The White Mountain region was New Hampshire’s Airbnb hotbed this summer, according to data from the online lodging company, although it’s not clear whether that’s due to more Airbnb hosts in the area or a shortage of traditional hotels in the region, much of which is federal land.
Airbnb says that Grafton and Carroll counties brought in $11.7 million in room rentals from guests between Memorial Day and Labor Day, slightly more than half of the $22.1 million spent in Airbnb listings throughout the state.
Grafton and Carroll are the two counties south of Coos County that cover the state from Vermont to Maine, including virtually all of the White Mountain region, the town of Conway and all the notches.
No other county came close to bringing in that much money: Rockingham, on the pricey Seacoast, was closest but its Airbnb tally of $3.1 million was less than half that of Carroll County.
Merrimack County around Concord was one of the five counties that brought in less than a million dollars over the summer.
Under Airbnb, people can rent out a portion or all of their property to guests through the website. The site can be controversial, with opponents saying that it can lead to higher rents and housing costs by removing permanent housing stock from the market. Proponents say it’s a good way to make extra money with an existing resource.
By countyCounty – Guests – Total payments
Belknap – 14,700 – $2.6 million
Carroll – 45,300 – $6.4 million
Cheshire – 3,500 – $456,000
Coos – 7,800 – $880,000
Grafton – 39,000 – $5.3 million
Hillsborough – 9,100 – $1.5 million
Merrimack – 5,700 – $901,000
Rockingham – 17,600 – $3.1 million
Strafford – 2,800 – $436,000
Sullivan – 3,800 – $611,000