The 9 best college football towns for investing in short-term rentals

• Analytics site AirDNA ranked the best college football towns for investing in Airbnbs and Vrbos.
• It weighed competition, revenue potential, and occupancy to find the most ideal future investment.

College football is back and so are the masses that swarm college towns each weekend to catch the game.

As the short-term rental market continues to fluctuate and hosts scramble to find a niche that can help them stay booked, one reliable category of guest is the dedicated football fan.

Analytics site AirDNA cobbled together college towns across five major conferences — SEC, ACC, Big 10, Big 12, and PAC-12 — in order to determine which places were the best for those seeking to invest in short-term rentals like Airbnbs and Vrbos. It sifted through the statistics on how many listings already exist, the average annual revenue for hosts, and the average occupancy rate for the area.

To be sure, the top-scoring towns aren't just the ones that have the highest revenue potential. To determine the ranking, AirDNA assigned each town a "market score" out of 100, with a high score indicating the town has an ideal mix of consistent demand, low competition, and steady revenue to be an investment.

Pullman, Washington, home of the Washington State Cougars, came out on top with a score of 96, an average annual host revenue of $60,500, and relatively low competition with under 200 active listings.

The list spreads coast to coast, though the Big 10 — mostly schools in the Midwest — nabbed the most spots at the top of the list, with five hubs landing in the top nine. The SEC — mostly southern schools — trailed behind with two top picks.

Insider breaks down the top destinations.

9. Evanston, Illinois

Evanston, Illinois      David Banks/Getty Images

AirDNA Market Score: 80

Active listings in the past year: 302

Average revenue: $43,500

Average occupancy: 62%

8. Iowa City, Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa      Matthew Holst/Getty Images

AirDNA Market Score: 81

Active listings in the past year: 248

Average revenue: $47,600

Average occupancy: 56%

7. Madison, Wisconsin

Madison, Wisconsin      Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

AirDNA Market Score: 84

Active listings in the past year: 551

Average revenue: $69,900

Average occupancy: 69%

6. Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan      Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images

AirDNA Market Score: 85

Active listings in the past year: 913

Average revenue: $85,000

Average occupancy: 58%

5. State College, Pennsylvania

State College, Pennsylvania      Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

AirDNA Market Score: 86

Active listings in the past year: 754

Average revenue: $111,400

Average occupancy: 56%

4. Oxford, Mississippi

Oxford, Mississippi      Butch Dill/Getty Images

AirDNA Market Score: 87

Active listings in the past year: 15,000

Average revenue: $93,000

Average occupancy: 44%

3. Athens, Georgia

Athens, Georgia      Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images

AirDNA Market Score: 89

Active listings in the past year: 1,200

Average revenue: $63,300

Average occupancy: 51%

2. Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky      Jon Cherry/Getty Images

AirDNA Market Score: 91

Active listings in the past year: 3,700

Average revenue: $62,700

Average occupancy: 54%

1. Pullman, Washington

Pullman, Washington      William Mancebo/Getty Images

AirDNA Market Score: 96

Active listings in the past year: 189

Average revenue: $60,500

Average occupancy: 53%