Which States Have the Most Vacation Homes? Maine Leads at 1 in 7 | Valta Homes Blog
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Which States Have the Most Vacation Homes? Maine Leads at 1 in 7
Which states have the most vacation homes? By share, Maine leads (1 in 7); by number, Florida tops 740,000. See all 50 states ranked with the latest Census data.
Quick answer: it depends how you count. By share of its housing, Maine has the most vacation homes — about 1 in 7 (14.4%). By raw number, Florida runs away with it: more than 740,000 vacation homes, more than any other state. We mapped both, for all 50 states, using the latest Census data.
Drive through Maine in February and you'll pass a lot of dark windows. Not abandoned houses — vacation homes, closed for the season, waiting on summer. We manage rental properties across King County for a living, so we spend our days thinking about which homes sit empty and which stay full. We pulled the latest Census figures to see how the whole country compares, and the spread between states was wider than we expected.
The short version
By share, Maine leads at about 1 in 7 homes (14.4%) — the highest rate in the country.
Vermont is right behind at 1 in 8 (13.2%), then New Hampshire at 1 in 11.
By raw count, Florida is first with 741,000+ vacation homes, then California and New York.
Nationally, about 1 in 34 U.S. homes (3.0%) is a seasonal or vacation property.
Washington sits mid-pack at 2.2% (34th) — mostly full-time housing, which matters if you own a rental here.
The states with the most vacation homes, by share
This is the map most people find surprising, because it isn't the Sun Belt on top.
#
State
Share of homes
Roughly
1
Maine
14.4%
1 in 7
2
Vermont
13.2%
1 in 8
3
New Hampshire
8.9%
1 in 11
4
Alaska
8.2%
1 in 12
5
Delaware
7.6%
1 in 13
6
Florida
7.0%
1 in 14
7
Montana
6.9%
1 in 14
8
Hawaii
6.4%
1 in 16
9
Wisconsin
5.8%
1 in 17
10
Michigan
5.0%
1 in 20
Here's what stands out to us: the leaders are cold-weather, thin-population states — Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Alaska, Montana. The math is simple once you see it. A state with relatively few total homes plus a strong tourist draw ends up with a high percentage of vacation properties, even when the raw count is modest. Florida and Hawaii still crack the top eight on sheer demand, but the per-home concentration runs highest where the year-round population is thin.
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The states with the most vacation homes, by total number
Flip to raw counts and the story changes completely. These are the states with the most vacation homes overall:
#
State
Vacation / seasonal homes
Share of its housing
1
Florida
741,429
7.0%
2
California
334,566
2.2%
3
New York
272,284
3.1%
4
Michigan
234,649
5.0%
5
North Carolina
179,075
3.5%
6
Texas
171,352
1.4%
7
Wisconsin
162,570
5.8%
8
Arizona
137,247
4.2%
9
Pennsylvania
133,179
2.3%
10
New Jersey
120,857
3.2%
Nearly half of all U.S. vacation homes sit in just seven states. Florida alone holds roughly one in six. So both headlines are true at once: Maine is the most vacation-heavy state, and Florida simply has the most vacation homes.
Every U.S. state, ranked by share
Below is the full list, sorted from most to least. "Share of homes" is the percent of all housing units the Census counts as vacant for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use. The last column translates that into roughly one in every N homes.
