Step 4 · Pick the market before you pick the house
Best Places to Buy a Vacation Rental in Washington From Seattle
Page author
Adriano Tori
Designated Broker, Founder & CEO — RexMont Real Estate · WA Lic. #27660
Adriano leads RexMont Real Estate — the most-reviewed real estate brokerage in Seattle and the Eastside. 1,200+ closed transactions, $1B+ in production, and 1,241 five-star Google reviews.
Written and reviewed by Adriano Tori, Designated Broker, WA Lic. #27660 · last reviewed September 19, 2026 · RexMont Real Estate, 1,241 five-star Google reviews, $1B+ closed across 1,200+ transactions. Not tax, legal or lending advice.
The short answer
For a buyer who wants a permit they can actually get and keep, the strongest Washington markets right now are the Lake Chelan and Manson areas of Chelan County (openings under the cap), Suncadia and unincorporated Kittitas County (no permit required yet, draft rules pending), Pierce County's Mt. Rainier gateways, Clallam County outside Port Angeles, Kitsap County (permits run with the land) and the San Juan Islands (permits run with the land, but capped and lottery-allocated).
The markets with the most demand are also the most constrained: Leavenworth-area Chelan County is over its cap, Ocean Shores now confines rentals to commercial zones, Port Angeles has issued its last Type II license, and Winthrop and Twisp cap permits at a handful. In those markets you are buying a second home whose rental use depends on a permit you may not get.
Every market on this page has a real off-season. Judge it on RexMont's monthly data below, not on a summer screenshot.
The best market for a Washington short-term rental is not the one with the highest headline revenue. It is the one where the county lets you operate, the permit either transfers or is obtainable, the drive from Bellevue is short enough that you will actually manage it, and the resale buyer pool is deep enough to get you out. RexMont ranks markets on those four tests first and on revenue second, because revenue is the one input a seller controls in the listing and the one that evaporates when a permit does not.
The comparison below pairs the regulatory facts from our Washington STR laws page with the RexMont STR Market Pulse, our own monthly read of each market built from NWMLS listing data and RentCast sale statistics: active inventory, the share of listings being marketed as short-term rentals, trailing twelve-month closed sales and medians, and month-over-month and year-over-year movement as the series builds. It is the data we would rather you use than a third-party revenue estimate, because it measures what buyers and sellers are actually doing in the market you are about to enter.
RexMont STR Market Pulse: every market, this month
The STR-marketed share is the number to watch. A high share means sellers are pitching investors, which usually signals both real rental demand and a crowded exit when everyone sells at once. A rising share into a regulatory tightening is a warning. Click a market name for its listings and local deep-dive where we have one.
| Market | Drive from Seattle | Active listings | STR-marketed share | Median close, 12 mo | Median sale price (RentCast) | Days on market | Lodging-tax receipts y/y (DOR 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leavenworth & Lake WenatcheeChelan County | about 2¼–3 hours | 1470.0% m/m · +12.7% y/y | 27.2%m/m soon · y/y soonSTR-marketed median list $760K | $719K120 sales · 26.7% STR-marketed | $630K−2.9% m/m · −1.4% y/y | 103 days+8.4% m/m · −6.4% y/y | +1.6%Leavenworth · $1.72M in 2025 |
