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Best Airbnb Markets in Illinois (2026)

Based on Airbtics data from September 2025 to August 2026, this page ranks the best Airbnb markets in Illinois by Market Grade. The grade compares short-term rental yield, year-over-year revenue growth, and occupancy (demand), then adjusts for local regulation. The table also shows listing count, average daily rate, and annual revenue for every market.

Markets on this page are ranked by the Airbtics Market Grade, not by the number of listings. The grade compares each market with the other markets in this ranking on three measures, then adjusts for local short-term rental regulation.

  1. Yield: Annual short-term rental revenue divided by property price. A higher yield ranks higher.
  2. Growth: Year-over-year change in revenue. Faster revenue growth ranks higher.
  3. Demand: Average occupancy rate over the last 12 months. Higher occupancy ranks higher.

Stricter short-term rental regulation lowers the letter grade. Occupancy, average daily rate, and annual revenue are shown for every market. Exact yield and revenue growth are published for the three highest-graded markets. For every other market those two figures are in Market Explorer. The rankboard plots the same markets by occupancy and average daily rate, and the table under the chart lists those values in text.

Learn more about how we collect the data and accuracy

Last updated: 16th October, 2026

Illinois Short-Term Rental Market Overview (September 2025 to August 2026)

National averages across all Illinois markets
Average Occupancy Rate i
59.67%
Average Annual Revenue i
$55,518
Average Daily Rate (ADR) i
$249
YoY Supply Growth i
28.29%
YoY Revenue Change i
13.83%

Top 3 Illinois Cities for Airbnb in 2026

Tick the markets you like to track their revenue, occupancy, and ADR in your Airbtics watchlist. Free to start, up to 10 markets.

Position Market Grade Market Name Regulation No of Listings Avg. Occupancy Rate Avg. Daily Rate Revenue Short-term Rental Yield Revenue Growth
1BChicago
Strict
5,96967% 🚀$197$50,57616.3%+20.0%
2B+Whitewater
Lenient
75752%$366$73,16732.7%+15.6%
3CMadison
Lenient
83860% 🚀$186$42,81315.2%+5.9%

Data Seen By

BiggerPockets
Trustpilot

Market Explorer

Filter markets by occupancy, price, and yield

Filter Illinois by occupancy, ADR, yield, rent gap, and property price, then compare markets side by side.

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Find the Best Airbnb Markets with Our Interactive Tool

Use our interactive Market Explorer to find the best places to start an Airbnb in Illinois. Compare multiple markets side by side, apply filters like regulations, budget (property or rent prices), and market size, and even export the results to Excel.

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Why Invest in Airbnb Illinois in 2026?

The highest-graded short-term rental markets in Illinois are Chicago, Whitewater and Madison. The table ranks every tracked market by Airbtics Market Grade. Occupancy, average daily rate, annual revenue, yield, and revenue growth are the figures behind that grade.

Top 3 Airbnb markets in Illinois by Market Grade

These are the three highest-graded Airbnb markets in Illinois. Market Grade compares yield, revenue growth, and occupancy (demand) with the other markets on this page, then adjusts for short-term rental regulation. The chart repeats those three percentiles in text so the ranking is readable without the graphic.

Rank 1 — Chicago (Grade B)

Chicago is rank 1 of 3 markets in this Illinois ranking by Airbtics Market Grade B, with 16.3% short-term rental yield, 67.0% occupancy, and +20.0% year-over-year revenue growth.

Compared with the other markets on this page, Chicago ranks top 50% for yield, top 17% for growth, and top 17% for demand. The market shows an average daily rate of $197, annual revenue of $50,576, a rent gap of 2491.9%, 5,969 active listings, strict short-term rental regulation, and a typical 2-bedroom property price of $350,000.

  • Market gradeB
  • Yield16.3%
  • Revenue growth+20.0%
  • Occupancy67.0%
  • Average daily rate$197
  • Annual revenue$50,576
  • Rent gap2491.9%
  • Active listings5,969
  • 2-bedroom price$350,000
  • RegulationStrict
top 50%Yieldtop 17%Growthtop 17%Demand

Percentile versus other Illinois markets on this page. Farther from the center is stronger.

