St. Joseph vs. Vermilion: Why $27,986 and $29,012 Aren't the Same Market

Jacob Mishalanie
Aug 20
8 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

Gray bungalow lodging exterior, labeled leftover, never the St. Joseph pin

St. Joseph, Michigan and Vermilion, Ohio show up in the same short-term rental spreadsheets for one reason: both are small Great Lakes towns with lighthouse-adjacent listings and a healthy summer season. That is roughly where the resemblance ends, and st. Joseph sits on Lake Michigan's southeast shore in Berrien County; Vermilion sits on Lake Erie's north coast in Lorain County, Ohio. AirROI's most recent 12-month extract, covering August 2025 through July 2026 and updated 2026-08-08, puts St. Joseph's median host revenue at about $27,986 across 76 active listings, while Vermilion's 78 listings averaged about $29,012 over the same window. The gap between the two dollar figures is real, but it describes two different lakes, two different drive markets, and two different city halls.

This post exists because hosts keep pulling Vermilion's number into a St. Joseph pitch deck, or the reverse, as though "small Great Lakes town" were one market. It is not. Use this as the reference for which number belongs to which town before it goes into a listing description, a buyer packet, or a local ad.

St. Joseph's $27,986 Sits on a Down Year

St. Joseph's year-over-year revenue on this market sample is down 24.7 percent, with active listing supply shifting 15.2 percent over the same period. That combination , fewer or differently priced listings alongside a real revenue drop , tells a more useful story than the $27,986 headline number by itself. A single-year snapshot can hide whether a market is correcting off an oversupplied prior year or simply booking less at flat pricing; here the data points to both a softer demand year and a shifting supply base. Annual occupancy across the 76 listings is 37.2 percent, and that occupancy figure should anchor any revenue projection more than the dollar total alone.

None of that $27,986 belongs to Vermilion, and none of Vermilion's $29,012 belongs to St. Joseph. Keep them as two separate line items in a spreadsheet, not two points on the same trend line.

Vermilion's 78 Listings Sit on a Different Lake

Vermilion pulls its guests off Lake Erie, not Lake Michigan, and its $29,012 median reflects a different drive-time market, a different peak-season shape, and different local competition than St. Joseph's downtown-and-beach mix. The two towns share a "small lakefront town with a lighthouse" marketing shorthand, which is exactly why the numbers get confused in the first place , search terms and stock photography overlap even when the underlying markets do not. A host or investor comparing the two should treat Vermilion as a sanity-check reference point, not a comparable market.

The listing counts are close , 78 versus 76 , which adds to the confusion. Two towns with nearly identical inventory size can still post meaningfully different revenue because of drive-time to a metro area, beach access, and local ordinance friction, not because one market is simply a scaled version of the other.

South Haven's $39,291 Is a Third Michigan Market, Not a Backup Number

South Haven is a separate Lake Michigan town, and its extract , about $39,291 across 546 listings , is the figure hosts most often mistake for St. Joseph's, since both are Michigan lakefront towns roughly an hour apart. Treat the two as separate figures rather than blending them. South Haven's far larger listing count, seven times St. Joseph's 76, points to a bigger, more built-out rental market with its own supply dynamics; folding its revenue into a St. Joseph pitch sets expectations for a market that is meaningfully smaller and, on this market sample, already in decline.

If a buyer packet or listing description needs a Michigan comparison at all, cite South Haven's figure on its own line with its own listing count , never as evidence for what a St. Joseph property should earn.

St. Joseph Peaks in August, June, and July , and Drops Hard in February

The three strongest months on the St. Joseph extract are August, June, and July, in that order, which lines up with peak swimming season at Silver Beach and the walkable stretch along the North Pier. February is the slowest month by a wide margin, typical for a Midwest lake town where winter closes the beach and shortens the daylight window for a lighthouse walk. A host pricing a full calendar year needs to plan around that spread rather than smoothing revenue evenly across twelve months.

The 37.2 percent annual occupancy figure is an average across a calendar that swings hard between a booked-out August and a quiet February. Understanding where in that curve a specific listing sits , not just the annual average , is what separates an accurate pricing calendar from a guess.

Where St. Joseph's Guests Actually Come From

Chicago is the largest single origin market for St. Joseph guests, with Indianapolis second. The typical stay runs 6.4 nights, booked about 66 days in advance, and Superhost-status listings make up 59.2 percent of active inventory , a high share suggesting guests are choosing among experienced hosts rather than picking through a market flooded with brand-new listings. That combination, a short drive from Chicago, week-plus stays, advance booking, points to a vacation guest planning a lake trip, not a last-minute or business traveler.

Listing copy that leads with generic "Lake Michigan getaway" language misses the guest who searched for Silver Beach or the North Pier by name. Naming the actual landmark a Chicago-area guest is picturing does more for conversion than a wide-angle lake photo ever will.

