Latest News, WVPA Sharing

West Virginia’s Airbnb hosts earned nearly $3 million in 2016

By CYNTHIA McCLOUD

The State Journal

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginians who rented out a room, apartment, or house using the Airbnb website, earned a combined $2.9 million in supplemental income in 2016, according to the company.

Those 500 registered hosts welcomed 27,000 guests last year. The number of people renting out their property to travelers is up 66 percent while the number of guest visits has seen a 178 percent year-over-year increase, according to Airbnb.

The web-based lodging service is also a place to list hotel rooms, hostel beds or vacation homes.

The City of Davis, close to Blackwater Falls and Canaan Valley state parks, saw the most traffic, with 3,600 guest arrivals in 2016 earning hosts $343,000. Davis is a destination for outdoors enthusiasts who like mountain biking, skiing, whitewater rafting and Civil War history.

Morgantown ranked fifth with 1,700 guests bringing $149,000 in income to hosts. Hosts in Charleston ranked seventh, earning $106,000 for 1,200 guest arrivals.

The company said a typical host earns $4,600 a year from the home-sharing arrangements. Forty-seven percent of people who host in West Virginia are over the age of 50, and 59 percent of all hosts are women.

According to a press release from Airbnb hosts often use the extra money to pay mortgage and bills and supplement fixed, retirement incomes.

See more from The State Journal

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

And get our latest content in your inbox

Invalid email address