Buying a Forks, WA Rental: What the $35,529 Revenue Number Actually Means

Jacob Mishalanie
7 days ago
8 min read

Updated: 11 hours ago

Empty kitchen interior in a Forks cabin, lodging interior, no people

Forks, Washington priced its short-term rental market at $35,529 in typical annual revenue across 345 active listings, based on AirROI's trailing twelve-month sample from August 2025 through July 2026. Average nightly rate was $232, occupancy ran 44.8 percent, and revenue per available night landed at $120. Year-over-year growth was modest: plus 1.0 percent. Active supply expanded 21.1 percent over the same period. Anyone underwriting a purchase in this market should treat those five numbers as the whole story, and stop there.

The strongest months are August, June, and September, with August the clear peak of the year. January is the slowest month by a wide margin, and any responsible pro forma should build a vacancy haircut around that shoulder rather than paper over it. Guests arrive first from Seattle, then from Portland, drawn largely by the Olympic Peninsula's rainforest scenery and the town's long association with the Twilight film series. A typical stay runs 2.6 nights, and guests book about 51 days out, short enough that a calendar reacts quickly to seasonal demand, but not so short that hosts can wait until the last minute to market a stay.

The Baseline Number: $35,529 on 345 Listings

That $35,529 figure is a typical, or median-range, host year, not a promise and not a ceiling. It's built from 345 active listings tracked over twelve trailing months, August 2025 through July 2026, at a $232 average nightly rate and 44.8 percent occupancy. Revenue per available night, the metric that blends rate and occupancy into one number, came out to $120. Those are the underwriting-year figures, and they belong on their own line in any packet a buyer takes to a lender.

This page does not manufacture a purchase price or a cap rate. That math depends on the parcel, the loan terms, and the buyer's own numbers, none of which a market-wide sample can supply. What the data does establish is a defensible revenue baseline: $35,529 a year, on this specific town's inventory, for this specific twelve-month window. Anything beyond that belongs in a separate conversation, backed by a specific listing's own performance history rather than a town-wide average.

Forks sits on U.S. Route 101 on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, a few miles inland from the Pacific coast and adjacent to Olympic National Park's Hoh Rain Forest, one of the wettest spots in the continental United States and a genuine draw for outdoor travelers. That geography is part of why revenue holds up despite a small year-round population: the town functions as a basecamp for rainforest hikes, coastal day trips to La Push and Rialto Beach, and the Twilight-driven tourism that still brings visitors more than a decade after the films' release.

Why Florence's $28,974 Doesn't Belong in This Underwriting

Florence published $28,974 in typical revenue across 212 listings over the same reporting window, a real number, but for a different market with a different supply base, different demand drivers, and its own regulatory desk. Blending it with Forks's $35,529 to build an average, a range, or a single coastal-corridor story misrepresents both towns.

A lender or broker who asks for a rent roll from "the region" rather than the specific town is effectively asking a host to average two unrelated markets together. The right move is to decline and supply the Forks-specific figures on their own line, then offer Florence's numbers separately if they're genuinely relevant to a second property. Keeping the two towns apart in the paperwork protects the accuracy of the underwriting, not just the tidiness of the spreadsheet.

The Comparison Belongs to the Parcel, Not the Listing Scrape

Whether a given property should be evaluated against Forks or against Florence comes down to the parcel's actual location and zoning, not which market happens to show up first in a listing search. Hoh Rain Forest, La Push, and the rest of the Olympic Peninsula's attractions don't assign jurisdiction; the county assessor and the city clerk do.

As of this pass, neither a dedicated Forks short-term rental permit fee nor a confirmed 2026 fee schedule appears as a specific dollar figure on the primary town page. That's a gap to close directly with the clerk's office before closing on a property, not a number to estimate from a neighboring town's fee structure. Bring the tax map and the parcel number to that conversation, not a market report.

Year-Over-Year: Modest Growth, Not a Trend Line

Forks's short-term rental revenue grew 1.0 percent year over year in this sample, real growth, but modest, and drawn from a single twelve-month comparison rather than a multi-year trend. Treat it as one data point, not a growth rate to extrapolate five years forward in a pro forma.

It's also not license to build a regional growth story that folds in Florence's separate trajectory. A buyer who wants a defensible year-over-year number should cite Forks's 1.0 percent on its own, note the single-year caveat, and leave any neighboring market's performance out of the same sentence.

Reading the Supply Side: 345 Listings, 21.1 Percent Growth

Active supply in Forks grew 21.1 percent over the trailing-twelve-month window, landing at 345 listings, while typical revenue still held at $35,529, meaning new supply hasn't yet meaningfully diluted per-listing performance. Professionally managed listings account for roughly 9.0 percent of the market, with Forks Rental Management the largest identified operator at 12 listings; the rest of the market skews toward independent, owner-operated hosts.

Superhost status is common here, at 84.6 percent of active listings, a high share that suggests guests are generally getting a good experience, but also that a new entrant needs a real service standard to stand out rather than simply listing a property and waiting for bookings.

