Collier’s Seasonal Rental Market Grosses $25,000 to $50,000 a Listing, and Most of It Goes to Carry Cost
By Brian French | NaplesBusinessNews.com | September 8, 2026
Quick Answer
Collier County’s short-term and seasonal rental market is large, seasonal and, for the typical owner, roughly a break-even proposition once carry cost is counted. Third-party trackers put Naples at about 6,800 active listings averaging roughly $25,000 a year at 56% occupancy and a $323 nightly rate, and Marco Island at about 3,500 listings averaging roughly $50,000 at 57% occupancy and $491 a night. The Florida Authority Network’s Naples STR Yield Index divides those revenues by what the underlying property costs and finds gross yields of about 4.2% for a Naples listing at the county median price and 2.8% on Marco Island, against an annual carry cost of 2% to 6% of value. In other words, the average Collier vacation rental pays its taxes, insurance and association dues, and not much more. The money in this market is at the top: Gulf-front and luxury homes clearing $500 to $800 a night in season, where four-bedroom Marco properties average $627 a night and six-bedroom homes exceed $1,700.
The market in numbers
Vacation-rental data providers disagree sharply on Collier because they count different things: some track only Airbnb, others add Vrbo and Booking.com; some include seasonal (30-day-plus) listings, others only nightly stays. The Index therefore reports a range and names the source.
| Metric | Naples (AirDNA, TTM to June 2026) | Naples (AirROI, Apr 2025–Mar 2026) | Marco Island (AirDNA, TTM to June 2026) | Marco Island (Rabbu, Apr 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active listings | 6,845 | 2,167 | 3,530 | 837 |
| Average annual revenue per listing | $24,900 | $37,071 | $49,800 | $57,419 |
| Occupancy | 56% | 36.7% | 57% | 61% |
| Average daily rate | $323 | $374 | $491 | — |
| RevPAR (rate × occupancy) | $169 | $144 | $285 | — |
| Year-over-year revenue | −2.0% | up | −3.0% | — |
| Year-over-year ADR | −7.2% | up | +2.2% | — |
| Year-over-year occupancy | +4.2% | — | −7.8% | — |
| Active listings, YoY | −3.8% | +71.8% | −6.0% | — |
Sources as labeled. AirDNA’s broader listing universe produces lower averages; AirROI and Rabbu’s narrower samples skew to professionally managed nightly rentals. Peak-season Naples listings average roughly $7,800 in March revenue per one property-management estimate.
The consistent signals across providers: Marco commands a 45%–50% rate premium over Naples; occupancy runs mid-50s to about 60% annually with December–April carrying most of the year; Naples rates softened over the past twelve months while occupancy rose, meaning owners cut price to fill nights; and listing counts on the two largest trackers are down, not up, as some owners exit.
Naples STR Yield Index
The Index pairs revenue with property value and with the Collier Carry Cost Index published earlier in this series.
| Property | Value basis | Gross annual revenue | Gross yield | Annual carry cost (tax, insurance, dues) | Management (20–25%) | Net yield after carry and management |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naples listing at county median | $599,000 (Collier median, July 2026) | $24,900 (AirDNA) | 4.2% | $14,000–$30,000 (2.3%–5%) | $5,000–$6,200 | −1.8% to +1.0% |
| Naples listing, professionally managed | $599,000 | $37,071 (AirROI) | 6.2% | $14,000–$30,000 | $7,400–$9,300 | −0.4% to +2.6% |
| Marco Island listing | $1,813,583 (Rabbu median value) | $49,800 (AirDNA) | 2.8% | $30,000–$55,000 (1.7%–3%) | $10,000–$12,500 | −1.0% to +0.5% |
| Marco Island, top-quartile 4-bedroom | ~$1,800,000 | ~$95,000 ($627 ADR × 55% × 275 nights available) | 5.3% | $30,000–$55,000 | $19,000–$24,000 | +0.9% to +2.6% |
Net yield excludes mortgage cost, furnishing, turnover, platform fees and vacancy risk, and excludes appreciation. Carry ranges from the Collier Carry Cost Index. FAN composite; methodology at end.
The Index says what experienced Naples owners already know: the average vacation rental in Collier is a carry-cost offset on a second home, not a cash-flow investment. It becomes a business only at the top of the market, with four-plus bedrooms, Gulf proximity, professional management and season pricing, or for owners who bought years ago at a fraction of today’s value.
Why the economics are what they are
Season is five months long. Collier’s tourist-tax collections and hotel data show December through April carrying the year; hotel ADR ran $477 in the first quarter of 2026 and fell below $300 by June. Vacation rentals track the same curve, which is why annual occupancy of 56% conceals near-full Januaries and near-empty Augusts.
