Hatteras, North Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Hatteras, NC Outer Banks STRs averaged $313/night at 51.7% occupancy in April 2026, with no permit required to operate.
Quick Answer: Hatteras, North Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 79%. average monthly revenue is $9,060. average daily rate is $475. the top operator is Vacasa with 627 listings. market score is 78/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the Outer Banks regional market, which includes Hatteras. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Hatteras.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Hatteras is an unincorporated village on Hatteras Island, part of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, sitting within Cape Hatteras National Seashore and governed by Dare County rather than any incorporated municipality. The resident population of 577 is dwarfed by the tourism economy: Dare County generated roughly $2.1 billion in visitor spending in 2024, ranking fourth among North Carolina’s 100 counties. The broader Outer Banks region draws more than 5 million visitors annually, and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse alone attracts over 175,000 climbers per year. The Hatteras STR market tracked approximately 8,707 active listings by bedroom count, with entire-place vacation homes dominating at 8,558 listings (98% of supply). Private rooms account for just 149 listings, reflecting the overwhelmingly whole-house character of OBX vacation rentals. Larger properties dominate: three-bedrooms lead at 2,199 listings, followed closely by five-plus-bedrooms (2,122), four-bedrooms (2,085), two-bedrooms (1,252), and one-bedrooms (1,049). Channel distribution is VRBO-weighted relative to most markets: 4,876 properties cross-list on both platforms, 2,106 are VRBO-only, and 1,726 are Airbnb-only, reflecting Hatteras’s deep vacation-rental tradition predating Airbnb. In April 2026, occupancy reached 51.70%, ADR was $312.60, and RevPAR was $161.62.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29% | $246 | $1,998 |
| Feb | 41% | $232 | $2,130 |
| Mar | 55% | $233 | $2,484 |
| Apr | 57% | $281 | $3,746 |
| May | 63% | $336 | $4,735 |
| Jun | 79% | $425 | $7,916 |
| Jul | 83% | $401 | $8,193 |
| Aug | 80% | $378 | $7,464 |
| Sep | 62% | $279 | $4,315 |
| Oct | 48% | $239 | $3,030 |
| Nov | 39% | $237 | $2,308 |
| Dec | 32% | $231 | $2,121 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Hatteras
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 627 | 22,355 | ★ 4.33 |
| 2 | Village Realty | 573 | 5,461 | ★ 4.49 |
| 3 | Surf Or Sound | 451 | 2,555 | ★ 4.30 |
| 4 | Resort Realty | 435 | 1,940 | ★ 4.37 |
| 5 | Seaside vacation rentals | 354 | 3,561 | ★ 4.44 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Hatteras?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,049 |
| 2 bed | 1,252 |
| 3 bed | 2,199 |
| 4 bed | 2,085 |
| 5 bed | 2,122 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $480 |
| Luxury | $744 |
| Professionally Managed | $546 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $6,812 |
| Entire Place | $9,166 |
| House | $9,691 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 19.8% |
| vrbo | 24.2% |
| both | 56% |
Investment Analysis
Hatteras is one of the most permissive STR markets in the country, with no county permit, no registration requirement, no owner-occupancy mandate, and no night caps. That regulatory posture, combined with an established demand base, makes non-resident investment operationally simple. The typical home value was $524,053 as of April 2026, with a median list price of $570,317 and 36 active properties for sale. At an all-listings monthly average of $3,861 in April (a shoulder month before the peak), annualized gross revenue of approximately $46,329 against a $524,053 typical home value implies a gross yield of roughly 8.8% before expenses, taxes, and platform fees. Summer months generate the bulk of annual income: July averages $8,198 and August $7,464, meaning the core two-month peak can contribute approximately $15,660. House-type listings average $4,201/month and entire-place units $3,902/month. Luxury-tier ADR reaches $493.74/night, about 58% above the market average. Professionally managed listings command $358.02/night, roughly 14% above the all-listings average, consistent with larger properties in professional portfolios. The 2025 annual average ADR of $435 exceeded the April 2026 reading of $312.60, reflecting that April is a pre-peak period. Year-over-year April comparisons show a -35.56% revenue change and -13.77% occupancy shift, metrics that are partially an artifact of where April falls relative to OBX’s steep seasonal curve rather than a market collapse. Investors should weight the full annual data series: 2025 annual revenue averaged $6,363/month, the highest level in the historical dataset.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Hatteras STRs averaged a booking lead time of 58.0 days in April 2026, placing guests booking nearly two months in advance. This is consistent with a market where prime summer weeks are highly sought-after and often booked well before spring. Average length of stay was 4.25 nights, shorter than the traditional OBX week-long rental model but still above most urban or suburban markets. The shift from 7-night Saturday-to-Saturday blocks toward flexible 4-to-5-night stays reflects the influence of OTA booking platforms. For operators, a 58-day lead time means summer pricing can be set and held early; holding rate discipline in the February-March booking window pays off during peak weeks. The 4.25-night average suggests that minimum-stay policies of 4 to 7 nights are appropriate for July and August, while shorter minimums in shoulder months help fill gaps. The contrast between the long lead time and the still-short average stay relative to historical OBX norms reflects ongoing platform-driven changes in vacation-rental behavior.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Hatteras is one of the most permissive short-term-rental markets in the United States. As an unincorporated village in Dare County, it has no town government, and Dare County does not require an STR permit, license, or registration. There is no county cap on rental nights, no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement, and no zoning prohibition on whole-home vacation rentals. North Carolina state law further restricts local governments from mandating STR registration or banning whole-house rentals, and all rentals are governed by the North Carolina Vacation Rental Act. The primary compliance obligation is tax: Dare County’s 6% occupancy tax must be collected and remitted monthly, and the 6.75% combined NC and Dare sales tax applies to accommodations. The 6% occupancy tax does not apply to residences rented fewer than 15 days per calendar year or to stays of 90 or more continuous days. Standard structural requirements still apply (building and septic permits, occupancy limits, CAMA and flood coastal regulations). Enforcement is light and focused on tax collection rather than operating restrictions. No STR-specific regulatory changes were confirmed through late 2025. Dare County loosened zoning in 2024-2025 to allow more accessory dwelling units, focused on workforce housing. For an STR investor, the principal considerations in Hatteras are seasonality, flood and wind insurance costs (a meaningful expense for Outer Banks properties), and occupancy tax remittance.
Market Comparison
Hatteras’s April occupancy of 51.7% is near the US STR median of approximately 55%, appropriate for a pre-peak month in a highly seasonal coastal market. The 2025 annual average of 54.7% is broadly in line with national norms despite the extreme seasonality. The $313 April ADR is above the US median of roughly $220, and the 2025 annual average ADR of $435 placed Hatteras well above most non-urban leisure markets. Revenue growth scored a near-perfect 99.9/100 on the market dimension snapshot, reflecting the long-term upward ADR trajectory from $189 average in 2017 to $435 in 2025. Vacasa leads with 627 listings and 22,355 reviews at a 4.33 rating, the single largest operator. Village Realty manages 573 listings with 5,461 reviews at a 4.49 rating, a major local operator. Surf Or Sound holds 451 listings (4.30 rating) and Resort Realty manages 435 listings (4.37 rating), both long-established OBX property management firms. Seaside vacation rentals rounds out the top five at 354 listings and a 4.44 rating. The top five operators together control approximately 2,440 listings out of 8,707 total (28%), indicating a more professionally managed market than most comparable beach destinations.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hatteras, North Carolina
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