Jackson Hole is already winning the summer short-term rental race and summer hasn’t even officially kicked off yet.

The Wyoming mountain town has locked down 45 percent of its short-term rental inventory for summer 2026, the highest booked occupancy rate in the country, according to Realtor.com’s analysis of AirDNA data tracking Airbnb and Vrbo listings.

That puts Jackson Hole ahead of several classic summer vacation markets, as more travelers look beyond the beach and book mountain escapes built around cooler air, national parks and outdoor adventure.

“Summer in Jackson Hole is the best time of the year,” she tells Realtor.com. “We are the gateway to Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks—both can be driven to as a day trip from here. We have world-class fly-fishing, hiking, mountain biking, tons of wildlife, and every outdoor activity you can imagine,” Jackson Hole real estate agent Devon Viehman told the outlet.

Related: US approved 5 million World Cup travel permits

Jackson Hole’s appeal is not hard to understand. Summer travelers are booking around whitewater rafting, canoeing, hiking and wildlife viewing near Grand Teton National Park.

Other short-term rental markets seeing a surge

Following behind Jackson Hole are Hatteras, North Carolina at 44 percent and Breckenridge, Colorado at 42 percent, according to the data.

Here are the other short-term rental markets that are also seeing an early summer surge, according to the data:

  • Cape Cod, Massachusetts: Booked occupancy is already at 44% for June through August 2026, showing strong early demand for classic New England beach rentals.
  • Door County, Wisconsin: The Midwest lakefront market is pacing at 42.6% booked, helped by its waterfront villages, Green Bay sunsets and summer drive-to appeal.
  • Outer Banks, North Carolina: OBX rentals are 41.4% booked for summer, as North Carolina’s barrier islands continue to draw families looking for beach space and a quieter coastal feel.
  • Maine beaches: Southern Maine beach towns are sitting at 40.7% booked, backed by cool-weather coastal demand, lobster-roll tourism and walkable summer towns.
  • Newport, Rhode Island: Newport is 40.4% booked, with sailing, waterfront dining and luxury coastal rentals helping keep demand strong.
  • Kenai Peninsula, Alaska: The Alaska outdoor market is 40.3% booked, driven by summer travelers planning around fishing, glaciers, kayaking and wildlife trips.
  • Maine Down East and Acadia coast: This coastal stretch is 40.2% booked, with hikers, kayakers and national park visitors helping lift early summer demand.
  • Michigan’s west coast: Lake Michigan’s eastern shoreline is 39.4% booked, as freshwater beaches, dunes and resort towns compete with traditional ocean markets.
  • Atlantic City and Ocean City, New Jersey: This Jersey Shore market is 38.7% booked, helped by boardwalk tourism, family beach trips and access to nearby Cape May and Wildwood.

Demand is also surging in cities hosting 2026 FIFA World Cup matches. Fort Worth and Kansas City are seeing drastic increases in bookings as hotels in those markets are expected to fill quickly, positioning short-term rentals to capture overflow demand.

Operators in top-10 markets should watch how June fills before adjusting rates for July and August, when competition intensifies, and guests compare mountain versus coastal pricing.