Jackson Hole just claimed the #1 spot in the country for summer 2026 STR bookings — 45.5% of listed properties already reserved through August, and June occupancy running 20% ahead of last year. If you operate in Teton County and haven't moved your peak rates yet, you're leaving money on the table right now. Here's what the data shows, why Wyoming's tax structure matters more than ever, and the one pricing lever most Jackson operators aren't using.
MARKET INTEL
AirDNA's Director of Economics and Forecasting confirmed the numbers earlier this month: Jackson Hole leads all U.S. destinations in booked occupancy for summer 2026, with 45.5% of properties already reserved for June through August. June alone is sitting at a 57% occupancy rate on the books — a 20% jump over the same point last year. July, August, and September bookings are running 30% ahead of 2025's pace.
The macro driver isn't a mystery. Searches for stays near national parks are up 35% this year, and mountain destinations are pulling bookings that used to go to beach markets. Jackson benefits from both Grand Teton and Yellowstone access, outdoor recreation breadth, and a growing traveler segment — primarily younger and more affluent — choosing active mountain escapes over passive beach stays.
What this means operationally: the forward booking curve is compressing. Guests are locking in summer stays earlier than they did in 2025, which means operators who are still holding rates at last year's levels are filling inventory at underpriced rates. If your August nightly rate hasn't moved since fall, it needs to move this week.
Top-performing Jackson properties — the top 10% — are already achieving 83%+ occupancy annually. Median properties sit at 51%. That 32-point gap isn't explained by location alone — it's pricing strategy, minimum stay optimization, and listing quality. The market rising doesn't automatically lift your property. You still have to work it.
Breckenridge sits at 42.6% booked occupancy for summer 2026 — second nationally behind Jackson. Strong market, but Colorado's new law allowing counties to raise lodging taxes up to 6% is changing the proforma math in affected markets.
OPERATOR PLAYBOOK
Wyoming doesn't get enough credit for how operator-friendly its tax environment is. No state income tax. No unified statewide STR licensing regime. Marketplace facilitators like Airbnb and Vrbo collect and remit Wyoming state taxes on your behalf. For operators in most Wyoming jurisdictions, compliance is largely handled automatically on platform bookings.
But mostly automated is not the same as fully covered. Here's where operators consistently get caught.
The Wyoming STR tax stack:
Wyoming State Sales Tax — 4% — collected automatically by Airbnb/Vrbo on platform bookings.
Wyoming State Lodging Tax — 5% — collected automatically by Airbnb/Vrbo on platform bookings.
Jackson Local Lodging Tax — varies — platform may not cover this fully. Verify directly with Jackson's Finance Department.
Teton County ZVC + Permit — annual fee — operator obtains directly. Manual process.
Direct Booking Revenue — all taxes — operator collects and remits all taxes themselves. This is where the gap is.
The two gaps that catch Wyoming operators most often:
Direct bookings. When a repeat guest books you directly via text, email, or your own site, the platform isn't in the loop. You're now responsible for collecting and remitting all state and local taxes yourself. Avalara MyLodgeTax automates this for $15–30/month and is the cleanest solution for operators doing more than 10% of revenue direct.
Jackson's local lodging tax. Airbnb and Vrbo collect Wyoming state taxes, but local jurisdiction taxes in Teton County may not be fully covered by platform remittance. Verify directly with Jackson's Finance Department what the platform is remitting on your behalf, and what gap remains. One hour of work that protects you from a five-figure liability.
Wyoming's regulatory environment is structurally favorable. No state income tax, no STR ban risk, no statewide permit bureaucracy. That advantage is only valuable if you don't give it back through overlooked local obligations.
DEAL SPOTLIGHT
Colorado's new law allowing counties to raise lodging taxes up to 6% via ballot measure passed last year, and the November 2025 election produced results: multiple counties voted to increase their rates. If you own property in Colorado — or are evaluating acquisitions there — this changes your proforma math in affected markets.
For a $400/night property running at 65% annual occupancy, a 2% lodging tax increase translates to roughly $1,900/year in additional tax burden per unit. Not catastrophic, but real — and not always reflected in older underwriting models.
The comparative argument for Wyoming operators is worth making explicitly. Wyoming has no state income tax, no county lodging tax increase mechanism comparable to Colorado's, and no statewide STR regulatory framework moving through the legislature. For investors comparing Wyoming and Colorado Mountain West acquisitions on an after-tax, after-regulation basis, Wyoming continues to widen its structural advantage.
If you're evaluating a Colorado acquisition, stress-test your model at a 4.5% local lodging tax rate — not the current rate — to understand your downside exposure. Build in the regulatory trend, not just the current snapshot.
If you're a Jackson Hole operator and your summer rates haven't moved in the past 30 days, reply to this email. I'll send you the specific PriceLabs rules I'd set for a Teton County property right now — far-out premium, last-minute floor, and peak weekend multiplier. Takes 20 minutes to implement.