Block Island, RI short-term rental market report (2026)
Washington County, Rhode Island. Rules, revenue, home values, demand, climate, reach and risk, each figure with its source.
- RulesModerate (3/5)
- 4-BR typical value$924K
- FEMA riskRelatively Low
- Demand drivers within 50 mi8
- People within 300 mi52.6 million
- ClimateSummer-peak
Everything STR HUB holds on Block Island, RI in one place, in the order an investor needs it: whether you can operate, what the numbers are, why and when people come, who can reach it, and what could go wrong.
Every figure comes from a named dataset listed under Sources and method, dated September 21, 2026. Where we do not hold a figure, that part of the report is left out rather than estimated. The Opportunity Score here is partial: it was calculated without revenue data, with the cash-flow component assumed to be below average, so it can understate the market.
Can you operate in Block Island?
| Rule | What we hold on file |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Town of New Shoreham, plus RI DBR state registration |
| Permit or licence | Residential Short-Term Rental Registration (New Shoreham General Ordinances Ch. 8, Art. XII, §§8-320 to 8-331), adopted July 24, 2024; the registration number must appear on all public listings. |
| Permit fee | $200/year; renews starting July 1, due by December 31 |
| Cap on rentals | No numeric cap found in the adopted ordinance (an earlier proposal floated a 5-day minimum stay in RA/RB residential zones, but adoption of that provision was not confirmed) |
| Owner occupancy | Not required for the owner personally, but a local representative physically present on the island during the rental period must be designated (the owner may serve as their own representative) and must respond to town inquiries within 2 hours |
| Occupancy limit | Maximum 2 persons per bedroom; bedroom count cannot exceed what the property's septic system is rated for |
| Minimum stay | Defined as rentals of 30 days or less; a proposed 5-day minimum in RA/RB zones was not confirmed as adopted — treat as uncertain |
| Lodging and sales taxes | State lodging tax, combined 14% from 1/1/2026 |
| Penalties | Fines up to $200/day for continuing violations (e.g. repeated failure of the local representative to respond within 2 hours), enforced by police/zoning officials |
Rules for Block Island last verified September 20, 2026. Rules change, and a city rating does not cover HOA or deed restrictions. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction before you buy or list.
Which way the rules are moving
Tightening. The rules we hold report a recent or pending change.
Ordinance adopted July 2024; some sources reference additional proposed provisions (e.g. an RA/RB 5-day minimum stay) that could not be confirmed as formally adopted — verify current code text before relying on a minimum-stay figure.
Classified from the regulation text we publish; a direction is only kept when the sentence it rests on appears word for word in that text.
The numbers
We have not verified revenue figures for this market yet.
Home values in Washington County
Zillow Home Value Index: county-wide typical values for Washington County, not list prices. A specific property can sit well above or below them.
What it costs to own
Screening figures, not a bill or a quote. The tax rate is a county-wide median for owner-occupied homes (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018-2022); second homes and rentals are often taxed more heavily, and a purchase usually resets the assessed value. Expected annual loss is from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Housing market momentum
County-level, for-sale housing market: it says nothing directly about STR bookings. A relative ranking among tracked markets, not a forecast. Sources: Realtor.com Economic Research, U.S. Census Bureau, Zillow Home Value Index.
Why people come
8 demand drivers sit within 50 miles of Block Island, 1 of them new, planned or one-off (flagged emerging). Ordered by published attendance. Attendance appears only where a source publishes it.
Events
- Newport Folk Festival
- When
- Late July, 3 days (Fort Adams State Park)
- STR angle
- A guaranteed sellout on a small, capacity-limited peninsula venue that pushes STR demand across the whole Newport/Aquidneck Island market for its July weekend.
- Newport Jazz Festival
- When
- Late July/early August, multi-day (Fort Adams State Park)
- STR angle
- Runs back-to-back with Newport Folk most years at the same venue, effectively doubling Newport's peak-season STR demand window.
Attractions
- Block Island
- When
- Late June to Labor Day.
- STR angle
- A small ferry-access island with very limited hotel stock, so summer houses carry most visitor nights. The season is short and supply is tightly constrained by conservation land.
- Source
- Wikipedia: Block Island
- Foxwoods Resort Casino
- When
- Year-round; weekends and concert nights.
