Thinking about buying a house to rent out to vacationers as a source of additional income? Maybe you should consider Mineral, Virginia. A new report from vacation-rental-data firm AirDNA has named the town its top spot in Virginia for owning short-term-rental property, and No. 11 in the country overall. Columbus, Georgia, is at the top of the list, and other spots in the top 10 include Ellsworth, Maine, and Akron, Ohio.
Why Mineral, of all places? The report took into account rental demand, annual revenue growth, profitability, and regulatory risk, and Mineral, which benefits from tourist travel to nearby Lake Anna, has seen a boost in occupancy rate to 58 percent. “We tend to attract a lot of people who are looking to get away for a week or weekend but still have access to their jobs if they need,” says Lindsey McClellan, a real estate agent who works in the area. “It’s a great location—you’re centrally located between three relatively big cities where you can find lots of things to do.” In fact, Lake Anna was named the top place to buy a beach house in 2023, according to Vacasa, and sees over three million visitors annually.
Mineral’s average home value is $699,000, the second-highest on AirDNA’s list behind Anaheim, California, but the town’s “investability score” (87/100) helps offset its above-average prices. “Located in the heart of Virginia, Mineral is a destination packed with natural beauty,” the report says. “Mineral proves to be a promising hub for those seeking a strong balance of cost and potential value.”
