Key Takeaways
- Airbnb reports U.S. hosts earned an average of $15,600 in supplemental income during 2025.
- The figure provides a national benchmark but full-time operators in strong markets typically earn significantly more.
- Airbnb launched World Cup income calculators and $750 host incentives ahead of the 2026 tournament.
Airbnb says U.S. hosts earned an average of $15,600 in supplemental income during 2025, a figure the company released as part of its latest push to frame short-term rentals as an economic engine rather than a housing threat.
The number comes from Airbnb’s 2026 U.S. Economic Impact Report, which claims the platform generated $93 billion in economic activity and supported more than 1.1 million jobs nationwide last year.
According to the company’s announcement, many hosts use the money to cover mortgages, property taxes, utilities, food and child care expenses.
Travel by hosts and guests generated more than $93 billion in economic activity across the US in 2025, the highest level on record.
What the benchmark means for operators
The $15,600 average offers a reference point for operators evaluating whether individual properties are performing above or below the national line.
But the figure is an average across millions of hosts — including spare-room renters and occasional listers — which means full-time Airbnb operators managing entire properties in strong markets typically earn substantially more.
Nearly half of guest spending occurred in the same communities where travelers stayed, the report argues, directing tourism dollars to neighborhoods that may lack traditional hotel infrastructure.
The company says 63 percent of U.S. census tracts with active Airbnb listings do not have hotels.
Related: Airbnb launches boutique hotels and AI review tools
Airbnb also announced new tools ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, including a Host Income Calculator for the 16 host cities and a $750 incentive for eligible new hosts tied to tournament bookings.
The report used the IMPLAN economic modeling system and was based on internal platform data from 2025 and commissioned studies.
Operators using dynamic pricing platforms to benchmark performance now have an updated national figure to anchor marketing pitches and investor projections as the industry heads into a high-visibility summer with World Cup preparation accelerating.
