U.S. Cities With the Highest Premiums on Holiday Airbnb Stays [2024 Data Study]

A lot goes into planning a holiday season getaway … finding time off, booking travel, locating the perfect place to spend your time … it can be a lot. And during peak holiday travel season it can cost a lot.

We wanted to explore those costs further by finding out how much more travelers can expect to pay for an Airbnb during the week of major winter holidays compared to what they normally would. We collected nightly cost data from thousands of Airbnbs across the U.S. to determine the premiums holiday travelers will have to pay on accommodations during the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.

Keep reading to find out which cities have the most significant increases and where you might find a more affordable stay during the holiday season (at least comparatively).

During the Holidays, Americans Can Expect To Spend 64% More on Airbnbs

Travelers have come to expect airfare hikes when booking their holiday vacations, but there’s one part of the planning process where they should also prepare to pay premiums: accommodations, specifically at Airbnbs.

On average, Americans can expect to pay 64% more for an Airbnb stay during the holidays compared to the rest of the year. We analyzed Airbnb prices in large U.S. cities to see where travelers should prepare for the highest premiums during the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.

Cities With the Highest Holiday Stay Premiums

Airbnbs in some cities see a significant spike in prices for holiday stays, with some prices jumping nearly $200 per night compared to what they normally cost.

Madison, Wisconsin

• Average Nightly Cost: $139.60
• Average Nightly Holiday Cost: $334.77
• Premium for a Holiday Stay: 139.8%

Fort Myers, Florida

• Average Nightly Cost: $96.51
• Average Nightly Holiday Cost: $230.62
• Premium for a Holiday Stay: 139%

Las Vegas, Nevada

• Average Nightly Cost: $72.93
• Average Nightly Holiday Cost: $161.48
• Premium for a Holiday Stay: 121.4%

Tampa, Florida

• Average Nightly Cost: $61.26
• Average Nightly Holiday Cost: $130.63
• Premium for a Holiday Stay: 113.2%

San Jose, California

• Average Nightly Cost: $80.76
• Average Nightly Holiday Cost: $168.08
• Premium for a Holiday Stay: 108.1%

These cities are popular holiday travel spots for one reason or another. Some, like Madison, for example, likely attract tourists looking for more traditional seasonal holiday stays, while others, like Fort Myers and Tampa, offer an escape from wintry weather for people who would prefer a warmer holiday vacation. 

Cities With the Lowest Holiday Stay Premiums

On the other end of the spectrum are places with only modest holiday surcharges. These are the cities where travelers won’t have to worry too much about additional fees for a holiday getaway.

Los Angeles, California

• Average Nightly Cost: $160.05
• Average Nightly Holiday Cost: $164.92
• Premium for a Holiday Stay: 3%

Bakersfield, California

• Average Nightly Cost: $145.38
• Average Nightly Holiday Cost: $186.54
• Premium for a Holiday Stay: 28.3%

San Diego, California

• Average Nightly Cost: $136.00
• Average Nightly Holiday Cost: $174.93
• Premium for a Holiday Stay: 28.6%

Washington, D.C.

• Average Nightly Cost: $123.84
• Average Nightly Holiday Cost: $161.18
• Premium for a Holiday Stay: 30.2%

San Francisco, California

• Average Nightly Cost: $143.35
• Average Nightly Holiday Cost: $193.44
• Premium for a Holiday Stay: 34.9%

California is home to 4 of the 5 cities that experience the lowest holiday stay premiums. All 4 also come in the top 7 for the most expensive stays overall, telling us that cities with already-inflated nightly averages can only charge so much more before people aren’t willing to pay the premium, even during peak travel times. 

Whether you’re looking for traditional holiday experiences or plan on turning the season on its head by embarking on a journey to warmer weather, there are parts of the country where you can expect to pay more for accommodations during the holidays. But even in the cities with the lowest holiday premiums, you’ll typically pay at least 25% more than you usually would.

Next, we’ll find out which cities see the highest price surges during specific holiday weeks.

Which Cities Have the Highest Premiums During the Week of Each Holiday?

Now that we know the cities where spending the holidays will cost the most (compared to the rest of the year), let’s zoom in a bit and take a closer look at each holiday week individually.

On average, travelers can expect to pay 53.9% more for Airbnbs during the week of Thanksgiving, 65.4% more the week of Christmas, and 72.5% more the week of New Year’s.

Here’s a breakdown of which cities see the highest premiums for each holiday.

