Study: The Cities With The Highest Airbnb Fees This Holiday Season 2024
We’ve all been there – you find the perfect Airbnb, only to watch the price balloon at checkout as service fees and cleaning charges pile up. That exciting $200-per-night dream rental suddenly becomes a budget-busting nightmare. But just how bad are these fees, and do they vary depending on where you’re staying? A new analysis of Airbnb listings across 84 major U.S. cities reveals some surprising answers about these controversial charges.
Key Findings:
- Some cities pile on fees of up to 41% on top of the base room rate
- Columbia, SC leads the nation with the highest relative fees (40.78%), adding $207 in fees to a $505 five-night stay
- While California cities show the lowest fee percentages, they often have the highest dollar amounts in fees
- The average combined service and cleaning fees across all cities is approximately $250 for a five-night stay
- Florida dominates the high-fee percentage list with multiple cities in the top 10
The Full Results
| City | State | Average Service Fee | Average Cleaning Fee | Rental Price Per Night | Rental Price 5 Nights (net of fees + taxes) | Fees as % of Rental Price For 5 Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | South Carolina | $114 | $93 | $101 | $507 | 40.78% |
| Cape Coral | Florida | $266 | $210 | $234 | $1,172 | 40.67% |
| Clearwater | Florida | $113 | $87 | $99 | $494 | 40.61% |
| Phoenix | Arizona | $125 | $93 | $110 | $549 | 39.79% |
| Honolulu | Hawaii | $171 | $129 | $151 | $754 | 39.73% |
| Scottsdale | Arizona | $179 | $139 | $160 | $798 | 39.73% |
| San Antonio | Texas | $143 | $108 | $126 | $632 | 39.72% |
| Las Vegas | Nevada | $127 | $96 | $114 | $569 | 39.18% |
| Wilmington | North Carolina | $142 | $104 | $126 | $628 | 39.14% |
| Houston | Texas | $93 | $70 | $83 | $416 | 39.12% |
| Baltimore | Maryland | $97 | $67 | $84 | $419 | 39.10% |
| Colorado Springs | Colorado | $124 | $103 | $116 | $581 | 39.03% |
| Raleigh | North Carolina | $127 | $87 | $110 | $548 | 38.98% |
| El Paso | Texas | $97 | $70 | $86 | $431 | 38.95% |
| Detroit | Michigan | $122 | $84 | $106 | $530 | 38.92% |
| Virginia Beach | Virginia | $158 | $121 | $143 | $717 | 38.91% |
| Cleveland | Ohio | $109 | $77 | $96 | $479 | 38.79% |
| Jacksonville | Florida | $140 | $103 | $125 | $627 | 38.75% |
| Atlanta | Georgia | $108 | $81 | $98 | $490 | 38.61% |
| Vancouver | Washington | $131 | $89 | $114 | $570 | 38.52% |
| Corpus Christi | Texas | $134 | $99 | $122 | $608 | 38.26% |
| Omaha | Nebraska | $116 | $81 | $103 | $515 | 38.20% |
| Tampa | Florida | $97 | $68 | $87 | $435 | 38.03% |
| Charlotte | North Carolina | $146 | $101 | $130 | $649 | 37.99% |
| Miami | Florida | $114 | $78 | $101 | $507 | 37.97% |
| Tucson | Arizona | $167 | $110 | $146 | $731 | 37.93% |
| Anchorage | Alaska | $110 | $84 | $103 | $517 | 37.57% |
| Austin | Texas | $128 | $85 | $115 | $574 | 37.06% |
| Kansas City | Missouri | $145 | $90 | $128 | $642 | 36.61% |
| Flagstaff | Arizona | $200 | $135 | $183 | $915 | 36.61% |
| Jersey City | New Jersey | $114 | $72 | $102 | $510 | 36.53% |
| Dallas | Texas | $82 | $77 | $87 | $434 | 36.53% |
| Indianapolis | Indiana | $114 | $81 | $107 | $535 | 36.50% |
| Reno | Nevada | $180 | $109 | $158 | $791 | 36.46% |
| Tulsa | Oklahoma | $151 | $96 | $136 | $679 | 36.35% |
| Salt Lake City | Utah | $110 | $69 | $99 | $494 | 36.35% |
| Lubbock | Texas | $135 | $90 | $124 | $622 | 36.31% |
| Richmond | Virginia | $130 | $84 | $118 | $590 | 36.26% |
| Columbus | Ohio | $108 | $73 | $100 | $501 | 36.23% |
| Washington | District of Columbia | $129 | $85 | $118 | $589 | 36.22% |
| Albuquerque | New Mexico | $114 | $77 | $105 | $526 | 36.18% |
| Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | $149 | $93 | $134 | $669 | 36.07% |
| Denver | Colorado | $113 | $77 | $106 | $528 | 36.05% |
| Memphis | Tennessee | $122 | $81 | $113 | $566 | 35.92% |
| Seattle | Washington | $121 | $83 | $114 | $570 | 35.81% |
| Portland | Oregon | $92 | $57 | $84 | $420 | 35.55% |
| Chicago | Illinois | $103 | $85 | $106 | $529 | 35.45% |
| New Orleans | Louisiana | $121 | $84 | $116 | $578 | 35.45% |
| Chattanooga | Tennessee | $151 | $89 | $136 | $678 | 35.41% |
| Santa Fe | New Mexico | $227 | $142 | $209 | $1,044 | 35.40% |
| Cincinnati | Ohio | $121 | $79 | $114 | $568 | 35.29% |
| Fort Lauderdale | Florida | $128 | $89 | $123 | $616 | 35.23% |
| Orlando | Florida | $108 | $67 | $99 | $497 | 35.22% |
| Carmel | Indiana | $228 | $99 | $186 | $932 | 35.04% |
| Savannah | Georgia | $168 | $98 | $152 | $762 | 34.94% |
| Fort Collins | Colorado | $182 | $114 | $170 | $850 | 34.80% |
| West Palm Beach | Florida | $161 | $98 | $150 | $748 | 34.68% |
| Milwaukee | Wisconsin | $117 | $68 | $107 | $536 | 34.56% |
| Fort Worth | Texas | $129 | $76 | $119 | $597 | 34.30% |
| Salem | Oregon | $92 | $53 | $84 | $421 | 34.26% |
| Boulder | Colorado | $115 | $66 | $106 | $531 | 33.90% |
