Airbnb in Kentucky: A $590M economic engine for local communities

Supporting Kentucky’s financial resilience

Airbnb hosts are a critical part of Kentucky’s growing tourism industry and help generate valuable revenue for the local economy. In 2024, Airbnb hosts welcomed more than one million guests to Kentucky¹, who contributed an estimated $590 million annually to the Commonwealth’s GDP², including:  

• 8,700 tourism jobs supported by Airbnb hosts welcoming guests³, which in turn generated approximately $354 million in income for local workers in 2024⁴

• $146.5M in tax revenue generated by activity on Airbnb in Kentucky in 2024⁵

The Airbnb host community in Kentucky 

In Kentucky, Airbnb is an important economic tool for residents who share their homes to earn extra money, and the vast majority of hosts share just one home⁶. By welcoming guests who spend money at small businesses, local restaurants and natural attractions, hosts across Kentucky help support their local economies.

• 76% of hosts with only one entire home listing⁷

• 60% of hosts identify as women⁸

• Nearly 1 in 5 hosts over the age of 60⁹

A source of supplemental income

The majority of hosts in Kentucky share their home occasionally—approximately 49 nights per year—to supplement their income¹⁰. For many people in Kentucky, the income they earn by sharing their home on Airbnb has allowed them to keep up with the rising costs of living and stay in their home.

• 40% of hosts confirm Airbnb has helped them cover rising costs of living¹¹

• 33% of hosts confirm Airbnb has helped them stay in their home¹²

• 83% of hosts confirm they use Airbnb as a second form of income¹³

Distilling bourbon tourism across the Bluegrass State

From Bardstown to Clermont and beyond, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail offers a uniquely Bluegrass experience—history, scenic small towns, and world-renowned distilleries. Many of these iconic distilleries are located in areas with few or no hotels, making short-term rentals vital to supporting local tourism and driving economic vitality for rural communities. By enabling guests to stay closer to the distilleries they came to experience, Airbnb helps fill the accommodation gap, ensuring that visitors also spend time in—and money at—family-owned restaurants, local shops, and nearby attractions.

Nearly two-thirds of US Census tracts in Kentucky are home to Airbnb listings but no hotels, where hosts are the primary—if not the only—providers of local accommodation and drivers of local tourism, highlighting the important role short-term rentals play in dispersing travel across the state¹⁴ and fueling Kentucky’s bourbon industry:¹⁵

• Frankfort (Buffalo Trace)
  • Nearly 80% of census tracts in Frankfort have Airbnb listings but no hotels
  • Hosts in these neighborhoods welcomed over 6,000 guests, earning more than $900,000
• Versailles (Woodford Reserve)
  • More than 70% of census tracts in Versailles are home to Airbnb listings but no hotels
  • Hosts in these neighborhoods welcomed over 3,000 guests, earning nearly $700,000
• Bardstown (BEAM, Heaven Hill, Preservation Distillery, Lux Row Distillers)
  • More than 70% of census tracts in Bardstown have Airbnb listings but no hotels
  • Hosts in these neighborhoods welcomed over 2,500 guests, earning more than $400,000
• Lawrenceburg (Wild Turkey, Four Roses)
  • 100% of census tracts in Lawrenceburg are home to Airbnb listings but no hotels
  • Hosts welcomed nearly 3,000 guests, earning more than $400,000
• Newport (New Riff Distilling, Pensive Distilling Co.) 
  • More than 70% of census tracts in Newport have Airbnb listings but no hotels
  • Hosts in these neighborhoods welcomed over 2,200 guests, earning more than $380,000
• Owensboro (Green River Distilling Co.)
  • Nearly 60% of census tracts in Owensboro have Airbnb listings but no hotels
  • Hosts in these neighborhoods welcomed over 4,500 guests, earning more than $700,000
• Shelbyville (Bulleit Distilling Co., Jeptha Creed)
  • More than 40% of census tracts in Shelbyville have Airbnb listings but no hotels
  • Hosts in these neighborhoods welcomed over 4,500 guests, earning more than $250,000
• Hopkinsville (Casey Jones Distillery)
  • Over 60% of census tracts in Hopkinsville have Airbnb listings but no hotels
  • Hosts in these neighborhoods welcomed over 3,400 guests, earning more than $600,000

This post was updated in January 2026 to include the latest economic impact data.