| Lake Chelan & MansonChelan County | about 3¼–4 hours | 307−0.4% m/m · −2.9% y/y | 21.5%m/m soon · y/y soonSTR-marketed median list $937K | $585K217 sales · 19.8% STR-marketed | $457K−1.5% m/m · −4.8% y/y | 127 days+8.5% m/m · 0.0% y/y | +6.9%Chelan · $870K in 2025 |
| Cle Elum, Suncadia & RoslynKittitas County | about 1½–2 hours | 322−2.4% m/m · +10.4% y/y | 33.9%m/m soon · y/y soonSTR-marketed median list $950K | $735K276 sales · 21.7% STR-marketed | $631K−3.6% m/m · +6.1% y/y | 104 days+6.1% m/m · +3.0% y/y | −1.8%Cle Elum · $103K in 2025 |
| Snoqualmie Pass & HyakKittitas County | about 1–1½ hours | 23+2.4% m/m · +27.3% y/y | 17.4%m/m soon · y/y soonSTR-marketed median list $768K | $925K17 sales · 5.9% STR-marketed | $750K+3.4% m/m · +30.4% y/y | 105 days+16.7% m/m · −20.5% y/y | +4.5%Kittitas County · $1.37M in 2025 |
| Ocean ShoresGrays Harbor County | about 2½–3¼ hours | 281−1.2% m/m · +0.1% y/y | 14.9%m/m soon · y/y soonSTR-marketed median list $399K | $350K306 sales · 10.5% STR-marketed | $277K−1.1% m/m · −0.7% y/y | 112 days+10.9% m/m · −3.4% y/y | +6.0%Ocean Shores · $561K in 2025 |
| Seabrook & Pacific BeachGrays Harbor County | about 2¾–3½ hours | 70+1.0% m/m · +8.5% y/y | 47.1%m/m soon · y/y soonSTR-marketed median list $910K | $850K37 sales · 48.6% STR-marketed | $879K0.0% m/m · +3.4% y/y | 104 days+2.0% m/m · −20.0% y/y | +1.6%Grays Harbor County · $1.07M in 2025 |
| WestportGrays Harbor County | about 2½–3¼ hours | 760.0% m/m · +33.0% y/y | 39.5%m/m soon · y/y soonSTR-marketed median list $385K | $310K53 sales · 22.6% STR-marketed | $340K0.0% m/m · +1.5% y/y | 113 days+9.7% m/m · +9.7% y/y | +0.2%Westport · $258K in 2025 |
| Long Beach PeninsulaPacific County | about 3–3¾ hours | 218−1.0% m/m · +6.5% y/y | 17.9%m/m soon · y/y soonSTR-marketed median list $355K | $345K297 sales · 16.8% STR-marketed | $290K+1.6% m/m · −2.4% y/y | 110 days+12.2% m/m · +13.4% y/y | −0.4%Long Beach · $469K in 2025 |
| Whidbey IslandIsland County | about 1½–2 hours with the ferry | 377+1.4% m/m · +5.0% y/y | 8.8%m/m soon · y/y soonSTR-marketed median list $1000K | $580K868 sales · 4% STR-marketed | $618K+2.7% m/m · −3.1% y/y | 81 days+11.0% m/m · +2.5% y/y | +5.1%Langley · $113K in 2025 |
| San Juan IslandsSan Juan County | about 3–4 hours with the ferry | 191+2.0% m/m · −0.3% y/y | 16.2%m/m soon · y/y soonSTR-marketed median list $1.17M | $900K186 sales · 9.1% STR-marketed | $918K+2.0% m/m · −7.9% y/y | 101 days+12.2% m/m · −12.2% y/y | +8.3%Friday Harbor · $301K in 2025 |
| Hood Canal & Lake CushmanMason County | about 1½–2½ hours | 147−3.4% m/m · +2.6% y/y | 17.0%m/m soon · y/y soonSTR-marketed median list $369K | $445K259 sales · 16.6% STR-marketed | $335K−0.7% m/m · −0.8% y/y | 87 days+7.4% m/m · +6.1% y/y | −7.7%Mason County · $528K in 2025 |
| Port Townsend & Port LudlowJefferson County | about 2–2½ hours with the ferry | 153+1.9% m/m · +17.1% y/y | 3.9%m/m soon · y/y soonSTR-marketed median list $882K | $637K338 sales · 1.5% STR-marketed | $550K−1.3% m/m · −6.8% y/y | 66 days+10.0% m/m · −13.2% y/y | −11.2%Port Townsend · $278K in 2025 |