Treat the Listing Count as a Sample, Not a Census

Not every one of the 345 listings competes for the same guest. Seventy-eight of them carry a 30-night minimum stay, which places them closer to extended-stay or relocation housing than to the two-to-three-night vacation stays that make up most of the leisure market. Mixing those two guest types into one occupancy figure overstates how competitive the standard short-term segment actually is.

January is the slowest month by a clear margin, and any pro forma that doesn't build a vacancy haircut around that shoulder season is quietly assuming a flat revenue line that this market doesn't actually support. A more honest projection names the January dip explicitly and prices the loan against it, rather than treating every month as an average month.

Licenses Don't Transfer With the Deed

A short-term rental license or permit tied to a previous owner's parcel doesn't automatically transfer with a sale, and a license question tied to a new deed should be raised with Forks City Hall directly, not with a desk in a neighboring town, even if a listing's marketing material was originally built there.

Forks City Hall is located at 500 East Division Street, Forks, WA 98331, with hours Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The city does not issue a separate city business license for short-term rentals as of this pass, and a specific 2026 STR permit fee has not been confirmed as a published dollar figure on the primary city page. Confirm both zoning and current fee requirements directly with the clerk's office before assuming continuity from the prior owner's paperwork.

What a Buyer Packet Should Actually Carry

A defensible buyer packet for a Forks short-term rental purchase carries four things: this town's revenue year ($35,529 on 345 listings, August 2025 through July 2026), this town's hall (500 East Division Street) for licensing questions, the specific attractions, Hoh Rain Forest, La Push, Rialto Beach, that actually drive demand to this parcel, and a firm refusal to blend in a neighboring town's numbers.

Visitor spending data and tourism statistics are useful for marketing a listing, but they are not a substitute for debt-service coverage math. If a lender asks for a later coastal-market year that doesn't exist in the confirmed data, don't estimate one to fill the gap; say so, and work from the confirmed twelve-month window instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is typical short-term rental revenue in Forks, WA in 2026?

Typical listings earned about $35,529 in the trailing twelve months from August 2025 through July 2026, based on 345 active listings tracked by AirROI. That figure reflects a $232 average nightly rate and 44.8 percent occupancy, for a revenue-per-available-night of $120. Treat it as the underwriting baseline for this town and this window, not a guaranteed return.

Should I combine Forks and Florence rental data when underwriting a purchase?

No. Florence published $28,974 in typical revenue across 212 listings over the same period, but it's a separate market with its own supply, demand, and licensing desk. Blending the two towns into a single average or range misrepresents both. Keep Forks's $35,529 on its own line in any lender packet.

How do I know whether my parcel falls under Forks or a neighboring jurisdiction?

That's determined by the parcel's actual location and zoning, confirmed through the county assessor and Forks City Hall, not by which market shows up first in a listing search or report. Bring the tax map and parcel number when you ask, rather than assuming based on a nearby town's marketing.

Is Forks's short-term rental market growing?

Yes, modestly. Revenue grew 1.0 percent year over year in the most recent trailing-twelve-month comparison. That's one year of data, not a multi-year trend, so it's worth citing as a single data point rather than projecting it forward at the same rate for years to come.

How much has short-term rental supply grown in Forks?

Active supply grew 21.1 percent over the trailing twelve months, bringing the market to 345 listings, while typical revenue held steady at $35,529. About 9.0 percent of listings are professionally managed, with Forks Rental Management the largest identified operator at 12 listings. Superhost status is common, held by 84.6 percent of active listings. June peak and February softness belong on the rate sheet, not in costume copy.

Does the 345-listing count represent the whole competitive market?

Not entirely. Seventy-eight of those listings carry a 30-night minimum stay, putting them closer to extended-stay housing than to typical two-to-three-night vacation bookings. Separating that segment out gives a more accurate read on how competitive the standard leisure short-term market actually is.

Does a short-term rental license transfer when I buy an existing property?

Not automatically. License and permit questions tied to a new deed should go to Forks City Hall at 500 East Division Street, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The city does not issue a separate city business license for STRs, and a specific 2026 permit fee has not been confirmed as a published dollar figure. Confirm both directly with the clerk before closing.

What should a buyer's underwriting packet include for a Forks rental purchase?

This town's confirmed revenue year ($35,529 on 345 listings, August 2025 through July 2026), the City Hall address and hours for licensing questions, the specific local attractions driving demand (Hoh Rain Forest, La Push, Rialto Beach), and a firm line separating Forks's numbers from any neighboring market's data. Visitor spending figures support marketing, not debt-service math.

Work with Crest & Cove Creative

A Forks listing that runs the same rate year-round misses the wide swing between an August peak and a slow January this market actually shows. Pricing that ignores that seasonality is leaving August's demand to cover the whole calendar.

We rebuild Forks listing pricing and calendar strategy around the actual August-to-January swing this market's 345 listings show. That's a seasonal pricing fix, not a flat rate borrowed from a steadier coastal town.

Reach out at crestcove.co or (256) 998-7502.