Latino families are building wealth through short-term rentals, according to new survey
Strong interest, satisfaction, and long-term participation show hosting is a growing part of the Latino real estate investment strategy
MIAMI, Sept. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Latinos across the U.S. are embracing real estate investment like never before, and short-term rentals are opening new doors to wealth creation, according to a new survey carried out as part of the State of Hispanic Wealth Report. The “Building Wealth Through Investment Property Ownership Survey,” conducted by the Hispanic Wealth Project (HWP) in partnership with Airbnb, shows that Latino property owners are increasingly using hosting to generate income, offset housing costs, and reinvest in their futures.
As the nation's largest racial and ethnic minority group, the U.S. Hispanic community's economic power is undeniable and rapidly growing, reaching a purchasing power of over $4.1 trillion1 in 2023. With a GDP growing more than twice as fast2 as the broader U.S. economy in recent years, U.S. Latinos are a clear driver of U.S. economic growth—and that is fueled in part by short-term rentals.
Key findings from the survey, which reached more than one thousand Latinos, include:
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Hosting is seen by Latinos as a long-term strategy for building wealth. More than 70% of respondents see short-term renting as a good way to earn extra income. Over half have considered becoming a host, and almost 15% already are. Importantly, of Latinos who have hosted, more than 90% are still active and half have been hosting for three years or more.
- California has seen a recent boom in Latino hosts, with over 60% beginning to participate in hosting in the past two years. Furthermore, over 80% of respondents see hosting as a good way to generate additional income (with nearly 60% seeing it as Very Positive).
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Short-term rentals boost local economies—especially during events. Over 75% of respondents say short-term rental platforms like Airbnb have a positive local economic impact during major events, but even on an average day, nearly 50% of guest spending takes place in local neighborhoods.3
- Over 60% of respondents from Florida and over 45% of those from California are considering hosting during the upcoming FIFA World Cup. With over 380,000 guests expected to use Airbnb during the event—generating an estimated $210 million in host earnings across the event’s 16 cities4—there will be plenty of demand.
“The State of Hispanic Wealth Report demonstrates that with the Nation’s highest workforce participation, 1.2 million Latino millionaire households, and surging educational attainment, Hispanic families are leading America’s wealth transformation,” said Sara Rodriguez, Chairperson of the Hispanic Wealth Project.
“In today’s uncertain economic landscape, finding new ways to earn extra income is critical for so many of us,” said Jordi Torres Mallol, Regional Director North America & Latin America in Airbnb. “It’s actually what led to Airbnb’s creation in the first place: in the last great recession, our founders created this model as a way to pay their own rent. But our view is that supplemental income should be the floor, not the ceiling, of becoming an Airbnb host. As this survey finds, so many Latinos are tapping into their entrepreneurial spirit by becoming hosts, and importantly, they don’t see it as just a means to an end, but a way to meaningfully build wealth.”
HWP’s goal is to increase Latino investment property ownership by 25% by 2034,5 and strategic partnerships with platforms like Airbnb—which has long worked to help communities of color benefit from the economic opportunities hosting can bring—are a key part of that plan. HWP and Airbnb will continue collaborating to educate, inspire, and support Latinos interested in real estate investment, offering practical resources for first-time hosts and experienced property owners alike.
HWP conducted the “Building Wealth Through Investment Property Ownership Survey” in partnership with Airbnb between July 9 and 23, 2025, to explore the attitudes and behaviors around investment property ownership, the impacts and benefits of short-term rentals, and how Hispanic investors are leveraging existing assets to build wealth. The survey was administered online and includes 1,276 responses from Latino professionals in the real estate industry, in 39 states, including Puerto Rico.
About Airbnb
Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 1.5 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.
About the Hispanic Wealth Project
The Hispanic Wealth Project ™ (HWP), a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, is committed to empowering Latinos to fully participate and prosper in the U.S. economy through education, small business development, and sustainable homeownership.
1 According to https://latinodonorcollaborative.org/us-latino-gdp/
2 According to https://latinodonorcollaborative.org/us-latino-gdp/
3 According to an internal survey of guests in the U.S. for the calendar year 2024.
4 https://airbnb.app.box.com/s/riy8ulen3labs1ykhfo863hrs57nuesi
5 https://hispanicwealthproject.org/features/hispanic-wealth-project-ambitious-goals-next-decade
Sandra Ramos sandra.ramos@llyc.global
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