Forks, WA vs. Florence, OR: Two Coastal Markets, Two Different Host Years

Jacob Mishalanie
7 days ago
8 min read

Updated: 8 hours ago

Empty mossy rainforest path near Forks, no people

Forks, Washington and Florence, Oregon sit on the same general stretch of Pacific coastline, roughly 300 miles apart in two different states. They get lumped together in marketing copy more often than they should. Forks averaged $35,529 in revenue across 345 active listings over the trailing twelve months; Florence averaged $28,974 across 212 listings in the same window. Those are two different host years, in two different markets, and they belong in two different files, not one blended "coastal average."

Typical Forks listings earned about $35,529 last year from 345 active rentals, per AirROI's trailing-twelve-month data for August 2025 through July 2026. The average nightly rate was $232, occupancy ran 44.8%, and revenue per available night landed at $120. Revenue was up 1.0% year over year while active supply grew a much steeper 21.1%, more listings came online than revenue grew, which is worth watching if you're pricing a new unit into this market.

The strongest months in Forks are August, June, and September, in that order, with January the slowest month for occupancy. Most guests booking Forks stays in this dataset come from Seattle first, then Portland, with a typical stay of 2.6 nights booked about 51 days out. None of those seasonality or origin numbers should be assumed to carry over to Florence, they describe Forks' guest base and Forks' calendar, not a shared Pacific Northwest average.

Two Coastal Towns, Two Different Booking Calendars

Forks is the gateway town to the Hoh Rain Forest inside Olympic National Park, on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. Florence sits roughly 300 miles south on the Oregon coast, known for the Oregon Dunes and its Old Town district along the Siuslaw River. They share a coastline and a Highway 101 corridor, but they don't share a state, a permitting desk, or a guest base, which is exactly why filing them as one "coastal market" hides the numbers a host actually needs.

Keep the two host years on separate lines: $35,529 across 345 listings for Forks, $28,974 across 212 listings for Florence, both for the same August 2025 through July 2026 window. A packet, pitch deck, or listing description that merges the two into a single coastal figure is already inaccurate for both towns.

Forks by the Numbers: $35,529 on 345 Active Listings

Forks' trailing-twelve-month numbers: $35,529 average annual revenue, 345 active listings, $232 average nightly rate, 44.8% occupancy, and $120 revenue per available night. Revenue growth was modest at plus 1.0% year over year, while active supply expanded 21.1%, a market adding listings faster than it's adding revenue. Typical stays run 2.6 nights, and guests book about 51 days ahead of arrival.

File this as Forks' host year and nothing else. It's the number to cite in a listing description, a lender packet, or a comp analysis for a Forks property, not a stand-in for what a Florence listing should expect to earn.

Florence by the Numbers: $28,974 on 212 Active Listings

Florence posted $28,974 in typical annual revenue across 212 active listings over the same trailing-twelve-month window. That's a smaller listing pool than Forks and a lower average revenue figure, both meaningful differences that get erased the moment someone averages the two towns together.

Don't import Forks' occupancy, average rate, or booking lead time onto a Florence listing. Florence has its own comp set and its own demand curve. A revenue packet that borrows Forks' occupancy percentage to describe a Florence property is wrong before it ever reaches a lender, an appraiser, or a buyer.

Why You Can't Average the Two Coastal Markets Together

Both towns share a summer peak, August, June, and September are the three strongest months in the Forks dataset, with January the slowest, which is typical for most of the Pacific Northwest coast. But a shared peak season is not a shared market identity. Professionally managed listings account for only about 9.0% of active Forks supply, meaning independent hosts still run most of this desk. That's useful context: it means an independent host isn't competing against a wall of managed inventory, and has real room to compete on photography, pricing, and direct positioning.

Two towns, two states, two permitting desks, and two supply pools do not collapse into one listing tile just because the calendar shape looks similar in July and August.

Match Your Photos and Copy to the Town You're Actually In

Hoh Rain Forest is one of the only temperate rainforests in the continental United States, and it's a genuine draw for a Forks stay, but it's not Florence. Photograph Hoh Rain Forest only if the guest can actually walk it from the listing. A Florence property should instead lead with what's actually nearby: the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area or Old Town Florence along the Siuslaw River, not a rainforest trail three states of driving away.

A guest who sees the wrong landmark in the gallery photos has already been sold the wrong town before they ever check in, and that mismatch shows up later as a bad review or an early checkout, not just a missed booking.

Guests Are Booking a Specific Town, Not a Generalized Coastline

In this dataset, the top origin markets for Forks bookings are Seattle first, then Portland, with a typical stay of 2.6 nights. That's a useful detail for a Forks listing's marketing copy and ad targeting, it tells you which regional messaging is actually converting. It should not be assumed to describe Florence's guest mix without checking Florence's own booking data; a listing recut for the wrong drive-market wastes ad spend on guests who were never going to book that town anyway.