#
State
Share of homes
Roughly
1
Maine
14.4%
1 in 7
2
Vermont
13.2%
1 in 8
3
New Hampshire
8.9%
1 in 11
4
Alaska
8.2%
1 in 12
5
Delaware
7.6%
1 in 13
6
Florida
7.0%
1 in 14
7
Montana
6.9%
1 in 14
8
Hawaii
6.4%
1 in 16
9
Wisconsin
5.8%
1 in 17
10
Michigan
5.0%
1 in 20
11
Idaho
4.7%
1 in 21
12
Minnesota
4.5%
1 in 22
13
Arizona
4.2%
1 in 24
14
South Carolina
4.0%
1 in 25
15
New Mexico
3.7%
1 in 27
16
Wyoming
3.7%
1 in 27
17
North Carolina
3.5%
1 in 28
18
Massachusetts
3.4%
1 in 29
19
New Jersey
3.2%
1 in 32
20
New York
3.1%
1 in 32
21
Rhode Island
3.0%
1 in 33
22
Utah
2.9%
1 in 34
23
West Virginia
2.9%
1 in 35
24
Alabama
2.9%
1 in 35
25
Colorado
2.9%
1 in 35
26
Oregon
2.8%
1 in 35
27
Nevada
2.6%
1 in 39
28
South Dakota
2.5%
1 in 40
29
Arkansas
2.5%
1 in 40
30
North Dakota
2.4%
1 in 41
31
Missouri
2.4%
1 in 42
32
Pennsylvania
2.3%
1 in 44
33
California
2.2%
1 in 44
34
Washington
2.2%
1 in 45
35
Maryland
2.0%
1 in 50
36
Virginia
1.9%
1 in 51
37
Mississippi
1.9%
1 in 53
38
Georgia
1.7%
1 in 57
39
Louisiana
1.7%
1 in 57
40
Connecticut
1.7%
1 in 59
41
Tennessee
1.7%
1 in 59
42
Oklahoma
1.6%
1 in 64
43
Iowa
1.5%
1 in 68
44
Kentucky
1.4%
1 in 69
45
Texas
1.4%
1 in 74
46
Indiana
1.3%
1 in 77
47
Nebraska
1.2%
1 in 83
48
Ohio
1.0%
1 in 99
49
Kansas
0.9%
1 in 105
50
Illinois
0.7%
1 in 137
51
District of Columbia
0.7%
1 in 145
How we measured this
These numbers come straight from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024 one-year estimates). For each state we took Table B25004, line 6 — housing units vacant "for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use" — and divided it by Table B25001, total housing units. The raw-count ranking uses the same B25004 line. No commercial estimates, no modeling on our end. Just two public tables and division.
One honest caveat worth stating up front: that Census category covers vacation and second homes broadly — cabins, beach houses, ski condos, and most short-term rentals. It's the government's best single proxy for "vacation homes," but it isn't Airbnb-specific, so read it as second homes and vacation properties rather than short-term rentals alone.
Washington sits at 2.2% — 34th in the country, roughly 1 in 45 homes, below the national rate of 1 in 34. In other words, the housing here is overwhelmingly lived in full-time. That matters if you own a rental in King County.
Two takeaways we'd point out:
Your competition is year-round, not seasonal. Unlike a landlord in Maine or coastal Florida, you're not fighting a wave of part-time vacation units for the same guests. Demand for a well-run long-term rental on the Eastside stays steady through the calendar, which is part of why we spend so much time helping owners set competitive rent prices rather than chase peak-season rates.
"Just turn it into an Airbnb" is a smaller play here than the headlines suggest. Washington's low seasonal share reflects both demand patterns and tighter short-term-rental rules in much of the Seattle metro. For most owners we work with, a professionally managed long-term rental still pencils out better than chasing nightly bookings — with a fraction of the turnover, cleaning, and vacancy risk. If you're torn, our guides to furnished rentals in King County and self-managing vs. hiring a property manager walk through the real tradeoffs.
Frequently asked questions
Which state has the most vacation homes?
It depends how you measure. By share of housing, Maine leads at 14.4% (about 1 in 7 homes). By raw number, Florida is first with more than 740,000 vacation homes, followed by California and New York.
What percentage of U.S. homes are vacation homes?
About 3.0% — roughly 1 in 34 — using the Census "seasonal, recreational, or occasional use" category. Broader definitions that count all second homes land a bit higher, but this is the most consistent state-by-state measure.
What counts as a "vacation home" in this data?
The Census counts a unit as seasonal, recreational, or occasional-use when it isn't someone's year-round residence and isn't for sale or rent — think cabins, beach houses, ski condos, and most short-term rentals. It excludes normal for-rent and for-sale vacancies.
Does Washington have a lot of vacation homes?
No. At 2.2% of homes (34th nationally, about 1 in 45), Washington's housing is mostly occupied full-time. Vacation and seasonal use is concentrated in a few areas rather than statewide.
How current is this data?
It's the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2024 one-year estimates — the most recent state-level release. You can view the source table on the Census site and check any state yourself.
