Chalet, a data-first platform for short-term rentals (STR), today released its year-end analysis of Airbnb calculator search patterns in 2025, based on tens of thousands of searches across 3,080 cities throughout all 50 U.S. states. The data reveals emerging Airbnb markets and cooling former hotspots, offering early signals of shifting short-term rental dynamics heading into 2026.
Sun Belt states dominate: Florida, California, and Texas comprised 32.5% of all Airbnb searches on Chalet in 2025, reflecting continued Sun Belt dominance. Search activity translated into execution: these three states accounted for 69% of the platform’s 2025 closed deals. However, the overwhelming focus on Sun Belt states is both a warning and an opportunity, said Ashley Durmo, CEO of Chalet, as it shows where momentum is strongest but also where markets may be overheating.
Regional markets outshine big cities. Secondary “drive-to” vacation markets saw higher engagement rates per listing than major cities, as regional destinations are targeted over traditional urban hotspots. Chalet users closed 205% more STR property deals in 2025 than the year prior, with big city markets accounting only for 27.3% of all closed deals. The most-searched individual market accounted for only about 1.8% of total searches, underscoring how widely distributed and fragmented market interest was in 2025 - no single city dominated.
For example, Sevierville, TN ranked as the #1 most-searched city on the platform with 1.8% of total searches, outranking any individual major city like Austin, TX (1.2%), Houston, TX (1.1%), or San Diego, CA (1.0%). Almost 70% of the 30 most-searched STR markets in 2025 were regional or destination-driven markets rather than large urban metros.
Regulation havens are preferred: interest in regulation-heavy metros like New York City and Los Angeles was negligible - under 0.2% of all searches, underscoring that markets with strict STR rules are being avoided. Despite being large tourism markets, these cities attracted minimal attention within the broader search dataset, reflecting how restrictive regulatory frameworks significantly limit STR viability.
Chalet users drove 205% deal growth in 2025 compared to the previous year, indicating that users are converting analysis into executed transactions at a faster pace. While market searches were widely distributed, actual purchases were more concentrated at the execution stage. Austin, TX emerged as the single most active market for closed deals, accounting for just over 9% of all transactions. A second tier of markets, including San Diego, CA; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Dallas, TX; Kissimmee, FL; and Myrtle Beach, SC, each represented roughly 6% of closed deals.
The gap between where market searches and market transactions occur underscores the importance of inventory visibility, detailed ROI modeling, and market-level insights that help narrow a wide universe of opportunities into execution-ready decisions. Regularly monitoring market search behavior, apart from key Airbnb market metrics, is essential for staying ahead of emerging trends.
Chalet (www.GetChalet.com) is a real estate technology platform that helps users discover, analyze, and buy short-term rental properties with confidence. The platform offers free Airbnb market analytics, interactive performance data, ROI calculators, and a nationwide network of STR-savvy agents and lenders. The full 2025 analysis and the free interactive market dashboard are available on Chalet’s website.