| Port Angeles & SequimClallam County | about 2½–3 hours with the ferry | 380+2.2% m/m · +14.0% y/y | 4.2%m/m soon · y/y soonSTR-marketed median list $727K | $475K922 sales · 3.1% STR-marketed | $427K−2.3% m/m · −4.6% y/y | 77 days+4.1% m/m · +11.6% y/y | +3.8%Port Angeles · $706K in 2025 |
| Mt. Rainier gateways (Ashford & Packwood)Pierce / Lewis County | about 2–2½ hours | 60−3.4% m/m · +16.2% y/y | 51.7%m/m soon · y/y soonSTR-marketed median list $500K | $490K56 sales · 60.7% STR-marketed | $472K+3.0% m/m · +17.7% y/y | 88 days+2.3% m/m · −6.4% y/y | +3.8%Lewis County · $599K in 2025 |
| Methow Valley (Winthrop, Twisp, Mazama)Okanogan County | about 4–4½ hours | 690.0% m/m · +13.8% y/y | 18.8%m/m soon · y/y soonSTR-marketed median list $499K | $625K69 sales · 14.5% STR-marketed | $464K−3.3% m/m · −9.2% y/y | 98 days+4.3% m/m · 0.0% y/y | +14.9%Winthrop · $249K in 2025 |
| Mt. Baker foothills (Glacier & Maple Falls)Whatcom County | about 2¼–2¾ hours | 135−0.5% m/m · +0.5% y/y | 24.4%m/m soon · y/y soonSTR-marketed median list $369K | $350K154 sales · 16.9% STR-marketed | $253K+5.5% m/m · −4.7% y/y | 68 days+7.9% m/m · −26.9% y/y | −7.7%Whatcom County · $724K in 2025 |
| Birch Bay & BlaineWhatcom County | about 2–2½ hours | 243−2.2% m/m · +7.9% y/y | 6.2%m/m soon · y/y soonSTR-marketed median list $379K | $557K401 sales · 7.5% STR-marketed | $563K+1.4% m/m · −1.1% y/y | 79 days+1.3% m/m · −7.1% y/y | −9.9%Blaine · $132K in 2025 |
| Gig Harbor & KitsapPierce / Kitsap County | about 1–1½ hours | 388+1.8% m/m · +6.7% y/y | 1.3%m/m soon · y/y soonSTR-marketed median list $1.18M | $737K1136 sales · 1.7% STR-marketed | $810K−0.5% m/m · +4.6% y/y | 45 days+9.8% m/m · −15.1% y/y | −1.8%Gig Harbor · $175K in 2025 |
| Columbia River Gorge (Stevenson, White Salmon)Skamania / Klickitat County | about 4–4½ hours | 0m/m soon · y/y soon | —m/m soon · y/y soon | $508K6 sales · 16.7% STR-marketed | —m/m soon · y/y soon | —m/m soon · y/y soon | — |
How to read it."STR-marketed share" is RexMont's own signal: the share of active NWMLS residential listings whose public remarks sell the home as a short-term or vacation rental. It measures how much of a market's for-sale inventory is being pitched to investors, not how many homes hold permits. Median sale price, days on market and inventory come from RentCast sale statistics blended across each market's ZIP codes; month-over-month and year-over-year deltas use RentCast's own history. Deltas marked "soon" appear as our monthly snapshots accumulate. Medians on small samples move a lot; read the sale count next to them.
Lodging-tax receipts are the Washington Department of Revenue's distributions of the state-shared 2% transient rental tax to each city or county for calendar 2025 versus 2024 (source). Because the tax is a fixed share of taxable lodging sales under 30 nights, the year-over-year change tracks total short-stay lodging revenue in that jurisdiction, hotels and short-term rentals together. Cities report their own receipts; the county figure is the unincorporated area.
Listing information courtesy of Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS). The listing data relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than RexMont Real Estate are marked with the “Listing courtesy of NWMLS” designation. Information provided is for the consumer’s personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.
