Canada's Farm Stays Are Quietly Becoming a Multi Million Dollar Side Business for Airbnb Hosts

Farm stays have grown into a meaningful income stream for Canadian farmers. New Airbnb data released on October 5 shows that hosts offering farm stays in Canada earned close to C$15 million across nearly 1,000 listings in 2025, ranking Canada sixth in the world among farm stay markets by host earnings.

Earnings are growing far faster than supply

Since 2018, the number of Canadian farm stay listings has grown by nearly 50 percent, while total host earnings have climbed by nearly 400 percent. Earnings per listing have therefore risen sharply, a sign that guest demand for rural, working farm accommodation is expanding much faster than new inventory is coming online.

Metric	Value
Total farm stay host earnings (2025)	approx. C$15 million
Active farm stay listings	nearly 1,000
Global rank by host earnings	6th
Listing growth since 2018	nearly +50%
Host earnings growth since 2018	nearly +400%
Typical (median) host earnings (2025)	approx. C$8,400
Average share of household income from hosting (2024)	26%
Share of farm stay hosts who are women	over 70%

A real slice of household income

The typical farm stay host in Canada earned about C$8,400 in 2025, with roughly one booking every two to three weeks. For most of these hosts, farming remains the primary livelihood and hosting acts as a supplementary revenue line, enough to absorb rising input costs or cover an unexpected equipment repair.

That supplementary line is far from marginal. Survey data for 2024 put hosting income at an average of 26 percent of household income among Canadian farm stay hosts, one of the highest shares recorded in any country surveyed worldwide.

The timing matters. Farm operating expenses in Canada rose by more than 5 percent in 2025, increasing in every province and outpacing revenue growth, while shifting commodity prices, trade uncertainty and more erratic weather keep the pressure on.

Ontario and British Columbia lead the market

Ontario and British Columbia together account for nearly 70 percent of Canada’s farm stay listings and host earnings.

Region	Farm stay profile
Ontario	Co-leader nationally; vineyard stays in wine country are a standout format
British Columbia	Co-leader nationally; lavender and specialty farms in areas such as the Fraser Valley
Quebec (Eastern Townships)	Orchard and fruit farm stays used to diversify family operations

The ripple effect on rural economies

The benefits extend beyond the farm gate, bringing visitor spending to rural communities that rarely capture tourism revenue.

Local impact indicator (2025)	Value
Guest spending at nearby local businesses	approx. C$15 million
Contribution to Canada’s GDP	close to C$55 million
Jobs supported	nearly 500

Who is hosting

Women are at the forefront of the segment, representing more than 70 percent of Canadian farm stay hosts even though they make up only about three in ten farm operators nationally. Globally, new farm stay hosts have also been getting younger every year since 2019.

That shift lands at a critical moment for Canadian agriculture. More than 60 percent of farm operators were aged 55 or older at the last agricultural census, around 40 percent are expected to retire by 2033, and 88 percent of farms have no formal succession plan. Hosting income will not replace succession planning, but it can make staying on the land more viable for the next generation.

What it means for operators

For hosts and property managers, the data points to rural agritourism as a niche where earnings growth is clearly outpacing supply. Farm stays sell an experience, from orchards and vineyards to animals and seasonal harvests, rather than just a bed, which supports demand beyond the peak urban travel calendar.

Regulation remains the key variable. Whether provinces and municipalities adapt short-term rental rules to accommodate on-farm hosting, rather than restricting it, will largely decide how much further this segment can scale.

All figures in Canadian dollars. Cover photo: Roger Starnes Sr on Unsplash.