Airbnb Reveals Most Expensive U.S. City for Vacation Rentals

A new study found that Oxnard has more expensive Airbnb rentals on average than any other large city in the United States.

Although Airbnb has become a go-to option alongside hotels over the last decade for all kinds of travel, customers have started to notice that the service's prices aren't the bargain they used to be. In fact, average rates have risen about 35 percent since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. But when it comes to per-night pricing, one city stands above the rest. 

According to a recent study from ChamberofCommerce.org, the coastal city of Oxnard, CA, boasts the highest per-night Airbnb prices of any major city in the country. An Airbnb rental in the seaside city of 200,000 to the west of Los Angeles runs a whopping $488 per night on average. That's more than $100 more per night than second-place city Scottsdale, AZ, at $384 per night. 

Some of that may be due to scarcity. While Scottsdale lists a whopping 1,370 Airbnb rentals per 100,000 residents, Oxnard only has 95.

Third place belongs to the rapidly expanding city of Austin, TX, at $373 per night, while Las Vegas, NV ($360 per night), and Honolulu, HI ($315 per night), round out the top five.

Of course, the study only looks at the country's 115 largest cities, and many pricey vacation destinations lie in small towns and even rural areas. Still, it found some interesting patterns in the 160,000 listings it analyzed. Perhaps unsurprisingly, California dominates with seven of the 25 most expensive Airbnb markets, while Arizona follows with five. Overall, Miami has the most Airbnb listings per capita in the country, with 1,478 Airbnbs per 100,000 residents. 

Check out the Top 10 below and read more about the study here:

1. Oxnard, CA ($488 per night)
2. Scottsdale, AZ ($384 per night)
3. Austin, TX ($373 per night)
4. Las Vegas, NV ($360 per night)
5. Honolulu, HI ($315 per night)
6. Virginia Beach, VA ($304 per night)
7. Nashville, TN ($299 per night)
8. San Diego, CA ($295 per night)
9. Santa Clarita, CA ($292 per night)
10. Miami, FL ($290 per night)