© 2026 Northwest Multiple Listing Service. All rights reserved. · RentCast market statistics used under license. Not an appraisal or an offer of specific investment returns.
Market-by-market: who it suits and what to check
| Market | Drive from Seattle | Regulatory reality for a new owner | Demand drivers and seasonality | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leavenworth, Plain, Lake Wenatchee (Chelan County) | About 2¼–3 hours over Stevens Pass | City: whole-home rentals only in commercial zones. County: non-owner-occupied permits over the 6% cap in all three subareas; conforming permits never transfer; grandfathered transfers sunset late 2026 | Year-round festival town, Oktoberfest and Christmas lighting, skiing at Stevens Pass; strongest four-season demand in the state | Cash or equity buyers who want a second home with owner-occupied (Tier 1) rental upside, or who will wait for cap openings |
| Lake Chelan and Manson (Chelan County) | About 3¼–4 hours | County had openings under the 6% cap as of August 2026 in both 98816 and Manson; permits are non-transferable, so budget the June–July application window. City of Chelan licenses only in downtown and tourist zones | Summer lake season peaks hard July–August; wineries extend fall; winter is quiet | Buyers who can close and apply in one cycle, and who want lakefront or view over a short drive |
| Suncadia, Cle Elum, Roslyn, Ronald (Kittitas County) | About 1½–2 hours on I-90 | Unincorporated county: no permit required today, draft annual permit at hearing Sept 22, 2026 with a non-transfer clause. Suncadia SROA registration. Cle Elum city permits expire on sale ($1,000/yr, 250-ft spacing); Roslyn confines whole-home rentals to its commercial zone | Resort golf and pool summers, Snoqualmie Pass skiing, Seattle weekenders year-round; the shortest drive of the mountain markets | Eastside households who will self-manage and use the home; the market where the tax treatment on our tax page is most achievable |
| Snoqualmie Pass and Hyak (Kittitas County) | About 1–1½ hours | Same county rules as Suncadia; heavy HOA and condo-declaration layer | Ski season; summer hiking; small, thin inventory | Ski-weekend owners; not a cash-flow market |
| Ocean Shores (Grays Harbor) | About 2½–3¼ hours | Since Ordinance 1148 (Oct 2025) STRs are permitted only in B-1 and B-2 commercial zones; residential-zone rentals are out. Permits void at sale; no new bookings until the buyer's permit issues | Summer beach season, razor clam digs, storm-watching; the state's largest coastal inventory and lowest price points | Buyers who will confine the search to commercially zoned parcels and price the rest as second homes |
| Seabrook and Pacific Beach (Grays Harbor County) | About 2¾–3½ hours | County permit, annual, non-transferable; Seabrook homes generally operate through the community's rental program, read the covenants | Planned beach town with strong shoulder-season demand; about half the market's listings are pitched as rentals | Buyers who accept a managed, community-run model and want the deepest coastal resale pool |
| Westport (Grays Harbor) | About 2½–3¼ hours | City approval $750 new / $250 renewal, non-transferable; all single-family zones | Surfing, charter fishing, marina; lower prices than Seabrook | Value buyers comfortable with a working-harbor town |
| Long Beach Peninsula (Pacific County) | About 3–3¾ hours | County: permitted in R-3 and commercial zones, special-use hearing elsewhere, prohibited in R-1, 300-ft spacing; buyer may pre-apply. Long Beach city: non-transferable with a three-month wait for new owners | Summer beach, kite festival, clamming; long drive keeps prices low | Patient buyers who will pre-apply during escrow and accept a dark period |
| Whidbey Island (Island County) | About 1½–2 hours with the Mukilteo ferry | Unincorporated county has no permit. Langley caps whole-unit licenses at 15; Coupeville confines rentals to commercial zones | Year-round Seattle weekend demand, Ebey's Landing, Langley arts; ferry adds friction | Buyers targeting unincorporated Whidbey who want a short drive and steady shoulder seasons |
