Analyzing Spatial Hierarchies of Short-Term Rentals using Core–Periphery and Rank-Size Rule: A case of Greater Banjul

Short-Term Rental (STR) platforms increasingly reshape housing, tourism, and urban economies, yet their spatial organization in Sub-Saharan African cities remains poorly understood. This study addresses this gap by examining Airbnb market hierarchy in Greater Banjul Area, The Gambia, where tourism growth intersects with uneven urban development. Using 5,657 Airbnb listings collected between September 2024 and July 2025, the study applies an integrated framework combining K-Means clustering, DBSCAN, Global and Local Moran’s I, sensitivity testing, and Zipf rank-size modelling. The results identify a significant core–periphery structure, with core listings concentrated along the Kololi–Senegambia–Fajara coastal corridor and peripheral listings dispersed inland. Positive spatial autocorrelation is robust (Moran’s I = 0.480, p < 0.001). Market segmentation is driven mainly by host rating (η² = 0.639), guest satisfaction (η² = 0.628), and capacity, while price has negligible explanatory power (η² = 0.009). Supply follows a near-Zipfian hierarchy (α = 1.143), whereas price and stay length remain flatter. The findings support differentiated STR regulation, improve tourism infrastructure planning, and guide resource allocation, housing protection, and investment strategies in African urban economies. Originality lies in linking spatial hierarchy with platform-mediated urban tourism governance and urban management.