| Knoxville | Tennessee | $139 | $78 | $129 | $645 | 33.75% |
| Asheville | North Carolina | $143 | $82 | $137 | $685 | 32.90% |
| New York | New York | $140 | $97 | $146 | $728 | 32.54% |
| Boston | Massachusetts | $135 | $90 | $139 | $695 | 32.40% |
| Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | $93 | $61 | $96 | $478 | 32.27% |
| Waco | Texas | $172 | $95 | $168 | $839 | 31.83% |
| Duluth | Minnesota | $213 | $106 | $203 | $1,014 | 31.50% |
| Charleston | South Carolina | $196 | $116 | $200 | $1,000 | 31.27% |
| San Marcos | California | $164 | $105 | $183 | $916 | 29.40% |
| Minneapolis | Minnesota | $79 | $43 | $85 | $424 | 28.86% |
| Sacramento | California | $130 | $87 | $153 | $766 | 28.39% |
| Oceanside | California | $208 | $146 | $252 | $1,261 | 28.06% |
| Newport Beach | California | $309 | $206 | $369 | $1,844 | 27.95% |
| Anaheim | California | $163 | $122 | $210 | $1,050 | 27.17% |
| Carlsbad | California | $226 | $155 | $282 | $1,412 | 27.03% |
| Los Angeles | California | $123 | $68 | $142 | $708 | 27.01% |
| San Jose | California | $88 | $55 | $108 | $542 | 26.43% |
| Santa Barbara | California | $293 | $138 | $327 | $1,634 | 26.38% |
| Long Beach | California | $155 | $94 | $189 | $945 | 26.36% |
| Temecula | California | $306 | $175 | $370 | $1,851 | 25.98% |
| San Francisco | California | $129 | $77 | $161 | $806 | 25.55% |
| San Diego | California | $141 | $90 | $181 | $906 | 25.50% |
| Santa Monica | California | $174 | $89 | $217 | $1,086 | 24.17% |
| Huntington Beach | California | $194 | $132 | $275 | $1,374 | 23.74% |
| Napa | California | $338 | $135 | $408 | $2,040 | 23.19% |
| Santa Rosa | California | $211 | $117 | $296 | $1,481 | 22.16% |
Southern Cities Lead with Highest Percentage Fees Relative to Price
Columbia, South Carolina tops the list with combined service and cleaning fees reaching 40.78% of the total room price for a five-night stay. In real dollars, this means paying $207 in fees on top of a $505 base price. Florida cities feature prominently among locations with the highest fee percentages, with Cape Coral and Clearwater following closely at 40.67% and 40.61% respectively. In Cape Coral, this translates to a whopping $476 in fees on a $1,170 five-night stay.
The California Paradox: Lower Percentages, Higher Dollar Amounts
While California cities consistently show the lowest fee percentages, the actual dollar amounts tell a different story. Take Napa, for example: while its 23.19% fee rate seems modest, guests actually pay $473 in fees ($338 service fee + $135 cleaning fee) on a five-night stay. Santa Barbara charges $431 in total fees, and Newport Beach adds $515 in fees, despite their lower percentage ratings. This apparent paradox is explained by California’s significantly higher base room rates – Napa averages $408 per night compared to Columbia’s $101.
Major Metropolitan Areas: Middle Ground in Both Percentages and Dollars
Major metropolitan areas maintain moderate fee structures in both percentage and dollar terms. New York City charges about $237 in total fees on a $728 five-night stay (32.54%), Boston adds $225 in fees to a $695 stay (32.40%), and Philadelphia keeps fees to $154 on a $478 stay (32.27%). These figures suggest bigger cities have found a middle ground in their fee structures.
Airbnb Fee Examples
Let’s look at some concrete examples for a five-night stay:
- Columbia, SC: $101/night → $505 base + $207 fees = $712 total
- Cape Coral, FL: $234/night → $1,170 base + $476 fees = $1,646 total
- Napa, CA: $408/night → $2,040 base + $473 fees = $2,513 total
- New York City: $146/night → $728 base + $237 fees = $965 total
Consumer Implications
These findings highlight why it’s crucial to look beyond both percentage rates and base prices. While California’s fee percentages might look attractive at first glance, the actual dollar amounts can be significantly higher than in other regions. Conversely, while Columbia, SC’s 40.78% fee rate sounds steep, the actual fee amount ($207) is lower than many California cities charging half that percentage rate.
The data suggests that savvy travelers should consider both the percentage and dollar amount of fees when comparing locations. A high fee percentage in a budget-friendly city might actually cost less than a low fee percentage in an expensive destination. This nuanced approach to evaluating costs could lead to significant savings when planning your next Airbnb stay.
Methodology
In October 2024, we analyzed the 150 most searched for cities for Airbnbs according to Google search data, by searching for a five-night stay for 1 person for an entire home from December 16 to 21, 2024 in each of these locations on Airbnb. We then removed any city from our list with an insufficient amount of available rentals, to leave only the cities with a sufficient quantity of rentals to provide a fair average for each location. We collected the room price, cleaning fee and service fee for each rental, then calculated the average for each city.