Cities With the Highest Premiums During Thanksgiving

If you’re looking for a new tradition of taking Thanksgiving on the road, accommodations could come with quite the price hike in these cities:

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

• Average Nightly Price: $120.44
• Average Price the Week of Thanksgiving: $360.10
• Premium for a Thanksgiving Stay: 199%

Madison, Wisconsin

• Average Nightly Price: $139.60
• Average Price the Week of Thanksgiving: $367.46
• Premium for a Thanksgiving Stay: 163.2%

Columbus, Ohio

• Average Nightly Price: $84.83
• Average Price the Week of Thanksgiving: $184.54
• Premium for a Thanksgiving Stay: 117.5%

There are 5 cities where Turkey Day travelers will have to pay at least a 100% increase when booking Airbnbs during the week of Thanksgiving. Baton Rouge, Madison, and Columbus lead the pack, each with price jumps of over 115%.

Cities With the Highest Premiums During Christmas

During the week of Christmas, steep price increases can be expected in cities across the country, especially ones by the coast.

Fort Myers, Florida

• Average Nightly Price: $96.51
• Average Price the Week of Christmas: $237.93
• Premium for a Christmas Stay: 146.5%

Madison, Wisconsin

• Average Nightly Price: $139.60
• Average Price the Week of Christmas: $333.89
• Premium for a Christmas Stay: 139.2%

Sarasota, Florida

• Average Nightly Price: $103.02
• Average Price the Week of Christmas: $219.89
• Premium for a Christmas Stay: 113.4%

Of the 8 cities that experience 100% or more price increases during the week of Christmas, 5 of them are coastal cities. Travelers dreaming of a holiday week on the coast this year will need to prepare to pay more than double what they typically would for Airbnbs in destination coastal cities like Fort Myers, Sarasota, Tampa, and Honolulu.

Cities With the Highest Premiums During New Year’s

Heading to a new city and finding a fun Airbnb to ring in the New Year is a more common practice than booking accommodations for the other holiday weeks we looked at. That popularity is likely a driving force behind the larger average price increases for accommodations that week compared to Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Fort Myers, Florida

• Average Nightly Price: $96.51
• Average Price the Week of New Year’s: $252.42
• Premium for a New Year’s Stay: 161.6%

Las Vegas, Nevada

• Average Nightly Price: $72.93
• Average Price the Week of New Year’s: $184.77
• Premium for a New Year’s Stay: 153.3%

Tampa, Florida

• Average Nightly Price: $61.26
• Average Price the Week of New Year’s: $143.82
• Premium for a New Year’s Stay: 134.8%

When booking an Airbnb the week of New Year’s, there are 11 cities where travelers will pay more than double what they normally would for an Airbnb. Of those 11 cities, 5 see increases in excess of 120%: Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Tampa, San Jose, and Sarasota.

Whether you’re planning a Thanksgiving gathering, a Christmas getaway, or ringing in the New Year somewhere else, certain cities come with steep Airbnb premiums. Warmer weather cities tend to see steeper increases during the holidays, so if you’re trying to escape the cold this holiday season, you’ll have to pay for it.

The Premiums on Holiday Stays Across the U.S.

Wondering how your city compares when it comes to holiday stay premiums? We’ve compiled our full data set for all the cities we analyzed so you can explore just that.

You can search for your city, sort by each holiday, or compare across all cities to see where your destination lands in terms of holiday stay premiums. Check out the interactive table below to dive into the data.

Methodology

To determine the cities with the highest holiday stay premiums, we compared the overall average nightly price of an Airbnb to the average nightly price during the week of 3 major holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s). All cost data comes from Airbnb stays using the “entire place” filter.

We averaged the nightly prices of each of the 3 holiday stays and found the percent increase from the overall average that people can expect to pay in every city we studied. We also broke out the cities where you can expect to pay the highest premiums during each of the 3 holiday weeks we looked at. 

Final Thoughts

Holiday travel comes with its fair share of expenses, and accommodations are clearly no exception. Whether you’re booking an Airbnb for a traditional holiday stay in Madison, a warm-weather vacation in Fort Myers, or an exciting Las Vegas adventure, travelers can expect to pay significantly more during peak holiday weeks than at other times of the year. Even in cities with lower premiums, like Los Angeles or San Francisco, the price hikes are still worth considering when planning your trip.

At Upgraded Points, we’re here to help you navigate the highs and lows of holiday travel costs. By staying informed and making smarter booking decisions, you can maximize your budget and get the most out of your travel experience. Whether you’re looking to earn rewards points or find the best deals, we have tips to make your holiday getaway more affordable.