A 30-Night Minimum Is a Platform Filter, Not an Occupancy Number

About 51.3 percent of St. Joseph's 76 listings, 39 properties, carry a 30-night minimum stay setting. That is a platform filter some hosts use to sidestep short-term rental licensing requirements or to target remote workers, and it has nothing to do with the market's actual 37.2 percent occupancy rate. Confusing the two is a common research mistake: a high share of 30-night-minimum listings does not mean guests are filling those calendars for a month at a time, and it does not manufacture demand where none exists.

Anyone building a remote-work or extended-stay product in St. Joseph should verify the actual booking pattern on comparable 30-night listings before assuming the setting itself guarantees revenue. The typical guest stay across the broader market is still 6.4 nights , a short vacation trip, not a monthly sublet.

What St. Joseph's Local Rules Actually Require

St. Joseph's short-term rental licensing runs through the city clerk's office at 700 Broad Street, not a township hall, which covers a different municipality and a different rule set entirely. AirROI's "low regulation" Keep describes what the data scrape found, not a guarantee that no local permit applies; treat it as a starting point for research, never as the final word. Before advertising a property or promising a buyer a hands-off regulatory picture, call the clerk's office directly and confirm current licensing requirements, caps, and fees.

This matters more than it sounds like it should. A buyer packet or listing description that cites the wrong municipality's rules, or assumes Vermilion's or South Haven's regulatory environment applies here, creates real liability for whoever acts on that information.

What a Buyer or Marketing Packet Should Actually Cite

A defensible St. Joseph packet cites $27,986 in median annual revenue across 76 listings, 37.2 percent occupancy, August, June, and July as the three strongest months against February as the weakest, Chicago as the top guest origin with Indianapolis second, a typical 6.4-night stay booked about 66 days out, and the city clerk's office at 700 Broad Street as the licensing authority. Every one of those figures belongs to this specific extract and this specific town.

What it should never cite: Vermilion's $29,012, South Haven's $39,291, or any regulatory detail belonging to a township hall rather than the St. Joseph city clerk. Keep those numbers on their own line, labeled with their own town, every time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a typical St. Joseph STR year on this market sample?

AirROI's extract for August 2025 through July 2026, updated 2026-08-08, shows about $27,986 in median revenue across 76 active St. Joseph listings, down 24.7 percent year over year, and annual occupancy sits at 37.2 percent. That figure is specific to St. Joseph , Vermilion's $29,012 and South Haven's $39,291 describe different towns entirely. Keep the answer on what this driveway and house rules can keep overnight.

How does Vermilion, Ohio compare?

Vermilion sits on Lake Erie, not Lake Michigan, and its 78 listings averaged about $29,012 over the same extract period. The two towns are close in listing count but sit on different lakes with different drive markets, which is why the revenue figures should not be blended or averaged together. Leave neighboring town figures on their own labeled lines when you quote them.

Why not just average South Haven into St. Joseph's numbers?

South Haven is a separate, larger Michigan market , about $39,291 across 546 listings, roughly seven times St. Joseph's inventory. A market that size has different supply dynamics and should not be used to set revenue expectations for a 76-listing town an hour away..

Which months are strongest in St. Joseph?

August, June, and July are the three strongest months, tied to peak swimming season at Silver Beach and the walkable North Pier. February is the slowest month by a wide margin. The annual occupancy figure of 37.2 percent is an average across that swing, not a flat monthly rate. Treat visitor traffic as demand color, not booked occupancy for this listing year.

Where do St. Joseph's guests come from?

Chicago is the top origin market, followed by Indianapolis. The typical stay is 6.4 nights, booked about 66 days in advance, and Superhost-status listings make up 59.2 percent of active inventory.

Does St. Joseph's "low regulation" Keep mean no local permit is required?

No. AirROI's low-regulation tag describes what the data scrape found, not a legal guarantee. St. Joseph's short-term rental licensing runs through the city clerk's office at 700 Broad Street. Confirm current requirements directly with that office before advertising or purchasing a property , never assume a nearby township's rules apply. Photograph only amenities and walks this house can actually deliver Saturday.

Is a 30-night minimum the same thing as high occupancy?

No. About 51.3 percent of St. Joseph's 76 listings, 39 properties, use a 30-night minimum stay setting, a platform filter some hosts use for licensing avoidance or remote-worker targeting. It is unrelated to the market's actual 37.2 percent occupancy rate and does not mean those calendars are filled. A platform minimum is a filter, not proof of filled nights on this sample.

What should a buyer or marketing packet cite for St. Joseph?

Cite $27,986 median revenue across 76 listings, 37.2 percent occupancy, August, June, and July as peak months against a February low, Chicago as the top guest origin, a 6.4-night typical stay booked 66 days out, and the city clerk's office at 700 Broad Street for licensing. Keep Vermilion's $29,012 and South Haven's $39,291 off this list , they belong to different towns.

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