Demand is shifting toward rentals. The county’s tourism director noted in June that more April visitors “landed” in vacation rentals than hotels, and seasonal (monthly) demand has been reported up nearly 18% year over year, driven by snowbirds, retirees and remote workers. That is volume, but it is price-sensitive volume: Naples nightly rates fell 7% while occupancy rose 4%.
The tax and rule stack. Every stay of six months or less in Collier carries the 5% tourist development tax (6% from January 2027 if the November referendum passes) plus 7% sales tax, remitted through the Collier Tax Collector and the Florida Department of Revenue. Operators need a Florida DBPR vacation-rental license and a local business tax receipt. Florida law since 2011 preempts new local bans on short-term rentals, but ordinances predating it survive: the City of Naples restricts rentals shorter than 30 days in most residential zoning districts, Marco Island requires registration, inspection and a local contact under its rental ordinance, and condominium and HOA documents, which the state does not preempt, prohibit or limit short-term rental in a large share of Collier’s condo stock. The practical result is that the nightly-rental market is concentrated in unincorporated Collier, Marco Island’s registered units and the rental-permissive resort condos.
Carry is the silent partner. The same insurance, flood and association costs that make a Collier condo expensive to own (3.4%–5.8% of value a year in the Carry Cost Index) are what the rental income is really paying for.
What the Index will track
- Rate versus occupancy each quarter: whether Naples owners keep cutting price to hold nights.
- Listing counts on the major trackers, as a proxy for owner exits and new investor entry.
- The sixth cent: any measurable effect on nightly bookings after January 2027 if the referendum passes.
- Condo association rule changes, the single biggest regulator of STR supply in Collier.
- Seasonal (30-day-plus) pricing for the December–April window, the segment the county’s tax data and the trackers both undercount.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an Airbnb in Naples, Florida make? Roughly $25,000 to $37,000 a year for an average listing depending on the data source, at 37%–56% occupancy and $323–$374 a night. Well-located luxury properties earn several times that.
How much does a Marco Island vacation rental make? About $50,000 to $57,000 a year on average, at 57%–61% occupancy and $468–$491 a night. Four-bedroom homes average about $627 a night and six-plus-bedroom homes over $1,700.
Is a Naples vacation rental a good investment? For the typical property, gross yield is 3%–6% of value and carry costs consume most of it; net cash yield before mortgage is roughly zero to 2.5%. Returns depend on appreciation, personal use and buying at the top of the market where rates are highest.
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Collier County? The 5% Collier tourist development tax (6% from January 2027 if voters approve) plus 7% Florida sales tax, on all stays of six months or less.
Can I rent my Naples home short-term? It depends on jurisdiction and association rules. The City of Naples restricts rentals under 30 days in most residential districts; Marco Island requires registration; unincorporated Collier generally allows it subject to state licensing; condo and HOA documents frequently prohibit it.
What is the Naples STR Yield Index? A Florida Authority Network measure of vacation-rental gross yield (annual revenue divided by property value) and net yield after carry cost and management, by submarket and property tier.
Brian’s Take
The vacation-rental pitch in Naples is that the house pays for itself, and the Index says that is almost exactly right: it pays for itself and stops there. That is fine if you wanted the house anyway. It is a poor reason to buy one, and it explains why listings are falling while occupancy rises: the marginal owner who bought in 2022 on rental math is discovering that a $300 night at 56% occupancy does not cover a 2026 insurance renewal. The real vacation-rental business in Collier is a luxury business, four bedrooms and up, walking distance to sand, priced for January. Everyone else is subsidizing their carry cost, and the county, with its tourist-tax referendum, is about to ask them for another penny to do it.
Sources and Methodology
- AirDNA market overviews, Naples and Marco Island, trailing twelve months to June 2026
- AirROI 2026 datasets, Naples (April 2025–March 2026) and Marco Island (July 2025–June 2026)
- Rabbu Marco Island market data (April 27, 2026) with Zillow Home Value Index
- Collier County Tax Collector, tourist development tax; Florida Department of Revenue; Florida DBPR vacation-rental licensing
- Florida Statutes § 509.032(7) (local regulation of vacation rentals); City of Naples Code of Ordinances (zoning, rental duration); City of Marco Island short-term rental registration ordinance
- Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB and Downs & St. Germain quarterly reports (hotel ADR and demand, 2026)
- Florida Realtors SunStats, July 2026 (Collier median sale price)
- Collier Carry Cost Index (NaplesBusinessNews.com, September 2026)
- Naples STR Yield Index methodology: gross yield = average annual listing revenue (source stated) ÷ property value (county median or provider median); net yield subtracts the Carry Cost Index range and a 20%–25% management fee. Top-quartile Marco estimate uses reported 4-bedroom ADR at 55% occupancy over 275 available nights. Florida Authority Network proprietary composite.
NaplesBusinessNews.com is part of the Florida Authority Network, an independent publisher of Florida business and economic news. This article is informational and not investment advice.
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