Neskowin and the Rest of the Corridor Come Later

Neskowin is a separate Oregon coastal market further along the Highway 101 corridor, and it gets its own dedicated data file rather than being folded into a Forks-Florence comparison. This 345-listing Forks sample and 212-listing Florence sample stand on their own. Don't mint a broader "corridor year" by blending in a third town's numbers, that repeats the same averaging mistake this whole comparison exists to warn against.

How to Keep These Two Markets Straight

File two of everything: two revenue years ($35,529 for Forks, $28,974 for Florence), two photo galleries built from each town's real landmarks, and two separate compliance checks. For a Forks listing, that means confirming current short-term rental rules directly with Forks City Hall at 500 East Division Street, Forks, WA 98331, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The city does not require a separate city business license, but a specific 2026 STR permit fee wasn't confirmed as a published dollar amount on the city's primary page as of this review, call and get the current number before you price a listing around it.

Two towns, two years, two halls, two galleries. Keep $35,529 and $28,974 on separate lines, and don't mint a blended shore average that describes neither market accurately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I treat Forks and Florence as one coastal market?

Forks, Washington and Florence, Oregon sit on the same stretch of Pacific coastline but in two different states, with different comp sets, different regulatory desks, and different guest bases. Forks averaged $35,529 in revenue across 345 active listings over the trailing twelve months; Florence averaged $28,974 across 212 listings in the same window. Blend those into one "coastal average" and you get a number that describes neither town accurately.

What did Forks average over the past year?

Forks posted $35,529 in typical annual revenue across 345 active listings, with an average nightly rate of $232 and 44.8 percent occupancy. Revenue per available night came in at $120, revenue was up 1.0 percent year over year, and active supply grew 21.1 percent, meaning more listings entered the market even as growth stayed modest. The typical stay ran 2.6 nights, booked about 51 days in advance.

What did Florence average, and can I reuse Forks' occupancy numbers for it?

Florence averaged $28,974 across 212 active listings over the same trailing twelve months. No, don't carry Forks' 44.8 percent occupancy, its $232 average rate, or its booking lead time onto a Florence listing. Florence has its own supply pool and its own demand curve; a packet that averages the two towns' occupancy is already wrong before it reaches a lender or a buyer.

Do Forks and Florence share the same peak season?

Both towns see their strongest months cluster around August, June, and September, with August the busiest and January the slowest -- that's typical for the whole Pacific Northwest coast. But a shared summer peak isn't a shared identity. Professionally managed listings account for only about 9.0 percent of active Forks supply, meaning independent hosts still run most of this desk and have real control over their own calendar and pricing.

Should I use Hoh Rain Forest photos on a Florence listing?

No. Hoh Rain Forest is part of Olympic National Park and sits near Forks, not Florence -- it's one of the only temperate rainforests in the continental U.S. and a genuine draw for Forks bookings. A Florence listing should lead with what a Florence guest can actually walk to, such as the Oregon Dunes or Old Town Florence along the Siuslaw River. A guest who sees the wrong landmark in the gallery has already been sold the wrong town before they check in.

Where do most Forks guests come from?

In this dataset, the top origin markets for Forks bookings are Seattle first, then Portland, with a typical stay length of 2.6 nights. That's useful for a Forks listing's marketing -- it tells you which drive-market messaging and which regional keywords actually convert. Don't assume Florence's guest origin mix looks identical just because both towns sit on the same coastal corridor; verify it against Florence's own booking data first.

Is Neskowin part of this Forks-Florence comparison?

No. Neskowin is a separate Oregon coastal market that sits further along the corridor and gets its own dedicated data file rather than being folded into this one. Watching this 345-listing Forks sample and the 212-listing Florence sample is useful on its own; mixing in a third town's numbers to build a single "corridor year" would repeat the same averaging mistake this whole comparison is warning against.

What's the simplest way to keep these two markets separate in my own files?

File two of everything: two revenue years ($35,529 for Forks, $28,974 for Florence), two photo galleries built from each town's real landmarks, and two compliance checks against each town's own permitting desk. For Forks specifically, that means confirming current short-term rental rules at Forks City Hall, 500 East Division Street, Forks, WA 98331, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., before you list.

Work with Crest & Cove Creative

Forks, Washington and Florence, Oregon sit 300 miles apart in two different states, yet marketing copy lumps them together more often than it should. Forks earned $35,529 last year — a number that has nothing to do with Florence's season.

We help Pacific coast hosts keep Forks and Florence numbers, seasons, and pitches on separate lines instead of one blended two-coast listing. Send your listing to crestcove.co or call (256) 998-7502.

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