| San Juan Islands (San Juan County) | About 3–4 hours including the Anacortes ferry | Permits capped by island (Orcas 211, San Juan 337, Lopez 135), allocated by lottery when slots open, but they run with the land; buyer certifies within 90 days of closing. Friday Harbor under a moratorium | Highest nightly rates in the state, strong May–September, near-zero winter; ferry reservations shape stays | Buyers acquiring an existing permitted rental and protecting the permit in the contract; the clearest case where a permit adds value |
| Hood Canal, Union, Lake Cushman (Mason County) | About 1½–2½ hours | No county ordinance (review shelved). Lake Cushman HOA registration re-done by buyer within 30 days; septic sets occupancy | Summer lake and canal season, Olympic National Park gateway, oyster and Alderbrook demand; quiet winters | Buyers who want low regulatory friction close to home, with a plan for county rules later |
| Port Townsend and Port Ludlow (Jefferson County) | About 2–2½ hours with the Kingston ferry | City: whole-home rentals prohibited in residential zones. County: 4% cap by ZIP, permit tied to the property but new owners cannot rent for their first calendar year, except in the Port Ludlow and Pleasant Harbor resorts | Victorian seaport tourism, festivals, retirees; Port Ludlow resort demand | Port Ludlow resort buyers; elsewhere plan a year of long-term or personal use first |
| Port Angeles and Sequim (Clallam County) | About 2½–3 hours with the ferry | County: vacation rentals allowed in every single-family zone with no permit, fire inspection and septic occupancy only. Port Angeles Type II cap full (200/200); licenses terminate at sale. Sequim unregulated | Olympic National Park gateway, Victoria ferry, lavender season; year-round retiree and hiker demand | Buyers who stay in unincorporated Clallam or Sequim and want the fewest hoops on the Peninsula |
| Mt. Rainier gateways: Ashford, Elbe, Packwood | About 2–3 hours | Pierce County: affidavit only, 2 per bedroom up to 10, no transfer issue. Lewis County: new annual $150 permit, register by Dec 31, 2026, new owner recertifies | National park summers, Crystal Mountain and White Pass winters; among the highest STR-marketed shares in the state | Cash-flow-minded buyers who accept a rural cabin and a two-season calendar |
| Methow Valley: Winthrop, Twisp, Mazama (Okanogan County) | About 4–4½ hours in summer; longer when SR-20 closes | Winthrop caps permits at 10% of housing with a waitlist; Twisp caps at 15 per year and confines investor rentals to commercial zones; county allows one nightly rental per owner, largely inside planned developments. Nothing transfers | Nordic skiing, mountain biking, Western-theme town; smoke risk in late summer | Buyers acquiring inside a planned development with an existing rental history who will re-apply immediately; otherwise a lifestyle purchase |
| Mt. Baker foothills: Glacier, Maple Falls (Whatcom County) | About 2¼–2¾ hours | County: permitted accessory use, no registration adopted; Lake Whatcom watershed needs a conditional use permit. Bellingham restricts rentals in residential zones to primary residences | Mt. Baker ski season and summer hiking; Canadian visitor flow | Ski-cabin buyers who want simple county rules at a low entry price |
| Birch Bay and Blaine (Whatcom County) | About 2–2½ hours | County: permitted accessory use. Blaine: transient accommodations only in commercial and planned-recreation zones | Summer beach, cross-border traffic; steady year-round rental base | Buyers in unincorporated Birch Bay who want a mixed short- and mid-term strategy |
| Gig Harbor and Kitsap (Pierce and Kitsap counties) | About 1–1½ hours, no ferry | Gig Harbor: $650 permit, non-transferable, one per permittee. Kitsap County: administrative conditional use permit that runs with the land. Bainbridge: annual certificate, personal to owner. Poulsbo and Port Orchard: no permit | Seattle overflow, waterfront, Navy and hospital travel; the lowest STR-marketed share on this page, meaning little investor competition | Buyers who want a drivable, less seasonal market and value a permit that survives a sale (Kitsap County) |
Regulatory statements reflect codes and county permit statistics read September 19, 2026 and summarized on the Washington STR laws page; drive times are approximations. The Columbia River Gorge (Stevenson, White Salmon) is a strong market largely outside NWMLS coverage; RexMont handles it by referral.
