Portland vs Rhode Island: which is better for Airbnb investment? (2026)

Bottom line

Portland edges ahead of Rhode Island on higher occupancy (60% vs 42%).

Head-to-head metrics

	Portland	Rhode Island
Median occupancy	60%	42%
Median daily rate	£80	£206
Median RevPAR	£32	£39
Active listings	3,143	4,262
YoY occupancy	+14 pts	+22.3 pts
YoY daily rate	+2%	+0.4%
Regulation risk	—	—
Annual night cap	None	None
License required	No	No

Full analysis: Portland vs Rhode Island

Portland finishes decisively ahead of Rhode Island 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. Portland sells 18 more points of its calendar — 60% median occupancy against 42% in Rhode Island. Portland is the less crowded of the two — 3,143 active listings to 4,262 — so a well-run property has fewer near-identical rivals to out-rank. 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. Rhode Island is the rate market: £206 a night against £80, some 158.4% more, but it converts fewer of those nights at 42% occupancy. Portland is the volume market, filling 60% of its calendar at a lower headline price. Revenue per available night settles it: £39 in Rhode Island against £32. Rate is what you advertise; RevPAR is what you bank.

That verdict needs a caveat, because Rhode Island is not simply the weaker market of the two. Rhode Island commands 158.4% more per night, £206 against £80. The twelve-month direction favours Rhode Island too: occupancy there moved +22.3 points while Portland moved +14 points. If your model leans on nightly rate rather than volume, the ordering above can reasonably flip.

Neither Portland nor Rhode Island 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. Portland peaks in November at 55.9% and bottoms in January at 27.8%; Rhode Island runs from 60% in October down to 45.6% in June. Rhode Island is the steadier of the two at 14.4 points peak-to-trough against 28.1 — easier to underwrite against a mortgage — while Portland 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. Portland 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. Rhode Island 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. It is also the momentum side of this pair. 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 1,114 active Portland listings and 2,776 in Rhode Island.

Frequently asked questions

Is Portland or Rhode Island better for Airbnb investment?

Portland, on the data we track. It leads on higher occupancy (60% vs 42%), a thinner competitive field (3,143 vs 4,262 active listings), and a lower price point (£80 a night vs £206). Rhode Island is not the weak side of this pair, though — it wins on a higher nightly rate (£206 vs £80).

Which has higher occupancy, Portland or Rhode Island?

Portland, at 60% median occupancy against 42% in Rhode Island — a gap of 18 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 Portland gained 14 points and Rhode Island gained 22.3 points, so the gap is closing.

Which has higher nightly rates, Portland or Rhode Island?

Rhode Island, at £206 a night against £80 in Portland — roughly 158.4% more. Revenue per available night agrees rather than contradicts: £39 in Rhode Island against £32, so the rate premium survives contact with the occupancy figures.

Which has stronger year-over-year growth, Portland or Rhode Island?

Rhode Island, on occupancy: +22.3 points over the last twelve months against +14 points in Portland. Nightly rates rose 2% in Portland and held flat in Rhode Island over the same window. One year of movement is a direction, not a trend — weigh it against the regulation picture before treating it as momentum.

Which is the bigger Airbnb market, Portland or Rhode Island?

Rhode Island, with 4,262 active listings against 3,143 in Portland. 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 Portland vs Rhode Island?

Rhode Island earns more: roughly £14,336 a year for a median listing against £11,708 in Portland. 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 Portland →

Occupancy, ADR, neighborhoods, regulation

Market guide

Airbnb in Rhode Island →

Occupancy, ADR, neighborhoods, regulation

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