Last updated: June 2026
The short answer: well-managed Denver short-term rentals typically generate $43,000 or more in annual revenue. The top 25% of properties earn $60,000 or more. The gap between those two numbers is not explained by location — it is explained by how the property is managed.
This guide breaks down what Denver STRs actually earn in 2026, what drives performance by neighborhood and property type, what the seasonal patterns look like, and what separates top-quartile earners from median performers in the same zip code.
A good Airbnb revenue in Denver depends on property type, location, and management quality. Based on current market data, many well-managed Denver short-term rentals generate approximately $43,000 or more annually, while top-performing properties can exceed $60,000 per year. Revenue is typically influenced by average daily rate (ADR), occupancy, seasonality, property amenities, and pricing strategy.
| Metric | Market Average | Top 25% of Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Revenue | ~$43,000 | $60,000+ |
| Average Daily Rate (ADR) | $160–$187/night | $224+/night |
| Occupancy Rate | 71–72% | 80%+ |
| RevPAR | ~$109 | Significantly higher |
Sources: Airbtics (Feb 2025–Jan 2026); AirROI (Oct 2024–Sep 2025); Rabbu (Apr 2026)
Denver STRs average approximately 71–72% occupancy year-round, according to recent market data. While many Colorado mountain destinations experience significant seasonal fluctuations tied to ski tourism, Denver benefits from a more diversified demand base that includes business travel, conventions, professional sports, concerts, relocation activity, and year-round tourism. That consistency is one of the reasons Denver remains one of Colorado’s most active short-term rental markets.
Denver’s demand curve is flatter than most markets but not uniform. The table below reflects approximate monthly revenue ranges for a well-managed one- to two-bedroom Denver STR based on current ADR and occupancy data. Actual results vary by neighborhood, property size, amenities, and management quality.
| Month | Demand Level | Estimated Monthly Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| January | Moderate (National Western Stock Show, Nuggets, Avalanche) | $2,800–$3,800 |
| February | Low (weakest ADR month of the year) | $2,400–$3,200 |
| March | Moderate-rising (spring convention season begins) | $3,000–$4,000 |
| April | Moderate (Rockies opening, spring leisure) | $3,200–$4,200 |
| May | Strong (Red Rocks season opens, conventions, Cinco de Mayo) | $3,800–$5,000 |
| June | Peak (highest ADR month; Red Rocks, outdoor tourism, conventions) | $5,000–$7,000+ |
| July | Peak (summer leisure, outdoor recreation, events) | $4,800–$6,500 |
| August | Strong-Peak (late summer, Red Rocks peak, pre-NFL) | $4,500–$6,000 |
| September | Strong (Broncos season opens, Red Rocks, fall conventions) | $4,000–$5,500 |
| October | Moderate-Strong (Broncos, fall tourism, Avalanche opens) | $3,500–$4,800 |
| November | Moderate (Broncos, Nuggets, Avalanche, holiday travel begins) | $3,200–$4,200 |
| December | Moderate (holiday travel, winter sports gateway, NYE spike) | $3,400–$4,500 |
Estimates based on Airbtics (Feb 2025–Jan 2026), AirROI (Oct 2024–Sep 2025), and Rabbu (Apr 2026) market data. Individual property results vary. A free property revenue analysis provides neighborhood-specific projections.
| Property Type | Typical Annual Revenue Range |
|---|---|
| Studio | $30,000–$45,000 |
| 1 Bedroom | $35,000–$55,000 |
| 2 Bedroom | $50,000–$75,000 |
| 3 Bedroom+ | $65,000–$100,000+ |
Actual performance varies based on location, amenities, occupancy, pricing strategy, and market conditions.
The spread between a $43,000 property and a $60,000+ property in the same Denver neighborhood is not primarily a function of the property itself. It is largely influenced by how the property is positioned, priced, marketed, and operated.
Dynamic Pricing vs. Static Pricing
Denver’s ADR typically peaks during the summer months and softens during slower periods of the year. Owners relying on static pricing or platform auto-pricing may miss opportunities to capture higher rates during peak demand while remaining overpriced during softer demand periods. Active pricing strategies that account for seasonality, local events, booking pace, and market conditions help properties remain competitive throughout the year.
Event-Aware Calendar Management
A Broncos home game weekend, a sold-out Red Rocks concert, or a major convention can create significant pricing opportunities for actively managed properties. Operators who monitor demand patterns and adjust pricing accordingly are often better positioned to capture increased demand during high-traffic periods. Many of Denver’s largest revenue opportunities are tied to major events, concerts, sporting events, and convention activity throughout the year.