- STR angle
- One of the largest casino resorts in North America, with arenas and a Great Wolf Lodge on the same reservation. Mohegan Sun, a second tribal casino resort with a 10,000-seat arena, is about ten miles away, so the two together make south-eastern Connecticut a year-round weekend market. On-site hotels absorb most demand; nearby houses pick up event overflow and larger groups.
- Great Wolf Lodge - Mashantucket emerging: newly opened
- When
- Year-round
- STR angle
- Indoor waterpark resort pulls New England/NYC-metro family weekend traffic; complements rather than competes with the STR market since Great Wolf itself is the lodging.
Outdoor activities
- Narragansett
- When
- Summer resort season; surf peaks with late-summer and fall southerly swells.
- STR angle
- Summer weekly rentals are the norm, and University of Rhode Island students fill houses September to May, giving owners an unusual off-season option. Homes near Town Beach or Point Judith fit best.
Landmarks
- Newport Mansions (The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms)
- When
- Year-round; summer is the peak, with a second bump for Christmas at the mansions.
- Attendance
- 450,000 (The Breakers only: Wikipedia (citing U.S. News, 2017) says it was Rhode Island's most-visited attraction with approximately 450,000 visitors annually. Society-wide admissions across all properties are higher, but no figure appears on the Preservation Society's About page.)
- STR angle
- The mansions give Newport a reason to visit outside beach weather, which lengthens the rental season into spring, fall and December. Guests are couples and wedding parties staying two to three nights; Newport regulates short-term rentals closely, so check zoning before buying.
- Source
- Wikipedia: The Breakers
- Mystic Seaport Museum
- When
- Year-round; summer is the peak.
- Attendance
- 250,000 (Wikipedia infobox: 250,000 visitors (2023); the article text says about 250,000 visitors each year as of 2016.)
- STR angle
- A family maritime-history stop that pairs with the aquarium, the shoreline and the nearby casinos, giving Mystic a long summer season and decent shoulder weekends. Two- to three-bedroom houses within walking distance of the drawbridge are what visiting families look for.
When they come
Summer-peak climate: May to September is comfortable and December to February highs average under 45°F. 5 of 12 months have an average high between 60°F and 88°F, and 1 month averages six inches or more of snow. Warmest month: August (average high 73°F). Coldest: January (average low 33°F).
- Jan42°33°Cold
- Feb41°33°ColdSnow
- Mar44°37°Cold
- Apr49°44°Cool
- May55°51°Cool
- Jun64°60°Comfortable
- Jul72°68°ComfortableEvent
- Aug73°69°ComfortableEvent
- Sep70°65°Comfortable
- Oct63°57°Comfortable
- Nov55°46°Cool
- Dec47°39°Cool
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high (°F) | 42 | 41 | 44 | 49 | 55 | 64 | 72 | 73 | 70 | 63 | 55 | 47 |
| Average low (°F) | 33 | 33 | 37 | 44 | 51 | 60 | 68 | 69 | 65 | 57 | 46 | 39 |
| Precipitation (in) | 4.6 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 5.8 | 3.2 | 5.9 |
| Snowfall (in) | 4.8 | 6.6 | 1.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 3.1 |
| Sunshine (hours a day) | 6.1 | 6.4 | 8.6 | 8.8 | 10.5 | 11.5 | 11.9 | 11.2 | 9.6 | 7.6 | 7.0 | 5.6 |
| Event month | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Event months within 50 miles
- July: Newport Folk Festival and Newport Jazz Festival
- August: Newport Jazz Festival
This is climate and events, not booking data. Monthly normals are 2019-2023 averages from the Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (ERA5 reanalysis) at the market pin. Event months come from the demand drivers listed above. We do not hold monthly occupancy or rate data for this market.
Who can reach it
Largest counties within 150 miles
| County | Population |
|---|---|
| Kings County, NY | 2,679,620 |
| Queens County, NY | 2,360,826 |
| New York County, NY | 1,645,867 |
County populations (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018-2022) summed for every county whose centre lies within each straight-line radius. Straight lines are shorter than roads, so read these as generous upper bounds, not drive-time counts.
