Airbnb Releases First-Ever "Off-the-Map" List of Rural Short-Term Rental Markets

Last week, Airbnb dropped their first-ever America Off-the-Map list, 20 rural destinations where Airbnbs and tourism are growing that investors need to watch. Here's a breakdown of their findings and their short-term rental market picks. Plus tips on how to find your own profitable Airbnb markets.

Why Rural Stays Are Taking Over Short-Term Rentals

According to Airbnb's release, 86% of travelers are now interested in rural getaways. For Gen Z, that number jumps to 94%.

Hotels aren't the status quo anymore. Across the country, 63% of US Census tracts have active Airbnb listings but no hotels. And these small, forgotten towns are lucrative. In 2025 alone, hosts in these areas collectively earned nearly $10 billion.

That number is even more impressive when you realize that's nearly 40% of all US host earnings.

Rural stays are growing as travelers look for unique experiences and peaceful, scenic destinations. And in an economy like this, they're looking for options close to home. 64% of US Airbnb guests came from within 300 miles of their destination, showing strong demand for drivable getaways.

And this isn't just great for hosts, it's awesome for local tourism. The typical guest spends over $775 per trip at local businesses, money that rarely reached these communities before.

For hosts buying land in rural areas and developing raw land for Airbnbs, this is a sign that they're moving in the right direction.

Here are all the destinations the Airbnb team picked for their Off-The-Map list.

Airbnb's 20 America Off-the-Map Destinations

These spots were selected by Airbnb's team based on their unique character, natural beauty, and potential to draw travelers looking for something different. We've summarized each one below and added ADR and occupancy rates to help you spot STR potential.

Data sources: AirDNA, AirROI (12-month average)

Northeast

Alexandria, New Hampshire

ADR: ~$280 | Occupancy: ~48%

On the shores of Newfound Lake, one of the cleanest lakes in the United States. Mount Cardigan offers 360-degree views stretching to the White Mountains, and Sculptured Rocks Natural Area has a waterhole locals call the best natural waterslide in New England.

Pine Creek Gorge, Pennsylvania

ADR: ~$236 | Occupancy: ~57%

Known as the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. This 47-mile gorge carved by Pine Creek offers rim trails, kayaking, and the charming gas-lit main street of nearby Wellsboro.

Sodus Point, New York

ADR: ~$302 | Occupancy: ~31%

A Lake Ontario escape on a narrow finger of land at the mouth of Sodus Bay. A historic lighthouse anchors a waterfront of small docks, ice cream shops, and sunsets people drive hours to see.

Wilmington, Illinois

ADR: ~$137 | Occupancy: ~42%

Route 66 nostalgia at its best. A 30-foot fiberglass spaceman named the Gemini Giant has stood watch outside the Launching Pad Drive-In since 1965. The Kankakee River offers fishing and canoeing just beyond town.

Southeast

Stanley, Virginia

ADR: ~$335 | Occupancy: ~48%

Minutes from Shenandoah National Park. All the mountain views, hiking trails, and river access that the Shenandoah Valley is famous for, without the congestion of busier gateway towns.

Arnaudville, Louisiana

ADR: ~$121 | Occupancy: ~37%

One of Louisiana's oldest settlements, where about 40% of residents speak Cajun French at home. This is a cultural haven. Live Zydeco music at Bayou Teche Brewery, swamp tours on the Teche, and a community arts space.

Cedar Key, Florida

ADR: ~$204 | Occupancy: ~37%

A Gulf Coast fishing village of about 700 people, surrounded by 13 offshore wilderness islands that are a national wildlife refuge. The perfect spot for birdwatching.

Midwest

Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan

ADR: ~$256 | Occupancy: ~40%

Deep powder skiing at Mount Bohemia, hundreds of miles of fat-tire biking trails, dark skies for stargazing, and a Finnish-American heritage that gives the whole peninsula a culture all its own.

Fort Peck Lake, Montana

ADR: ~$290 | Occupancy: ~47%

One of the largest man-made lakes in the United States. World-class walleye and paddlefish fishing, hundreds of miles of undeveloped shoreline, and a landscape of buttes and badlands that feels prehistoric.

Fairview, Utah

ADR: ~$236 | Occupancy: ~41%

Anchors the northern end of Sanpete Valley, a corridor of small pioneer towns. The Manti-La Sal National Forest offers hiking, mountain biking, and ATV routes through aspen groves and canyon country. A local ski area brings winter tourism to a valley that has offered four-season beauty with no fanfare.

Matador, Texas

ADR: ~$125 | Occupancy: ~21%

The seat of Motley County, where the wind is constant, the skies are enormous, and the history runs deep. Caprock Canyons State Park is 40 miles north, home to one of the last free-roaming bison herds in the country.