Many operators report shorter and less predictable booking windows than in previous years, increasing the importance of active pricing and revenue management throughout the booking cycle.
Listing Quality and Positioning
Professional photography, optimized listing copy, and clear positioning aligned with a property’s ideal guest profile can improve click-through rates, conversion rates, and overall listing performance. These factors also influence visibility within Airbnb and Vrbo search results.
Guest Communication Speed
Airbnb and Vrbo reward responsive hosts. Fast response times, strong review performance, and consistent guest communication can contribute to improved visibility, stronger guest satisfaction, and increased booking opportunities over time.
Extended-Stay Targeting
Extended stays continue to represent a growing segment of Denver’s short-term rental market. Properties offering amenities such as dedicated workspaces, full kitchens, in-unit laundry, and reliable Wi-Fi are often well-positioned to attract longer stays while reducing turnover frequency.
Operational Consistency
Professional management can help improve property performance through dynamic pricing, listing optimization, revenue management, guest communication, and operational consistency. The impact varies significantly based on property type, location, amenities, seasonality, and owner involvement. Properties that actively optimize pricing, presentation, and guest experience often outperform similar properties using static pricing or less active management approaches. Owners should also confirm they carry adequate short-term rental insurance, since standard homeowner policies typically don’t cover STR activity.
Location influences revenue but does not determine it. The spread between median and top-quartile performance exists within every major Denver neighborhood. That said, some areas carry structural advantages worth understanding before buying or evaluating a property.
RiNo (River North Art District)
RiNo consistently ranks among Denver’s strongest-performing short-term rental neighborhoods due to its walkability, nightlife, dining scene, and proximity to downtown attractions. Best performance comes from one- and two-bedroom properties. Walkability, proximity to the Colorado Convention Center, and a dense food, arts, and nightlife scene sustain demand from both leisure travelers and business visitors year-round.
LoDo (Lower Downtown)
Denver’s highest-traffic demand zone. Union Station, Coors Field, and downtown office towers create a mixed guest base — convention travelers, sports attendees, business visitors — that sustains occupancy more reliably than almost any other neighborhood. Studios and one-bedrooms outperform here.
Highlands and LoHi
Nightly rates typically range from $160–$275, with average occupancy around 72%. Two- and three-bedroom homes with outdoor space and downtown views are the strongest performers. Strong weekend leisure demand combines with significant event-driven spikes around Broncos home games and major downtown events.
Cherry Creek
Denver’s luxury STR segment, with nightly rates from $200–$450. Less seasonal volatility than most neighborhoods. Performs best for premium properties targeting high-income travelers, medical visitors, and executives on extended assignments. The extended-stay and relocation segment is especially active here.
Washington Park and Central Denver
Reliable, consistent demand from leisure travelers, families, medical-related stays, and relocation guests. Emerging sub-neighborhoods — Sloan’s Lake, Berkeley, Platt Park — are showing some of the fastest ADR growth in the metro as these areas develop and attract higher-income visitors.
Golden, Evergreen, and Mountain-Adjacent Markets
Properties outside Denver city limits but within the Metro benefit from proximity to Red Rocks, Clear Creek Canyon, and mountain access points. These markets are also not subject to Denver’s primary residence requirement, making them accessible to investor-owned properties that cannot legally operate inside Denver city limits.
Denver is one of the few markets in Colorado where demand comes from multiple traveler segments simultaneously — which is why its occupancy curve is as flat and resilient as it is.
Convention and Business Travel
The Colorado Convention Center generated nearly 277,500 attendees and approximately $672 million in direct economic impact in 2025, with total citywide meetings and hotel impact exceeding $980 million — on pace to set all-time records (Visit Denver, July 2025). That volume creates consistent, predictable occupancy for downtown properties on a schedule that active managers can price around weeks in advance.
Professional Sports
Five major franchises — the Broncos, Nuggets, Avalanche, Rockies, and Rapids — generate demand spikes across every season of the year. Home game weekends create regular, forecastable booking surges in neighborhoods near Empower Field, Ball Arena, and Coors Field.
Concerts and Entertainment
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Ball Arena (20,000+ seats), and Empower Field produce some of Denver’s sharpest single-night demand spikes. Red Rocks alone hosts hundreds of shows per season and is one of the city’s most powerful demand drivers for nearby neighborhoods and across the metro.
Extended-Stay and Relocation
Extended-stay demand continues to grow in Denver as more travelers combine remote work, relocation needs, temporary housing requirements, and longer leisure stays. Denver’s growing business community, medical institutions, and corporate relocation activity help support demand from guests seeking accommodations for multiple weeks rather than just a few nights.
