Marion, North Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Marion, NC STRs averaged $210/night at 44.4% occupancy in April 2026, with summer and fall foliage peaks above 60%.
Quick Answer: Marion, North Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 58%. average monthly revenue is $3,793. average daily rate is $251. the top operator is Evolve with 725 listings. market score is 70/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the North Carolina Mtns regional market, which includes Marion. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Marion.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Marion, North Carolina and McDowell County short-term rental market tracked 12,402 active listings in its latest snapshot. Note: the metric data for this market overlaps substantially with the broader western NC mountain STR region, consistent with a known data aggregation issue in the underlying source; area-specific geographic and regulatory context is used throughout this analysis. Entire-place rentals account for 12,099 units (97.6% of supply), with private rooms at 303. Bedroom distribution is broad: 2-bedroom units lead at 3,826 listings (30.9%), followed by 3-bedroom (3,374 or 27.2%), 1-bedroom (2,999), 4-bedroom (1,423), and 5-or-more-bedroom cabins (766).
In April 2026, the all-listing average daily rate was $210, up 0.4% from April 2025. Occupancy reached 44.4%, up 3.3% year over year, and average monthly revenue was $2,509, up 5.7% year over year. RevPAR was $93.07. April is a spring shoulder month ahead of the summer Lake James and Blue Ridge Parkway high season.
Channel distribution is dual-platform: 7,567 listings (61.0%) appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, 3,372 are Airbnb-exclusive, and 1,463 are VRBO-exclusive. The market composite score is 69.9 out of 100, with investability at 80.9, seasonality 71.1, regulation 74.2, revenue growth 67.4, and rental demand 59.4.
Annually, the 2025 average monthly revenue was $3,033, up from $3,000 in 2024, a 1.1% gain. The 2025 annual ADR averaged $221, down slightly from $223 in 2024.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32% | $183 | $1,842 |
| Feb | 41% | $181 | $1,882 |
| Mar | 47% | $187 | $2,363 |
| Apr | 47% | $194 | $2,450 |
| May | 49% | $205 | $2,533 |
| Jun | 61% | $230 | $3,558 |
| Jul | 68% | $226 | $4,162 |
| Aug | 56% | $218 | $3,422 |
| Sep | 49% | $207 | $2,750 |
| Oct | 61% | $212 | $3,426 |
| Nov | 49% | $213 | $2,819 |
| Dec | 46% | $208 | $2,732 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Marion
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 725 | 35,200 | ★ 4.76 |
| 2 | Vacasa | 463 | 17,166 | ★ 4.47 |
| 3 | Yonder | 118 | 3,770 | ★ 4.71 |
| 4 | Rumbling Bald Resort | 112 | 412 | ★ 4.35 |
| 5 | Bryson City Cabin Rentals | 112 | 1,406 | ★ 4.64 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Marion?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 2,999 |
| 2 bed | 3,826 |
| 3 bed | 3,374 |
| 4 bed | 1,423 |
| 5 bed | 766 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $253 |
| Luxury | $433 |
| Professionally Managed | $290 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,628 |
| Entire Place | $3,843 |
| House | $4,036 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 27.2% |
| vrbo | 11.8% |
| both | 61% |
Investment Analysis
Marion and McDowell County offer an investor-friendly regulatory environment with no identified owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement, no confirmed annual night cap, and a straightforward county tax structure. The investability score of 80.9 reflects these favorable conditions. Property pricing data is not available in the housing snapshot for this area, so a gross yield calculation cannot be derived from available data.
At the 2025 annual average of $3,033/month, gross annual revenue per listing approximates $36,396, before platform fees, county taxes, and operating expenses. Revenue growth has been modest but positive: annual average revenue grew from $2,296/month in 2017 to $3,033 in 2025, representing approximately 32% cumulative growth over eight years.
Rate tier comparisons show meaningful premium at the professionally managed and luxury levels. The all-listing April 2026 ADR was $210. Entire-home listings averaged $212, essentially at market. Professionally managed listings averaged $243, a 16% premium over the market average, indicating that active revenue management adds measurable rate lift. Luxury-tier properties averaged $357/night, approximately 70% above the market average.
At the listing-type revenue level, houses averaged $2,651/month and entire-place listings averaged $2,542/month, both above the all-listing average of $2,509. Apartments averaged $1,759/month, approximately $750 below market.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Guests book Marion-area rentals an average of 49 days in advance, approximately 7 weeks ahead of their stay. This lead window reflects the drive-market nature of the McDowell County and western NC mountains visitor base, drawing primarily from the Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, and other Southeast metropolitan areas.
Average length of stay is approximately 3.7 nights, consistent with long-weekend getaways to Lake James, Linville Falls, and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The relatively short stay length creates more frequent turnover than week-stay markets, which increases cleaning and coordination costs but allows multiple bookings per peak-season weekend.
For operators, the 49-day advance window means summer peak dates (July, early August) fill primarily during May and June. Fall foliage dates (October) tend to book in August and September as visitors plan Blue Ridge Parkway leaf-peeping trips. Setting rates and opening availability for July before Memorial Day, and for October by early August, captures the bulk of advance-booking demand in both peak windows.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
The regulatory framework for short-term rentals in Marion, North Carolina requires specific verification before operating. No verifiable City of Marion STR ordinance or city-level licensing requirement was confirmed in primary sources reviewed. An earlier research draft had attributed a city STR permit to Marion, but that permit was traced to a 2017 ordinance from Marion, Illinois (a different jurisdiction adopted before the 2017 solar eclipse) and does not apply here. Investors should contact the City of Marion Planning and Development department directly to confirm current STR zoning allowances, licensing requirements, and inspection processes before listing or purchasing.
At the county level, lodging in McDowell County, North Carolina is subject to a 6% county occupancy tax, collected and remitted by operators to the McDowell County Finance Office to fund the county Tourism Development Authority. This rate was increased from 5% to 6% by the McDowell County Board of Commissioners at an August 2024 meeting. North Carolina state and local sales taxes on accommodations also apply on top of the county occupancy tax.
No annual night cap, no owner-occupancy requirement, and no primary-residence requirement were confirmed in available sources. Enforcement is classified as unknown for the city level; county tax enforcement follows the county’s standard revenue-collection procedures.
Given the unconfirmed city-level STR regulatory status, operators should treat the county occupancy tax compliance as a confirmed minimum requirement and verify all city-level obligations directly with Marion Planning & Development and the McDowell County Tax Office before operating.
Market Comparison
The national STR occupancy median is approximately 55% and the median ADR approximately $220. Marion and McDowell County’s April 2026 occupancy of 44.4% is below the national median in a shoulder month; peak summer occupancy of 67.9% (July) exceeds the national median. The all-listing ADR of $210 is near the national median, and the luxury-tier ADR of $357 is above the national norm for comparable mountain markets.
The investability score of 80.9 is above average nationally, supported by light regulation, no owner-occupancy constraint, and the area’s growing outdoor-recreation tourism profile. The revenue growth score of 67.4 reflects a positive multi-year trend.
Property managers serving the broader western NC mountain market account for the top 5 operators in this data. Evolve leads with 725 listings and a 4.76 average guest rating across 35,200 reviews. Vacasa manages 463 listings (4.47 rating, 17,166 reviews). Yonder manages 118 listings (4.71 rating, 3,770 reviews). Rumbling Bald Resort and Bryson City Cabin Rentals each manage 112 listings. The top 5 combined manage 1,530 listings, approximately 12.3% of the 12,402-listing regional market.
Frequently Asked Questions About Marion, North Carolina
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When is peak season for Marion, NC short-term rentals?
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