West

Coarsegold, California

ADR: ~$361 | Occupancy: ~41%

Sitting in the Sierra Nevada foothills along the historic mining corridor. Yosemite is about 20 miles up the road—close enough for a day trip, but conveniently still far enough to avoid the parking queues and dawn check-ins.

Monte Vista, Colorado

ADR: ~$163 | Occupancy: ~47%

Each March, more than 20,000 sandhill cranes descend on the San Luis Valley during their northward migration. The Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge sits just south of town, and Great Sand Dunes National Park is an easy day trip. Colorado's oldest professional rodeo runs here every July.

Dubois, Wyoming

ADR: ~$288 | Occupancy: ~42%

Set in the Wind River Canyon between Yellowstone and Jackson Hole. The National Bighorn Sheep Interpretive Center is one of the best wildlife education experiences in the Rockies, and the backcountry of the Shoshone National Forest offers true solitude.

Sekiu, Washington

ADR: ~$256 | Occupancy: ~50%

Perched at the northern tip of the Olympic Peninsula along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Bald eagles are unremarkable here. Guests come to watch gray whales during the spring migration.

Goldfield, Nevada

ADR: ~$190 | Occupancy: ~37%

In 1904, Goldfield was the largest city in Nevada. Today, fewer than 300 people call it home. Weathered storefronts stand exactly as they were left when the boom went bust. History buffs, photographers, and road-trippers on the lonely stretch of US Route 95 have quietly made it a pilgrimage site.

Pinos Altos, New Mexico

ADR: ~$170 | Occupancy: ~46% (data not confirmed)

A former silver mining camp at 7,000 feet in the Gila National Forest, just outside the Gila Wilderness. The Buckhorn Saloon dates to the 1860s. Apache history is a key part of the travel experience.

Snowflake, Arizona

ADR: ~$152 | Occupancy: ~38%

Sits at 5,600 feet in the high desert of eastern Arizona. The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests offer some of Arizona's finest hiking, with trails threading through pine and aspen alongside cool mountain lakes.

Haines, Alaska

ADR: ~$252 | Occupancy: ~41%

Surrounded by glacier-carved peaks and boreal forest. The Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site is a haven where brown bears fish for salmon in late summer. Fort William H. Seward, a decommissioned military post that's become an arts village, anchors the town's cultural life.

Read Airbnb Full Off The Maps list here.

How to Find Your Own Hidden Gem Markets: Kai's Golden Triangle Method

Don't take these properties at face value. Use Kai Andrew's Golden Triangle Method to verify if they're strong markets that have demand and traffic. Or use it to find your own profitable market.

Here's how it works:

A winning Airbnb market usually sits inside a triangle formed by three things:

1. A major city (for steady weekend traffic)
2. A major attraction (national park, ski resort, coastline, etc.)
3. A transport hub (airport or easy highway access)

A lot of the markets on Airbnb's list check the boxes for major attractions and natural features.

How to use it:

• If a market is missing all three? Expect tumbleweeds. Move on.
• If it hits two of the three? The market deserves a deeper look.
• If it hits all three? That's a flashing green light. You've found prime Airbnb territory.

Pro tip: Don't aim for the center of the triangle. The edges often hide the best opportunities at the most affordable prices.

Think Candler, North Carolina, instead of Asheville. You get the same incredible mountain views, the same access to the Blue Ridge Parkway, but with fewer regulations, lower entry prices, and better potential returns. The tourists go to the center. Smart investors look at the edges.

How to Vet an Airbnb Market Once You've Found It

The Golden Triangle gets you in the right neighborhood. Now it's time to check if the numbers hold up.

Here's a quick checklist for vetting a market using tools like AirDNA (save with our Airbnb promo code link):

Active Rentals

• Under 100? It could mean low demand or tight regulations.
• Over 2,000? The market might be oversaturated.
• Somewhere in between? That usually indicates a healthy, growing market.

Average Daily Rate (ADR)

• Look for markets averaging at least $125–$150 per night.
• ADRs that are too low can attract the wrong guests or signal weak demand.

Occupancy Rate

• Rob's gold standard is a market average occupancy of 65% or higher.
• Most hosts only break even at 40–50% occupancy. If the market average is 65%, a great host can often achieve 80% or more.

Year-Over-Year Growth

• Look for demand growth of 9–10%. That's a healthy, expanding market.
• Flat or negative growth? Be careful. Something is off.

This process separates the markets that look good from the ones that actually perform. Book a call with our coaches for more guidance on choosing a market and building a real estate wealth strategy that works for your goals and resources.

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