  • Yield: top 50%
  • Growth: top 17%
  • Demand: top 17%

Rank 2 — Whitewater (Grade B+)

Whitewater is rank 2 of 3 markets in this Illinois ranking by Airbtics Market Grade B+, with 32.7% short-term rental yield, 52.0% occupancy, and +15.6% year-over-year revenue growth.

Compared with the other markets on this page, Whitewater ranks top 17% for yield, top 50% for growth, and lowest 17% for demand. The market shows an average daily rate of $366, annual revenue of $73,167, a rent gap of 6444.7%, 757 active listings, lenient short-term rental regulation, and a typical 2-bedroom property price of $200,000.

  • Market gradeB+
  • Yield32.7%
  • Revenue growth+15.6%
  • Occupancy52.0%
  • Average daily rate$366
  • Annual revenue$73,167
  • Rent gap6444.7%
  • Active listings757
  • 2-bedroom price$200,000
  • RegulationLenient
top 17%Yieldtop 50%Growthlowest 17%Demand

Percentile versus other Illinois markets on this page. Farther from the center is stronger.

  • Yield: top 17%
  • Growth: top 50%
  • Demand: lowest 17%

Rank 3 — Madison (Grade C)

Madison is rank 3 of 3 markets in this Illinois ranking by Airbtics Market Grade C, with 15.2% short-term rental yield, 60.0% occupancy, and +5.9% year-over-year revenue growth.

Compared with the other markets on this page, Madison ranks lowest 17% for yield, lowest 17% for growth, and top 50% for demand. The market shows an average daily rate of $186, annual revenue of $42,813, a rent gap of 3147.1%, 838 active listings, lenient short-term rental regulation, and a typical 2-bedroom property price of $300,000.

  • Market gradeC
  • Yield15.2%
  • Revenue growth+5.9%
  • Occupancy60.0%
  • Average daily rate$186
  • Annual revenue$42,813
  • Rent gap3147.1%
  • Active listings838
  • 2-bedroom price$300,000
  • RegulationLenient
lowest 17%Yieldlowest 17%Growthtop 50%Demand

Percentile versus other Illinois markets on this page. Farther from the center is stronger.

  • Yield: lowest 17%
  • Growth: lowest 17%
  • Demand: top 50%

Market Rankboard: Illinois

Each dot is a vacation rental market in Illinois, plotted by occupancy rate (x-axis) and average daily rate (ADR) (y-axis). Dashed lines mark the national median.

Illinois Airbnb markets rankboard scatter chart showing occupancy rate versus average daily rate (ADR)
Occupancy rate and average daily rate for each Illinois market plotted in the chart above, in Market Grade order.
MarketOccupancy rateAverage daily rate
Chicago67.0%$197
Whitewater52.0%$366
Madison60.0%$186

Compare property prices, short-term rental yield, rent gap, annual revenue, and supply growth in the Airbtics Market Explorer watchlist.

See all Airbnb markets in Illinois

Browse all 3 markets we track in Illinois. Each link opens the market's Airbnb revenue and performance data page.

Illinois Airbnb market FAQs

  • What are the best Airbnb markets in Illinois?

    Airbtics ranks short-term rental markets in Illinois by Market Grade. The grade compares yield (annual revenue divided by property price), year-over-year revenue growth, and occupancy, then adjusts for regulation. The highest-graded market in this dataset is Chicago. The main table lists markets in that order; use the Market Explorer to filter by budget, regulations, and more.

  • How many Airbnb markets does Airbtics track in Illinois?

    We currently analyze 3 active short-term rental markets in Illinois with listing supply, median occupancy, ADR, and revenue estimates.

  • What is the average Airbnb occupancy rate in Illinois?

    The national average occupancy rate across tracked markets is 59.67% (LTM). Rates differ by city. Use the rankboard on this page, or open a market page for that city's numbers.

  • How do I compare Airbnb markets in Illinois?

    Use the occupancy vs ADR rankboard on this page for a quick view, or open the Market Explorer to compare markets side by side, change chart axes, export to Excel, and save markets to a watchlist.

  • How can I estimate Airbnb income in Illinois?

    Use our Airbnb income calculator to estimate revenue for a specific address, or open any market link below for median revenue and occupancy benchmarks.




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For trends, supply, and year-over-year changes, see the 2025 short-term rental report for Illinois.