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Indianapolis Airbnb hosts earn $4.5 million in 2016

Posted at 7:04 AM, Jan 03, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-03 15:43:33-05

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana saw a 174 percent increase in Airbnb guests from 2015 to 2016, and Indianapolis was the largest source of the influx.

About 34,000 people used the home-sharing service in 2016, according to Airbnb. 

Indianapolis hosts received about $4.5 million from the guests last year.

While you may think Airbnb caters to younger people, the fastest-growing demographic among hosts is senior women. 

Indianapolis was the No. 1 Indiana city for Airbnb, followed by South Bend, Bloomington and Michigan City.

City

Total 2016 Guest Arrivals

Total 2016 Host Income

Indianapolis

34,000

$4.5 Million

South Bend

10,000

$1.6 Million

Bloomington

9.500

$1.1 Million

Michigan City

2,700

$410,000

Carmel

1,900

$239,000

Fort Wayne

1,700

$177,000

Lafayette

1,400

$164,000

West Lafayette

1,300

$136,000

Nashville

1,100

$134,000

Gary

1,100

$113,000

Granger

1,000

$116,000

New Albany

1,000

$106,000

Fishers

900

$115,000

LaPorte

900

$103,000

Noblesville

800

$94,000

If you're curious on how to use Airbnb, we have a handy guide.

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First, you'll need to set up a free account on Airbnb.com and establish a profile, no matter if you plan on renting or hosting.

Hosts will post photos and descriptions of the places they're offering, including things like price and whether it'll be a private room, a shared room, or an entire house/apartment.

If you're traveling, you'll be able to see how many people the space would accommodate, what kind of bed you'd get and what kind of amenities it will have.

If you decide to book, you'll pay what the host asks per night (plus a fee that goes to Airbnb). The host will either meet you in person to give you a key, or let you know about a door code.