices modestly above New York City — £127 a night to £117, about 8.8%. Nashville is the less crowded of the two — 7,697 active listings to 10,918 — so a well-run property has fewer near-identical rivals to out-rank. If your model leans on nightly rate rather than volume, the ordering above can reasonably flip.

Neither Nashville 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. Nashville peaks in October at 50.8% and bottoms in January at 19.8%; New York City runs from 67% in November down to 47.3% in January. New York City is the steadier of the two at 19.7 points peak-to-trough against 31 — easier to underwrite against a mortgage — while Nashville 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. Nashville 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 3,438 active Nashville listings and 3,530 in New York City.

Frequently asked questions

Is Nashville or New York City better for Airbnb investment?

New York City, on the data we track. It leads on higher occupancy (60% vs 48%), a deeper market (10,918 vs 7,697 active listings), and a flatter season (19.7-point swing vs 31). Nashville is not the weak side of this pair, though — it wins on a higher nightly rate (£127 vs £117).

Which has higher occupancy, Nashville or New York City?

New York City, at 60% median occupancy against 48% in Nashville — a gap of 12 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, Nashville or New York City?

Nashville, at £127 a night against £117 in New York City — roughly 8.8% 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 £44, so New York City's cheaper nights are more than repaid by how often they fill.

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

We can only measure one side, so this comparison stays open. Nashville moved +15.1 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, Nashville or New York City?

New York City, with 10,918 active listings against 7,697 in Nashville. 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 Nashville vs New York City?

New York City earns more: roughly £17,064 a year for a median listing against £15,920 in Nashville. 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 Nashville →

Occupancy, ADR, neighborhoods, regulation

Market guide

Airbnb in New York City →

Occupancy, ADR, neighborhoods, regulation

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