About 3.3 million people stayed in Airbnb - listed accommodation in rural areas of the US in the past year , a year on year increase of 138 % , according to a company report . The report found rural hosts earned between 10 % and 20 % of their income from short - term renting , and also revealed Airbnb listings vastly outnumbered corporate hotel chains in rural areas . Chris Lehane , head of global policy for Airbnb , said : " I ’m not saying we ’re the solution for all the challenges rural communities are facing but I think we are a part of a broader formula to create economic opportunities . "
About 3.3 million people stayed in Airbnb-listed accommodation in rural areas of the US in the past year, a year on year increase of 138%, according to a company report. The study found rural hosts earned between 5% and 20% of their income from short-term renting, and also revealed Airbnb listings vastly outnumbered corporate hotel chains in rural areas. Chris Lehane, head of global policy for Airbnb, said: "I’m not saying we’re the solution for all the challenges rural communities are facing but I think we are a part of a broader formula to create economic opportunities."