287,000 Guests: Airbnb's Impact on DC in 2016
✉️ Want to forward this article? Click here.

An Airbnb rental near 14th and U Street NW.
As Airbnb becomes an increasingly mainstream part of the traveling experience worldwide, it has also become a larger part of the DC tourist experience.
A new Airbnb study reports that over 287,000 Airbnb guests visited the District during 2016 — nearly 80 percent more than the 160,000 Airbnb guests in 2015.

DC’s Airbnb hosts earned nearly $59 million on the service, including $1.3 million for hosts east of the Anacostia. Overall, the study calculates that Airbnb created over $209 million in economic activity in the city last year, a 72 percent increase over 2015. The flaw in this study, however, is that it doesn’t account for the commercial activity in the city that just moved from hotels, for example, to Airbnb rentals, an important point to consider when looking at the economic findings.
story continues below
story continues above
The top five cities of origin for visitors who use Airbnb were New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago. Airbnb reports that these guests spent nearly $160 million at retail shops and restaurants in the city. A large portion of that money went toward small businesses outside of the city’s typical hotel districts or tourist core.

Money spent by Airbnb guests by Ward
After a record-breaking inauguration weekend last month, Airbnb’s 2017 numbers could be higher than those quoted in the report; however, with new regulations for the service under consideration, there is also the potential for this growth to slow down.
From a methodology standpoint, the Airbnb study measures economic activity by multiplying the average daily spending of Airbnb guests in DC ($146) by the total number of guest nights, then adding total host earnings.
This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/airbnbs_economic_impact_on_dc_in_2016/12147.
Most Popular... This Week • Last 30 Days • Ever

The huge DC news of the week is that the Washington Commanders are going to build a n... read »

Plans to redevelop a strip mall along the thoroughfare are back in the works after a ... read »

Today, UrbanTurf checks in on the status of the development pipeline over in Congress... read »

The new 230-room citizenM hotel is expected to open at the beginning of 2026.... read »

Dubbed the Stratford House, the property had not been listed for sale in decades prio... read »
- Where Will The 6,000 Homes Be Built Around DC's New Football Stadium?
- 262-Unit Development With 'Main Street' Retail Pitched For Columbia Pike
- St. E's And More: A Look At The Congress Heights Residential Pipeline
- Georgetown Hotel Along Water Street Set To Deliver Next Year
- One Of Northern Virginia's Priciest Homes Sells For $14 Million
DC Real Estate Guides
Short guides to navigating the DC-area real estate market
We've collected all our helpful guides for buying, selling and renting in and around Washington, DC in one place. Start browsing below!
First-Timer Primers
Intro guides for first-time home buyers
Unique Spaces
Awesome and unusual real estate from across the DC Metro