How RexMont ranks a market for a specific client
- 1Can you operate? Zone, cap and transfer rule for the exact parcel, confirmed in the code, not the listing.
- 2Will you operate? Drive time you will actually make for turnovers and repairs if self-managing; a vetted manager if not. The tax treatment on the tax page depends on this answer.
- 3Does it carry itself at a normal occupancy? The cash-flow calculator at the seller's number and at 20% less.
- 4Can you get out? Trailing twelve-month sale count and STR-marketed share from the Pulse; a market where a quarter of listings are pitched to investors will be crowded on the way out.
- 5What happens if the rule changes? Every market above has a pending project, a draft or a fresh ordinance. Underwrite the property as a second home first and as a business second, and it survives the change.
Checklist
Market-selection checklist
- Shortlist markets where a new owner can obtain or inherit the permit this year, not eventually.
- Match the drive time to your management plan; two hours is the practical limit for self-managed turnovers from the Eastside.
- Pull the RexMont Pulse row: inventory trend, STR-marketed share, closed-sale count and median.
- Identify the demand driver and its off-season, and confirm the property still works at off-season occupancy.
- Check the pending-rules calendar for the county before you write; adoption dates matter more than headlines.
FAQ
Questions Washington STR buyers ask first.
Where is the best place to buy an Airbnb in Washington State?
It depends on whether you need the permit to survive the sale. For obtainable or transferable permits with real demand, the Lake Chelan and Manson areas, Suncadia and Kittitas County, the Mt. Rainier gateways, unincorporated Clallam County, Kitsap County and the San Juan Islands lead in September 2026. Leavenworth, Ocean Shores, Port Angeles and the Methow Valley have strong demand but caps or zoning that block most new investor permits.
Is Leavenworth a good place to buy a vacation rental?
It has the state's strongest four-season demand, but inside city limits whole-home rentals are confined to commercial zones and the surrounding Chelan County subareas are over the 6% cap for non-owner-occupied permits, which do not transfer. Buy it as a second home you can rent under an owner-occupied permit, or wait for cap openings, and price accordingly.
Can you still buy an Airbnb in Ocean Shores?
Only on a commercially zoned (B-1 or B-2) parcel. The city's October 2025 ordinance bars short-term rentals in residential zones and voids the permit at sale, so a buyer of a commercial-zone rental applies for a new permit and cannot take bookings until it issues.
Which Washington vacation rental permits transfer to a new owner?
San Juan County vacation rental permits and Kitsap County conditional use permits run with the land. Jefferson County's permit is tied to the property but the new owner cannot rent nightly for the first calendar year. Almost every other Washington vacation market makes the permit personal to the owner.
What is the STR-marketed share in RexMont's market data?
It is the share of active NWMLS residential listings in a market whose public remarks sell the home as a short-term or vacation rental (Airbnb, VRBO, nightly rental, turnkey furnished and similar). RexMont computes it monthly. It shows how much of the for-sale inventory is pitched to investors, which signals both demand and exit competition; it is not a count of permitted rentals.
Sources we checked
- RexMont Washington STR Market Pulse
- Chelan County STR statistics (Aug 2026)
- Ocean Shores OSMC 17.49
- San Juan County vacation rentals
- Port Angeles short-term lodging summary
- Jefferson County short-term rentals
- Kittitas County STR hearing (Sept 22, 2026)
- Northwest Multiple Listing Service
- RentCast market data
Related on rexmont.com
Market fit
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