Report: Florida Has The Most Profitable Vacation Rental Markets In US

Florida was already ranked as one of the top states for lucrative house flipping. Now a new report has revealed the Sunshine State has the most profitable vacation rental markets in the U.S.

A total of 19 Florida cities made it on Rent.com’s “2019 Rented Report: The 150 Best Places To Buy A Vacation Rental Property In 2019.”

Florida’s markets blew out the competition. There were two in the top five, six in the top 25 and 10 in the top 25.

While California came in second with 13, not one of the markets ranked higher than 44.

The report used two metrics to grade the markets: costs of home ownership and short-term rental potential.

“The trend this year tends to focus on markets that are as recession resistant as they come,” the report stated. “They are established vacation destinations where family traditions are made. They remain affordable family vacation destinations even during an economic downturn.”

Each city was given a score from 0-100 and an estimated rental income.

Position Market Score Estimated Rental Income
3 Panama City Beach 90.5 $20,000
5 Palm Coast 86.9 $33,000
12 Jacksonville 79.8 $35,500
15 Navarre 78.8 $39,000
19 Kissimmee 74.7 $20,500
20 Cape San Blas 74.0 $66,500
27 Cocoa Beach 69.8 $30,500
37 Fort Myers 64.7 $24,000
42 Miami Beach 63.9 $61,000
45 Davenport 63.4 $25,500
51 Destin 62.4 $53,000
65 Orlando 56.5 $34,000
74 Clearwater Beach 52.5 $65,500
83 Ponte Vedra 49.8 $42,000
86 Daytona Beach 49.0 $25,000
113 Santa Rosa Beach 42.0 $47,500
126 Pensacola Beach 38.2 $37,000
134 Tampa 35.2 $28,500
149 Siesta Key 27.9 $43,000

Panama City Beach was actually in first a year ago and Destin was once as high as two in 2017.

But not every corner of Florida is a profit center. With three cities in the bottom 20 and a housing shortage across the state, Rent.com advises that investors really do their due diligence before buying in Florida.

Rent.com gave four key points to look for when evaluating the overall profitability of a short-term rental:

• Real Estate Price

• Local Vacation Rental Rates

• Insurance, Taxes & Maintenance Costs

• Overall Popularity of the Tourist Destination

Rent.com offers short-term vacation rental property appraisal. The property management website has an industry expert calculate how much the rental should earn and connects you with a property manager.