Outdoor Recreation Access
Denver is the primary gateway to Colorado’s mountain destinations. Visitors combining city-based lodging with day trips to Breckenridge, Vail, Rocky Mountain National Park, and other mountain areas sustain leisure demand even in shoulder months when mountain STR markets soften.
Denver’s tourism industry generated 37.6 million domestic visitor trips in 2025 and $10.5 billion in visitor spending — both new records, representing 1.4% growth over the prior year despite national headwinds (Visit Denver / Dean Runyan Associates Economic Impact Study, May 2026).
The benchmarks above represent the market. Your specific property’s revenue potential depends on:
A free property revenue analysis provides a Denver-specific revenue projection based on actual comparable property performance in your neighborhood — not a national estimate generated by an algorithm.
A property’s revenue potential is primarily influenced by three core factors:
Annual Revenue = Average Daily Rate (ADR) × Occupancy Rate × Available Nights
Example:
$180 × 72% × 365 = approximately $47,300 in annual gross revenue
While this formula provides a useful benchmark, actual performance depends on location, property type, amenities, guest demand, listing quality, seasonality, and revenue management strategy.
Effortless Rental Group helps Denver property owners close the gap between average and top-quartile performance through dynamic pricing, event-aware calendar management, professional photography, and hands-on guest communication. Request a free property revenue analysis to see what your specific property could earn under active, local management.
How much does an Airbnb make in Denver?
Well-managed Denver STRs typically generate $43,000 or more in annual revenue. The top 25% of properties earn $60,000 or more annually. The gap between those two figures is driven primarily by management quality — active dynamic pricing, event-aware calendar management, and listing optimization — rather than location alone (Airbtics, Feb 2025–Jan 2026; AirROI, Oct 2024–Sep 2025).
What is the average Airbnb income in Denver per month?
At market average annual revenue of ~$43,000, that works out to roughly $3,500 per month. Top-25% performers averaging $60,000+ annually earn $5,000 or more per month. Monthly figures vary significantly by season — June through August are the strongest months, December through February the weakest (Airbtics, Feb 2025–Jan 2026; AirROI, Oct 2024–Sep 2025).
What is the average nightly rate for Airbnbs in Denver?
Market average ADR ranges from $160–$187 per night. Top-25% of properties achieve $224 or more per night. Cherry Creek and premium RiNo properties with strong positioning regularly exceed $250 per night (Airbtics, Feb 2025–Jan 2026; Rabbu, Apr 2026).
What is the occupancy rate for Denver Airbnbs?
The Denver market average is 71–72% annually. Top-performing properties achieve 80% or above. Denver’s occupancy is notably stable year-round compared to seasonal markets, driven by the diversity of demand segments rather than a single tourism peak (Airbtics, Feb 2025–Jan 2026; AirROI, Oct 2024–Sep 2025).
What month is best for Airbnb in Denver?
June is consistently Denver’s highest ADR month. The June–August window is the strongest revenue period overall, driven by Red Rocks season, outdoor recreation tourism, and peak convention activity. September holds up well with the Broncos season and fall conventions. February is the weakest month of the year (AirROI, Oct 2024–Sep 2025).
How much can a 2-bedroom Airbnb make in Denver?
Two-bedroom properties in strong Denver neighborhoods like Highlands, LoHi, and RiNo typically achieve nightly rates of $175–$275 and annual revenues in the $50,000–$75,000 range for well-managed properties with professional photography and active pricing. Cherry Creek two-bedrooms targeting the extended-stay segment can exceed those figures. The specific outcome depends heavily on amenities, listing quality, and management approach.
Is Denver a good market for Airbnb in 2026?
Denver is one of Colorado’s strongest STR markets for qualified owners — meaning those who meet the city’s primary residence requirement. The combination of year-round demand, five professional sports franchises, a record-setting convention center, Red Rocks, and a growing extended-stay segment makes it structurally more resilient than single-season resort markets. Note that Denver’s STR rules restrict operation to primary residences. Property owners should review Denver’s current short-term rental licensing and compliance requirements before purchasing or operating a rental property.
How does self-management compare to professional management in Denver?
Professional management can improve property performance through dynamic pricing, listing optimization, guest communication, revenue management, and operational consistency. Results vary significantly based on property type, market conditions, amenities, owner involvement, and the quality of management. Many owners choose professional Airbnb property management in Denver to reduce operational responsibilities while implementing systems designed to maximize occupancy, revenue opportunities, and guest satisfaction.
Owners interested in maximizing revenue can request a free property revenue analysis or learn more about professional Airbnb property management in Denver.