An Empirical Analysis of Airbnb Listings in Forty American Cities

In the past ten years, Airbnb has rapidly grown from a small, online bed and breakfast product to a leading peer-to-peer hospitality magnate which operates in eighty thousand cities globally. It now offers rooms-for-rent, entire houses for rent, and even allows people to book 'experiences' through the platform. Consequently, cities, researchers, and the concerned public are focusing more on its impacts and exploring viable ways to regulate and facilitate the business while minimizing its potentially negative effects. To better understand Airbnb's operation in US cities, this paper explored how demographics, socioeconomics, and transportation might affect Airbnb listings in forty US cities. The results showed that Airbnb rentals were more likely to locate in neighborhoods with good transit service, short distances to the city center, and high median house value and household income. This study indicated the possible social inequality risk in the shared economy.