Holly Ridge, North Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Holly Ridge, NC STRs averaged $320/night at 51.3% occupancy in April 2026, gateway to Topsail Island's 26-mile coastline.
Quick Answer: Holly Ridge, North Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 75%. average monthly revenue is $8,822. average daily rate is $460. the top operator is Vacasa with 776 listings. market score is 63/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Wilmington regional market, which includes Holly Ridge. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Holly Ridge.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Holly Ridge is a small coastal town in Onslow County, North Carolina, positioned as the mainland gateway to Topsail Island and its 26 miles of Atlantic beaches. The STR market serves beach tourists, seasonal visitors, and travelers accessing the Surf City bridge just east of town, while also drawing visitors to the area’s WWII Camp Davis heritage and Missiles and More Museum.
As of April 2026, Holly Ridge STRs posted an average daily rate of $320 and an occupancy rate of 51.3%, generating a RevPAR of $164. April is a shoulder month preceding the summer peak. Year over year, occupancy declined 6.2 percentage points while ADR rose 7.4% and revenue grew 5.4%, an unusual split where rate growth more than offset a meaningful occupancy decline.
The market is large relative to the town’s residential population, with roughly 17,742 active listings. Entire-place stays dominate at 17,390 units (98%), consistent with a vacation-home and beach-house rental market. The bedroom distribution skews toward mid-to-large homes: 3-bedroom units lead at 4,914, followed by 2-bedroom at 3,619, 4-bedroom at 3,527, 5-bedroom at 2,714, and 1-bedroom at 2,959. The large-home concentration reflects group beach travel. On channels, 10,961 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, 3,777 are Airbnb-only, and 3,004 are VRBO-only.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32% | $200 | $1,785 |
| Feb | 45% | $196 | $1,932 |
| Mar | 55% | $220 | $2,661 |
| Apr | 56% | $254 | $3,456 |
| May | 60% | $301 | $4,311 |
| Jun | 76% | $355 | $6,648 |
| Jul | 81% | $329 | $6,702 |
| Aug | 69% | $320 | $5,793 |
| Sep | 52% | $271 | $3,733 |
| Oct | 47% | $234 | $2,934 |
| Nov | 39% | $220 | $2,212 |
| Dec | 34% | $213 | $2,083 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Holly Ridge
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 776 | 18,259 | ★ 4.46 |
| 2 | Oak Island Accommodations | 469 | 2,489 | ★ 4.43 |
| 3 | Better Beach Rentals | 445 | 3,724 | ★ 4.37 |
| 4 | Evolve | 332 | 12,283 | ★ 4.75 |
| 5 | Carolina Retreats by Vtrips | 317 | 3,785 | ★ 4.54 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Holly Ridge?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 2,959 |
| 2 bed | 3,619 |
| 3 bed | 4,914 |
| 4 bed | 3,527 |
| 5 bed | 2,714 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $465 |
| Luxury | $711 |
| Professionally Managed | $571 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $6,950 |
| Entire Place | $8,935 |
| House | $9,912 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 21.3% |
| vrbo | 16.9% |
| both | 61.8% |
Investment Analysis
Holly Ridge presents one of the stronger investment signals in this batch. The Zillow typical home value for this area is approximately $346,300. At the April 2026 monthly revenue figure of $4,201, annualized revenue projects to roughly $50,412 per year. Using typical home value as a rough entry cost proxy, the implied gross yield is approximately 14.6%. This figure is illustrative only: typical home value is a residential estimate, investment property acquisition costs may differ substantially, and this figure excludes operating expenses, financing costs, and tax obligations.
Tier differentiation is pronounced. The all-listings ADR of $320 compares to $324 for entire-home listings, $411 for professionally managed units, and $532 for the luxury tier. The professionally managed premium of $91 per night over the market average (28.4%) is the largest absolute premium in this batch, indicating that professional management in a coastal beach market delivers meaningful rate uplift.
Year-over-year ADR growth of +7.4% and revenue growth of +5.4% are strong signals for a market where occupancy simultaneously declined 6.2 points, meaning operators successfully pushed rates faster than occupancy fell. The market investability score is 85.1, rental demand is 73.0, and revenue growth scores 79.1. The median days to pending of 18 indicates a fast-moving real estate market with limited acquisition window.
For-sale inventory in this area is thin at 71 listings as of the April 2026 snapshot, which constrains acquisition opportunities but also supports property value.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Holly Ridge STR bookings carried an average lead time of 49 days in April 2026, roughly seven weeks in advance. This is a moderate-to-long booking window that reflects the advance planning typical of coastal beach vacations, where peak weeks book out well before summer.
Average length of stay was 3.9 nights in April 2026, slightly below the 4-to-7-night weekly stay pattern typical of peak-season beach markets. The April figure likely reflects shoulder-season weekenders and shorter getaways. During June and July peak weeks, minimum-night requirements of 5 to 7 nights are common and appropriate given demand depth.
The 49-day lead time gives operators meaningful advance visibility into peak-season occupancy. Implementing graduated pricing that increases as peak dates approach and setting nightly rate floors 8 to 12 weeks out will allow operators to capture early-bird bookings while leaving room to optimize closer in.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Holly Ridge has no short-term rental-specific ordinance. The town’s zoning code does not define or separately regulate short-term rentals, vacation rentals, tourist homes, or transient occupancy. STRs are treated as a standard residential dwelling use, are permitted in residential zoning districts, and require no town STR permit, inspection, owner-occupancy status, or primary-residence status. There is no town-imposed cap on annual rental nights.
The only lodging-specific tax obligation is the Onslow County 3% room occupancy tax, which applies to STRs and vacation rentals subject to North Carolina sales tax. Owners register through the county’s online portal (munirevs) to report and remit. Two exemptions apply: private residences rented fewer than 15 days per calendar year that are not listed with a broker, and stays of 90 or more continuous days. Standard North Carolina sales and use tax on accommodations also applies on top of the 3% county occupancy tax.
Enforcement is effectively standard zoning and nuisance code, covering noise, parking, and trash, rather than active STR-specific licensing. Investors should confirm directly with the Town of Holly Ridge planning department and Onslow County Finance, as small coastal NC towns can adopt STR rules quickly. A North Carolina Senate bill (SB 291, introduced March 2025) proposes limiting how far local governments can regulate STRs; its outcome was pending as of mid-2026.
Market Comparison
Holly Ridge’s $320 ADR exceeds the national STR median of approximately $220 by 45%, placing it firmly in the premium-rate coastal tier. At 51.3% occupancy in April, it sits near the US median of about 55%, though summer months push well above national averages, with July at 80.7%.
RevPAR of $164 in April 2026 is substantially higher than most inland and suburban markets, reflecting both the premium ADR and the beach-destination demand base. The year-over-year trend of +7.4% ADR and +5.4% revenue despite a -6.2 point occupancy decline signals that this market is successfully moving upmarket.
On operator concentration, Vacasa leads with 776 listings and a 4.46 average rating across 18,259 reviews, the largest single-operator presence in this batch. Oak Island Accommodations holds 469 listings at 4.43, and Better Beach Rentals manages 445 listings at 4.37. Evolve follows with 332 listings at the highest rating among top operators at 4.75. Together the top five operators account for 2,339 listings, roughly 13.2% of the 17,742-listing market, indicating a competitive but not monolithic operator landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions About Holly Ridge, North Carolina
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