Is Alexandria, VA a Good Airbnb Market in 2026? (Real Data)
The data says:MODERATE
Last updated: May 4, 2026
The short answer
419 listings scraped, 11.5% passing both the 30-day and 60-day booked-rate bars. Moderate.
We scraped 419 active Airbnb listings in Alexandria, VA. 11.5% pass both the 75% and 55% booked-rate thresholds. The verdict is Moderate.
What the calendars actually show
We scraped 419 active Airbnb calendars in Alexandria. 17.9% passed the 75% threshold (22+ booked nights in the next 30 days). 31.3% passed the 55% threshold (16+ booked nights in the 30–60 day window). 11.5% cleared both bars. That is the 75/55 framework, applied. More on the 75/55 rule →
How Alexandria compares to similar markets
| Market | Pass 75/55 | Median 30d | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria, VA | 11.5% | 14 | MODERATE |
| Washington, DC | 12.3% | 13 | MODERATE |
What kind of investor wins in Alexandria
The winners are permitted operators who also act like boutique hoteliers — professional photography, instant-book, automated messaging. Unpermitted hosts see inconsistent booked nights and elevated cancellation exposure.
Regulations to know
Alexandria passed Ordinance 5575 in March 2025, effective September 1, 2025. It is a per-property permit regime with abutting-neighbor notice, parking minimums of 0.75 spaces per bedroom outside the enhanced transit area (dropping to 0.25 inside), maximum occupancy capped at 10 people for any 5+ bedroom home regardless of bedroom count, and three-strikes-you're-out enforcement on same-section violations within any permit year. Owner-occupancy is not required, but operators of unoccupied rentals carry extra documentation and the same per-property compliance cost regardless of portfolio size. AirDNA scores Alexandria's regulation at 65 out of 100, more inconvenience than threat, but the per-property permit model creates supply pressure that compounds against operators running multiple units in the city.
Last verified: May 4, 2026 · source →
Seasonality
Alexandria's short-term rental seasonality, normalized to January = 1.00, runs from a February low of 0.82x to a June peak of 2.20x, with a secondary October peak of 1.97x tied to federal-fiscal-year travel. Both peaks are flatter than coastal markets, reflecting Alexandria's steady year-round DC-commuter demand base, which means less seasonal upside to balance the bottom-tier base rate. Our May 4, 2026 scrape sits on the rising edge of the spring peak. Source: Rabbu, Alexandria City County. For the full pattern analysis (the 1-mile Metro rule, the Old Town saturation paradox, the 5+BR cliff, and why solo operators outbook 10+ portfolios 2-to-1), see our deep dive at /blog/is-alexandria-va-a-good-airbnb-market.
Should you invest in Alexandria?
Moderate markets reward the operator, not the market. If your edge is pricing, staging, or amenities, you can still win. If you were planning to ride the market's tide, pick a Strong one instead.
How we reach a verdict: our methodology →
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Start an analysis →FAQ
What's the average Airbnb occupancy in Alexandria, VA?
The median listing in our May 2026 scrape had 14 of the next 30 nights booked, or 47% forward occupancy. AirDNA's annualized estimate is 59%. The 12 percentage-point gap reflects the difference between a modeled market-wide average and a listing-level point-in-time calendar read.
Is Airbnb profitable in Alexandria, VA?
For the 11.5% of Alexandria listings that pass 75/55, yes. The buy box is narrow: a 3-bedroom townhouse in Del Ray, southern Old Town, or Rosemont, within a mile of a Metro stop, priced in the $350 to $500 ADR range, run by an owner or small operator. Outside that profile, especially for 5+ BR conversions and 10+ unit portfolios, the math is structurally against you.
How many Airbnb listings are there in Alexandria, VA?
AirDNA tracks 1,638 Alexandria listings across Airbnb and Vrbo. Our May 2026 scrape returned 419 active short-term-eligible Airbnb listings inside the Alexandria city boundary. The gap reflects strict city-limits filtering, active-listings-only criteria, and exclusion of 30+ night minimum-stay listings that fall outside the STR regulatory definition.
What are the best neighborhoods for Airbnb in Alexandria, VA?
The sweet spot is the half-mile to two-mile ring around the King Street historic core: Del Ray, Rosemont, southern Old Town, the Potomac Yard fringe, and the eastern stretch of Eisenhower Valley. That ring passes 75/55 at 14.9 to 23.7% across distance bands. Inside a quarter-mile of King Street the pass rate drops to 6.5% (saturation). Past two miles it drops to 8.0% (Metro lost).
Are there STR regulations in Alexandria, VA?
Yes. Ordinance 5575 took effect September 1, 2025. It requires a per-property permit, mandates abutting-neighbor notice, sets parking minimums (0.75 spaces per bedroom outside the enhanced transit area, 0.25 inside), caps 5+ BR rental occupancy at 10 people, and enforces a three-strike revocation rule on same-section violations within any permit year. Owner-occupancy is not required but compliance cost scales per-property, making portfolio operation expensive.
How does Alexandria, VA compare to AirDNA's estimates?
AirDNA reports 1,638 active listings, 59% occupancy, $231.80 ADR, $129.70 RevPAR, and a 75/100 market score graded Good. STRecon's scrape of 419 active short-term listings shows median 30-day forward occupancy of 47% (a 12-percentage-point gap) and an 11.5% pass rate on 75/55. AirDNA's model smooths across the full year and projects from history. STRecon reads the actual blocked-and-booked-night signal in front of every active listing right now.