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The 15 most popular spring break destinations in the US

For families and students, Spring Break means a much-needed respite from textbooks, classes or just the humdrum of everyday life.

But for short-term property managers, it means $$$ – especially if you’ve got listings in a super hot Spring Break destination where a single rental can yield as much as $6000 a month!

To give a heads up to our customers managing properties across the U.S., we commissioned a study from our friends at Transparent to dig up the most popular (and most expensive) Spring Break destinations in America.

Here’s what we found

The highlights

  • Big Sky Montana takes home first place as the most expensive US Spring Break destination, with spots 2, 3 and 4 all hailing from Florida.
  • The fifth most expensive Spring Break locale is Winter Park, Colorado, with Scottsdale, Arizona coming in sixth.
  • The three cities with the highest price increase over Spring Break, compared to the annual average daily rate, are: Big Sky, Montana; Cocoa Beach, Florida; Scottsdale, Arizona.
  • Florida took home six out of the 15 spots for most expensive Spring Break cities in the US, with cities in Texas accounting for four.
  • Other surprise destinations? New Braunfels, Texas and Tybee Island, Georgia.

The full list

1. Big Sky, Montana

$691 average daily rate over Spring Break. 97% increase based on average daily rate from January to December.

2. Siesta Key, Florida

$429 average daily rate over Spring Break. 56% increase  based on average daily rate from January to December.

3. Cocoa Beach, Florida

$412 average daily rate over Spring Break. 118% increase  based on average daily rate from January to December.

4. Marco Island, Florida

$406 average daily rate over Spring Break. 71% increase  based on average daily rate from January to December.

5. Winter Park, Colorado

$387 average daily rate over Spring Break. 49% increase  based on average daily rate from January to December.

6. Scottsdale, Arizona  

$387 average daily rate over Spring Break. 98% increase based on average daily rate from January to December

7. Clearwater, Florida

$320 average daily rate over Spring Break. 43% increase  based on average daily rate from January to December.

8. South Padre Island, Texas

$296 average daily rate over Spring Break. 24% increase   based on average daily rate from January to December.

9. Austin, Texas

$296 average daily rate over Spring Break. 23% increase  based on average daily rate from January to December.

10. Jamaica Beach, Texas

$293 average daily rate over Spring Break. 23% increase  based on average daily rate from January to December.

11. New Braunfels, Texas

$289 average daily rate over Spring Break. 15% decrease  based on average daily rate from January to December.

12. Tempe, Arizona  

$232 average daily rate over Spring Break. 66% increase  based on average daily rate from January to December.

13. Tybee Island, Georgia

$231 average daily rate over Spring Break. 6% decrease  based on average daily rate from January to December.

14. Daytona Beach, Florida

$220 average daily rate over Spring Break. 30% increase  based on average daily rate from January to December.

15. Hollywood, Florida

$198 average daily rate over Spring Break. 41% increase  based on average daily rate from January to December.

Preparation is key

As Guesty Co-Founder and CEO Amiad Soto says, “During a tourist-heavy season like Spring Break, it’s important that property managers are well-prepared.”

When it comes to managing rentals between the months of March and April, being well-prepared involves a bit more than ensuring your properties are clean and stocked with basic amenities. Spring Breakers have reported to drink an average of 10 to 18 alcoholic beverages per day and 12% of guests confessed to squeezing 7 people into a vacation rental room without their host’s knowledge!

Intrigued by the potential profit, but worried unruly guests will turn your rentals upside down? We’ve got you covered. Soon we’ll be releasing Guesty’s Spring Break Party Proofing Guide, which will provide you with tips and resources on how to protect your properties from unwanted situations – so you get the dollar signs without the worry lines!

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