Side-by-side comparison

New York City vs Pacific Grove: which is better for Airbnb investment?

We compare the United States short-term rental markets across occupancy, daily rate, RevPAR, year-over-year trend, and regulation.

Bottom line

Pacific Grove edges ahead of New York City on stronger RevPAR (£97 vs £55).

Head-to-head metrics

 New York CityPacific Grove
Median occupancy32.9%30.7%
Median daily rate£152£332
Median RevPAR£55£97
Active listings10,670186
YoY occupancy-9.3 pts-2.2 pts
YoY daily rate+31.5%+38.5%
Regulation risk——
Annual night capNoneNone
License requiredNoNo

Full analysis: New York City vs Pacific Grove

On the money side of this comparison — what a listing actually earns against the nights it has available — Pacific Grove finishes narrowly ahead of New York City. Revenue per available night — rate and occupancy combined, the figure that actually reaches an owner — is 76.4% higher in Pacific Grove: £97 against £55. Pacific Grove commands 118.6% more per night, £332 against £152. The margin is thin enough that a single strong year in New York City would close it, so treat the ordering as a lean rather than a verdict.

The two markets reach their revenue by different routes, which is what makes this pairing worth reading rather than just tabulating. Pacific Grove is the rate market: £332 a night against £152, some 118.6% more, but it converts fewer of those nights at 30.7% 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: £97 in Pacific Grove against £55. Rate is what you advertise; RevPAR is what you bank.

That verdict needs a caveat, because New York City is not simply the weaker market of the two. New York City is the deeper market at 10,670 active listings against 186, which usually means better comparables going in and a wider buyer pool coming out. New York City's calendar is the flatter of the two — 24.8 points between its best and worst month against 30.9 in Pacific Grove — which makes debt service easier to underwrite. If your model leans on that dimension, the ordering above can reasonably flip.

Neither New York City nor Pacific Grove 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. New York City peaks in September at 63.7% and bottoms in February at 38.9%; Pacific Grove runs from 61.8% in October down to 30.9% in May. New York City is the steadier of the two at 24.8 points peak-to-trough against 30.9 — easier to underwrite against a mortgage — while Pacific Grove 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. New York City 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. It is the contrarian side: buying it means buying a market that has cooled. Pacific Grove 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 10,670 active New York City listings and 186 in Pacific Grove.

Frequently asked questions

Is New York City or Pacific Grove better for Airbnb investment?
Pacific Grove, on the data we track. It leads on stronger RevPAR (£97 vs £55), a higher nightly rate (£332 vs £152), and the better occupancy trend (−2.2 points vs −9.3 points year over year). New York City is not the weak side of this pair, though — it wins on a deeper market (10,670 vs 186 active listings).
Which has higher occupancy, New York City or Pacific Grove?
New York City, at 32.9% median occupancy against 30.7% in Pacific Grove — a gap of 2.2 points. That is a real but modest edge; a well-run listing in Pacific Grove can close most of it. Over the last twelve months New York City shed 9.3 points and Pacific Grove shed 2.2 points, so the gap is closing.
Which has higher nightly rates, New York City or Pacific Grove?
Pacific Grove, at £332 a night against £152 in New York City — roughly 118.6% more. Revenue per available night agrees rather than contradicts: £97 in Pacific Grove against £55, so the rate premium survives contact with the occupancy figures.
Which has stronger year-over-year growth, New York City or Pacific Grove?
Neither is growing on occupancy — both cooled over the last year. New York City gave up 9.3 points and Pacific Grove 2.2, so Pacific Grove is the shallower decline rather than the winner. Nightly rates rose 31.5% in New York City and rose 38.5% in Pacific Grove over the same window.
Which is the bigger Airbnb market, New York City or Pacific Grove?
New York City, with 10,670 active listings against 186 in Pacific Grove. 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 New York City vs Pacific Grove?
Pacific Grove earns more: roughly £35,550 a year for a median listing against £20,145 in New York City. 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 New York City →
Occupancy, ADR, neighborhoods, regulation
Market guide
Airbnb in Pacific Grove →
Occupancy, ADR, neighborhoods, regulation
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