How to Query STR Market Data Using a Circular Geographic Area

At bnbapi.com, you can query short-term rental (STR) market data using three geographic methods:

Administrative Area – by country, state, province, etc.
Geometric Area – by defining a center point and radius
Custom Area – using a user-defined polygon

In this article, we’ll focus on the Geometric Area method — a powerful way to analyze listings around a specific point of interest.

Why Use a Geometric Area?

There are scenarios where administrative boundaries aren’t ideal for market analysis. Let’s consider a real-world example: the Colosseum in Rome.

This iconic landmark draws millions of tourists, but it sits at the junction of two neighborhoods:

Rione Monti, the oldest rione in Rome, known for its hipster vibe and blend of ancient and modern influences.
Celio, a quieter, more residential district with historic villas and parks.

If we were to analyze STR listings using only these neighborhoods (via administrative area search), we’d run into problems. We’d either have to pick one area (missing data from the other) or combine both and risk mixing listings that are close to the Colosseum with those that are much further away. This can significantly skew pricing or availability trends.

The Better Alternative: A Circular Search

To solve this, we can define a geographic circle around the Colosseum. For example, we might want to analyze all listings within a 500-meter radius from its center.

How It Works

To perform this search via the bnbapi.com API, include the following parameters in your request:

lat: the latitude of the center point
lng: the longitude of the center point
range: the radius in meters

Example: Colosseum, Rome

Latitude (lat): 41.890262
Longitude (lng): 12.492372
Range (range): 500

{
  "lat": 41.890262,
  "lng": 12.492372,
  "range": 500
}

This setup will return data only for listings located within 500 meters of the Colosseum, regardless of which administrative area they belong to.

When to Use This Method

The geometric area method is ideal when:

You want to study the market around a specific landmark or address
Administrative divisions are too broad or misaligned
You’re comparing micro-locations within the same city

Summary

Using a circular search area allows for precision and flexibility in your STR market research. Whether you’re analyzing the area around a stadium, a beach, a festival venue, or a major tourist attraction like the Colosseum, this method ensures you capture only the most relevant data — exactly where it matters.

Start exploring with just three parameters: latitude, longitude, and range!