Chalet Data Reveals Regional Markets Outshine Cities in 2025 STR Boom

Chalet, a data-first platform for short-term rentals, has released its comprehensive year-end analysis of Airbnb calculator search patterns in 2025, revealing significant shifts in investor behavior and market dynamics. The study, based on tens of thousands of searches across 3,080 U.S. cities, shows the Sun Belt states of Florida, California, and Texas maintaining their dominance, accounting for 32.5% of all searches and an impressive 69% of Chalet-assisted acquisitions. However, the most striking trend is the dramatic rise of regional "drive-to" vacation markets, which saw higher engagement rates per listing than major urban centers and represented nearly 73% of closed deals. Sevierville, TN emerged as the most-searched individual city with 1.8% of total searches, outperforming traditional hotspots like Austin and San Diego, while strict regulatory environments in cities like New York and Los Angeles virtually eliminated investor interest with less than 0.2% of searches.

The platform's growth has been remarkable, with Chalet users closing 205% more STR property deals in 2025 compared to the previous year, demonstrating that investors are not just researching but actively executing transactions based on data insights. While search behavior remained widely distributed across numerous markets—with no single city dominating—execution became more concentrated, with Austin, TX emerging as the most active market for closed deals at just over 9% of transactions. This pattern highlights a crucial insight: investors conduct broad research but make selective purchases, emphasizing the importance of detailed ROI modeling and market-level insights to transform opportunities into executed decisions. The full 2025 analysis available on Chalet's website provides interactive tools that help investors navigate these complex market dynamics.

Chalet's platform offers free Airbnb market analytics, interactive performance data, and ROI calculators without costs or paywalls, supported by a nationwide network of STR-savvy agents and lenders. The company, founded in 2021 and based in San Diego, has become an essential resource for data-driven short-term rental investment, with plans to introduce an AI Copilot in 2026 to enhance data interpretation and market trend comparisons. This comprehensive analysis serves as both a warning about potentially overheating Sun Belt markets and an opportunity to identify emerging regional gems where traveler demand remains strong but competition may be lighter, providing investors with the unbiased data needed to make informed decisions in the evolving STR landscape.