Vrbo in its current form is a combination of dozens of websites and apps that were under the HomeAway brand until 2020, when Expedia decided to consolidate all short-term rental brands under a single Vrbo website and app.
Originally created by David Clouse as a website to book his Breckenridge Ski Resort condo, the website took off for its simplistic (at the time) booking system, which attracted other homeowners who wanted to list their properties for short-term rental.
The agreement with homeowners to pay a flat annual fee was appealing, as popular listings weren’t hit with a charge every time someone booked. By 2006, it had over 65,000 rentals on the website, making it one of the most popular short-term rental platforms in the US.
PreApps - World’s Leading App Growth Agency 🚀
Want to work with the same elite growth team that has helped Billion-Dollar apps achieve explosive growth? Contact us today for a free consultation.
Click Here To ApplyIn 2006, Vrbo was acquired by HomeAway, as part of a collection of acquisitions meant to bolster HomeAway’s position in the market. Both brands would operate independently on the web and mobile, as they had distinct markets which couldn’t be easily integrated into one platform.
Expedia Group acquired HomeAway in 2015, part of a frenzy of acquisition activity by the travel giant over the space of two years. Expedia kept the two brands active, until 2020 when they were both folded into a newly rebranded Vrbo website and app.
The decision to have one brand for short-term rentals may have been focused on better competing with Airbnb, which is the lead platform for short-term rentals in the US and Europe.
We have collected data and statistics on Vrbo. Read on below to find out more. Need more insights? Check out our travel app report.
Vrbo Key Statistics
- Vrbo made an estimated $3.3 billion in 2023, making up 25% of Expedia’s total revenue
- Vrbo had 17.5 million unique visitors last year, and was downloaded 15 million times
- Over half of Vrbo users are under 35 years old
- 62% of Vrbo users are female
Travel App Report 2024
Want to learn more about the travel app industry? In our Travel App report, we cover financials, usage, downloads, and demographics by age and gender, alongside market share, and benchmarks.
Vrbo Overview
| Title | Title 2 |
|---|---|
| Launch date | November 1995 |
| HQ | Seattle, Washington |
| People | Brad Bentley (head of brands), Jon Gieselman (president of Expedia Brands), Peter Kern (CEO, Expedia) |
| Business type | Subsidiary |
| Owner | Expedia |
| Industry | Travel |
Vrbo Revenue
Vrbo generated $3.3 billion last year, a 18.2% increase on the previous year.
Vrbo annual revenue 2016 to 2023 ($bn)
| Year | Revenue ($bn) |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1.22 |
| 2017 | 1.6 |
| 2018 | 2.01 |
| 2019 | 2.4 |
| 2020 | 1.55 |
| 2021 | 2.4 |
| 2022 | 2.79 |
| 2023 | 3.3 |
Source: Travel App Report
Vrbo Users
Vrbo had an average of 17.5 million unique visitors in 2023, and 257 million page views.
Vrbo annual users 2018 to 2023 (mm)
| Year | Users (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 14.5 |
| 2019 | 16.3 |
| 2020 | 5.5 |
| 2021 | 11.1 |
| 2022 | 15.9 |
| 2023 | 17.5 |
Source: Expedia
Vrbo Downloads
Vrbo annual downloads decreased in 2023 t0 13.1 million. The majority of downloads come from the United States.
Vrbo annual downloads 2016 to 2023 (mm)
| Year | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 3.4 |
| 2019 | 3.9 |
| 2020 | 6.8 |
| 2021 | 8.2 |
| 2022 | 15 |
| 2023 | 13.1 |
Sources: Appfigures, AppMagic
Vrbo Age Demographics
Vrbo age demographics skew younger than Expedia, but are a little older on average than Airbnb.
Vrbo age demographics 2023 (%)
| Age bracket | Percentage of users (%) |
|---|---|
| 18-24 | 32.6% |
| 25-34 | 25.6% |
| 35-44 | 15.3% |
| 45-54 | 14% |
| 55+ | 12.5% |
Source: SimilarWeb
Vrbo Gender Demographics
Almost two thirds of Vrbo users are female, one of the highest percentages across all travel apps.
Vrbo gender demographics 2023 (%)
| Gender | Percentage of users (%) |
|---|---|
| Male | 38% |
| Female | 62% |
Source: Expedia
Vrbo vs Competitors: Market Share
Vrbo has been catching up with Airbnb over the past three years, with deals and promotions aimed at converting Airbnb customers to it.
Travel app market share in United States 2023 (%)
Want to learn more? Check out our Travel App Report
Vrbo FAQ
How many listings are on Vrbo?
Vrbo has over two million short-term rental listings.
More Travel & Local App Data
- Lyft Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- Taxi App Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- Booking Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- Uber Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- TripAdvisor Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- Travel App Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- Hopper Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- Airbnb Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- what3words Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- Expedia Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