What could go wrong
| Hazard | FEMA rating | Score (0-100) |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 82.2 |
| Coastal flooding | Relatively Moderate | 76.2 |
| River flooding | Relatively Moderate | 75.4 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 67.3 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 42.2 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 29.4 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 23.1 |
| Hail | Very Low | 2.8 |
This is a county-level index, not an insurance quote or a flood-zone determination. A coastal or wildfire-fringe rental can carry far more exposure than its county average suggests. Get property-level flood, wind and wildfire quotes before you buy.
Market context
Housing and jobs in Washington County
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2018-2022. Vacation-home share is housing units held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. All three describe the whole county, not one town or neighbourhood.
What is within 15 km of the Block Island pin
Counts of features mapped in OpenStreetMap within 15 km of the market pin. A fixed radius favours dense metros, and map coverage varies by area.
Similar markets
The 4 tracked markets whose numbers sit closest to Block Island's. Each links to its own report.
Closest by normalised distance across the figures both markets hold (typical 4BR value, revenue, occupancy, regulation rating, vacation-home share, tourism job share, 4+ bedroom share, amenity score, population within 300 miles, comfortable months and FEMA risk score). At most 2 of the 4 come from Rhode Island, so the list is not just the neighbours. Similar numbers do not mean similar rules: check each market's regulation section.
See Block Island on the map
Open Block Island on the National STR Map to see it against its neighbours, switch overlays and run the deal calculator on your own assumptions.
Block Island STR questions, answered from the data
Is Airbnb legal in Block Island?
STR HUB rates Block Island's short-term rental rules 3/5 (Moderate) on a scale from 1 (relaxed) to 5 (very strict). That rating was derived from the regulation text we hold and has not yet been reviewed by a person. Permit rule on file: Residential Short-Term Rental Registration (New Shoreham General Ordinances Ch. 8, Art. XII, §§8-320 to 8-331), adopted July 24, 2024; the registration number must appear on all public listings. Cap on file: No numeric cap found in the adopted ordinance (an earlier proposal floated a 5-day minimum stay in RA/RB residential zones, but adoption of that provision was not confirmed) Rules change, so confirm current requirements with the local jurisdiction before you buy or list.
How much does a 4-bedroom home cost in Block Island?
The typical 4-bedroom home in Washington County is valued at $923,743 (Zillow Home Value Index), and the typical home of any size at $689,899, with all-home values up 5.8% over the past year. These are county-wide typical values, not list prices.
What brings visitors to Block Island?
8 demand drivers sit within 50 miles of Block Island, including Newport Mansions (The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms) (450,000 published attendance), Mystic Seaport Museum (250,000 published attendance) and Block Island. Attendance is shown only where a source publishes it, and each driver's source is linked in the report.
What natural hazards affect Block Island?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Washington County "Relatively Low" overall, with a score of 64.0 out of 100 (a national percentile). The highest-scoring hazards we track there are hurricane and coastal flooding. It is a county-wide index, not an insurance quote or a flood-zone determination.
When is the weather best in Block Island?
5 of 12 months have an average high between 60°F and 88°F (June, July, August, September and October). Summer-peak climate: May to September is comfortable and December to February highs average under 45°F. These are 2019-2023 climate normals, not booking data.
Sources and method
- Regulation summary and strictness rating: STR Agent HUB regulation research (official source: newshorehamri.gov).
- Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), county level. Data provided by Zillow Group.
- Housing, employment and population figures: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2018-2022.
- Natural hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, county level.
- Amenity counts: © OpenStreetMap contributors.
- Climate normals: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (CC BY 4.0), 2019-2023 averages.
- Demand drivers: each entry links its own published source in the list above.
Figures come from the STR HUB national dataset dated September 21, 2026 and this page is regenerated whenever that dataset is rebuilt. County-level figures describe Washington County as a whole, not one street or neighbourhood. The Opportunity Score (0-100) is a screening heuristic that weighs revenue (35%), regulatory climate (25%), tourism employment (15%), nearby amenities (15%) and large-home supply (10%) relative to the other tracked markets.
Confirm before you act. Short-term rental rules change. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction, and work with a licensed local agent who knows which properties can legally operate. This report is screening data, not investment, legal or tax advice.
Buying a short-term rental in Block Island?
Get matched with a Block Island agent who works short-term rentals every day and knows which properties can legally operate.
Get matched with a Block Island STR agent →