Side-by-side comparison

Pacific Grove vs Seattle: 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

Seattle edges ahead of Pacific Grove on higher occupancy (54% vs 42%).

Head-to-head metrics

 Pacific GroveSeattle
Median occupancy42%54%
Median daily rate£239£115
Median RevPAR£67£41
Active listings1915,378
YoY occupancy+10.8 pts—
YoY daily rate+6.3%—
Regulation risk——
Annual night capNoneNone
License requiredNoNo

Full analysis: Pacific Grove vs Seattle

Seattle finishes clearly ahead of Pacific Grove 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. Seattle sells 12 more points of its calendar — 54% median occupancy against 42% in Pacific Grove. Seattle is the deeper market at 5,378 active listings against 191, which usually means better comparables going in and a wider buyer pool coming out. Those gaps are wide enough to survive a normal year's variance.

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: £239 a night against £115, some 109% more, but it converts fewer of those nights at 42% occupancy. Seattle is the volume market, filling 54% of its calendar at a lower headline price. Revenue per available night settles it: £67 in Pacific Grove against £41. Rate is what you advertise; RevPAR is what you bank.

That verdict needs a caveat, because Pacific Grove is not simply the weaker market of the two. Revenue per available night — rate and occupancy combined, the figure that actually reaches an owner — is 64.2% higher in Pacific Grove: £67 against £41. Across a full year the median Pacific Grove listing grosses £24,349 against £14,827 in Seattle. If your model leans on that dimension, the ordering above can reasonably flip.

Neither Pacific Grove nor Seattle 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. Pacific Grove peaks in October at 62.5% and bottoms in May at 30.7%; Seattle runs from 58.2% in September down to 31.5% in December. Seattle is the steadier of the two at 26.7 points peak-to-trough against 31.8 — 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. Pacific Grove 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. Seattle 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, dated 2025-09, filtered to listings with at least one booking in the last twelve months. Occupancy medians are drawn from 77 active Pacific Grove listings and 2,083 in Seattle.

Frequently asked questions

Is Pacific Grove or Seattle better for Airbnb investment?
Seattle, on the data we track. It leads on higher occupancy (54% vs 42%), a deeper market (5,378 vs 191 active listings), and a flatter season (26.7-point swing vs 31.8). Pacific Grove is not the weak side of this pair, though — it wins on stronger RevPAR (£67 vs £41).
Which has higher occupancy, Pacific Grove or Seattle?
Seattle, at 54% median occupancy against 42% in Pacific Grove — 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, Pacific Grove or Seattle?
Pacific Grove, at £239 a night against £115 in Seattle — roughly 109% more. Revenue per available night agrees rather than contradicts: £67 in Pacific Grove against £41, so the rate premium survives contact with the occupancy figures.
Which has stronger year-over-year growth, Pacific Grove or Seattle?
We can only measure one side, so this comparison stays open. Pacific Grove moved +10.8 points on occupancy year over year. Seattle 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, Pacific Grove or Seattle?
Seattle, with 5,378 active listings against 191 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 Pacific Grove vs Seattle?
Pacific Grove earns more: roughly £24,349 a year for a median listing against £14,827 in Seattle. 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 Pacific Grove →
Occupancy, ADR, neighborhoods, regulation
Market guide
Airbnb in Seattle →
Occupancy, ADR, neighborhoods, regulation
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