Sky-Hi News file photo
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Grand County produced more Airbnb guest arrivals than any other county located exclusively in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, save only Summit County.
With 40,900 guest arrivals this summer, Grand County’s hosts earned $6 million in income, according to figures released this week by the web-based company that helps people rent out their homes.
Naturally, Denver had the most summer guest arrivals in Colorado with 185,000. The Mile High City was followed by Summit County in a distant second. Next up were El Paso, Boulder and Larimer counties to round out the top five with Jefferson County coming in at No. 6.
One slot back of Jefferson, Grand County was ranked No. 7 ahead of Eagle, Pitkin and Routt counties, all of which saw significantly fewer guest arrivals through Airbnb this summer than Grand County did.
As far as actual cities and towns go, the top five destinations in the state were Denver, Colorado Springs, Breckenridge, Boulder and Estes Park. While Estes Park is certainly a mountain community, Larimer County also encompasses much larger cities on the Front Range, such as Fort Collins and Loveland.
The top five destinations for travelers booking Airbnb listings in Colorado were Denver, Colorado Springs, Chicago, Austin and Houston.
Also, beyond extra income for its hosts, Airbnb touted how the company’s business model generates money for local economies.
Surveys conducted by Airbnb reportedly show that 92 percent of hosts say they recommend restaurants and cafes to their guests, and more than half of hosts also reported recommending cultural activities, like museums, festivals and historic sites.
According to Airbnb, hosts keep 97 percent of what they charge. Since the company was founded, Airbnb’s hosts have earned more than $65 billion combined by sharing their homes.
| County | Summer Host Income | Summer Guest Arrivals |
| 1. Denver | $30.5 million | 185,000 |
| 2. Summit | $14.6 million | 88,700 |
| 3. El Paso | $11.1 million | 84,200 |
| 4. Boulder | $10.6 million | 50,800 |
| 5. Larimer | $9 million | 50,700 |
| 6. Jefferson | $6.7 million | 46,200 |
| 7. Grand | $6 million | 40,900 |
| 8. Eagle | $4.7 million | 22,400 |
| 9. Pitkin | $4.1 million | 13,000 |
| 10. Routt | $3.7 million | 22,800 |