Cary, North Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Cary NC STRs averaged $160/night at 63.5% occupancy in April 2026, with year-over-year revenue up 9.0% on surging demand in the Raleigh-Durham Triangle.
Quick Answer: Cary, North Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 67%. average monthly revenue is $2,964. average daily rate is $159. the top operator is Evolve with 106 listings. market score is 88/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the Raleigh/Durham regional market, which includes Cary. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Cary.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Cary is a high-performing suburban STR market positioned within the Raleigh-Durham Triangle tech corridor. It draws sports-tournament visitors (WakeMed Soccer Park, USA Baseball National Training Complex), concert and festival attendees at Koka Booth Amphitheatre, corporate relocations, and business travelers tied to the broader Triangle economy. The Raleigh-Wake County area attracted approximately 19 million visitors in 2024 with more than $3.4 billion in visitor spending. In April 2026, Cary’s STR market posted a $160 average daily rate and 63.5% occupancy, generating $101.27 RevPAR and $2,783 average monthly revenue.
Year-over-year performance through April 2026 is the standout story: occupancy grew 9.14 percentage points and revenue grew 9.01% on a near-flat ADR (down just 0.24%). This level of occupancy-driven growth is unusual among suburban markets and indicates meaningful expansion of demand rather than pricing pressure.
The market totals approximately 7,947 tracked listings: 6,456 entire-place units, 1,470 private rooms, and 21 shared rooms. Bedroom distribution is led by 1-bedroom units (3,077 listings), followed by 3-bedroom (1,991), 2-bedroom (1,874), 4-bedroom (729), and 5-bedroom (251) properties. Airbnb-only listings number 4,858, with 2,714 listed on both platforms and 375 VRBO-only. The total market score is 87.6 out of 100, with rental demand scoring 92.1, the highest single score in this batch of five markets.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55% | $104 | $1,664 |
| Feb | 63% | $109 | $1,738 |
| Mar | 65% | $116 | $2,058 |
| Apr | 63% | $123 | $2,090 |
| May | 63% | $131 | $2,231 |
| Jun | 68% | $125 | $2,330 |
| Jul | 70% | $115 | $2,196 |
| Aug | 68% | $113 | $2,161 |
| Sep | 65% | $114 | $1,991 |
| Oct | 68% | $121 | $2,303 |
| Nov | 64% | $121 | $2,089 |
| Dec | 59% | $116 | $1,969 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Cary
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 106 | 3,065 | ★ 4.52 |
| 2 | Coveted Hospitality | 99 | 1,152 | ★ 4.18 |
| 3 | Landing | 91 | 10 | ★ 3.72 |
| 4 | Landing, Inc. | 74 | 174 | ★ 4.55 |
| 5 | Triangle short term rentals | 69 | 1,400 | ★ 4.78 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Cary?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 3,077 |
| 2 bed | 1,874 |
| 3 bed | 1,991 |
| 4 bed | 729 |
| 5 bed | 251 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $175 |
| Luxury | $257 |
| Professionally Managed | $174 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,458 |
| Entire Place | $3,285 |
| House | $3,192 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 61.1% |
| vrbo | 4.7% |
| both | 34.2% |
Investment Analysis
Cary’s investment case rests on its demand trajectory rather than its ADR level. A 9.01% year-over-year revenue increase driven primarily by occupancy gains (not rate inflation) is a more durable signal than ADR-led growth, which can be fragile. The rental demand score of 92.1 and revenue growth score of 66.0 together suggest a market with strong current absorption and moderate-to-good forward momentum. No housing snapshot data was available, so a specific gross yield cannot be calculated from this dataset.
Property type performance shows a meaningful split. Entire-place listings average $3,075/month and houses average $3,026/month, both well above apartments at $2,260/month. The entire-home ADR of $177/night reflects the value placed on privacy by sports-tournament groups and corporate travelers. Professionally managed properties average $177/night ADR, nearly identical to the entire-home average, suggesting that professional management in this market adds occupancy optimization rather than rate premium over the broader entire-home tier.
The luxury tier averages $257/night, a 61% premium above the market baseline of $160. Annual average monthly revenue has grown steadily from $1,352 in 2017 to $2,588 in 2025, with the 2024-2025 period the strongest on record ($2,537 and $2,588 respectively). The investability score of 64.8 is moderate, likely reflecting the high home values in the Wake County market relative to current revenue levels.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
Run a Free Address Analysis
Skip the market averages. Get revenue projections, comp analysis, and ROI for your specific property address. Free, instant, no signup required.
Analyze My Property →Home Value Trends (Cary)
Booking Insights
Cary guests book an average of 37.3 days in advance and stay an average of 4.3 nights as of April 2026. The 37-day lead time reflects a mix of advance-planned sports tournament bookings, corporate travel arranged by employers, and leisure visitors who research Triangle-area attractions early.
The 4.3-night average stay is consistent with extended weekend visits and 5-night corporate stays, both common in this market. For operators, a 37-day booking window provides a solid data window for dynamic pricing adjustments. Properties not booked by 20 days out should consider rate adjustments, particularly for weekday inventory where corporate demand can be more price-sensitive than sports-tournament bookings.
The 9.1% occupancy growth year-over-year suggests that demand is expanding meaningfully, which in practical terms means listings that had difficulty filling in 2024 may be finding more bookings in 2025-2026 at similar or slightly lower rates.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Cary has one of the most permissive STR regulatory environments in North Carolina. The Town of Cary does not require a local STR permit, registration, or business license. Under the 2022 North Carolina Court of Appeals ruling in Schroeder v. City of Wilmington, municipalities are prohibited from requiring permits or licenses for vacation rentals, and Cary operates within this framework.
There are no owner-occupancy requirements, no primary-residence rules, and no cap on annual rental nights. Operators must meet the town’s general minimum housing and safety standards (functional smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, etc.) and comply with applicable zoning on permitted uses. Enforcement is rated minimal, as no town-specific STR rules exist to enforce.
The primary tax obligations are Wake County’s 6% room occupancy tax on stays under 30 days, plus combined North Carolina state and Wake County sales/use tax of approximately 7.25%, bringing the effective lodging tax burden to approximately 13%. Airbnb and VRBO typically collect and remit these taxes on behalf of operators, but hosts remain responsible for confirming compliance.
The most significant practical constraint is private HOA covenants. Cary has extensive planned and master-planned subdivisions, and many HOAs restrict or ban short-term rentals. Buyers should verify the specific community’s CC&Rs before acquiring a property with STR intent.
Market Comparison
Cary’s 63.5% occupancy in April 2026 is well above the U.S. STR median of approximately 55%, a strong result for a suburban market. The $160 ADR is below the national median of roughly $220, but the strong occupancy floor means RevPAR of $101.27 is competitive with higher-ADR markets with weaker fill rates.
The rental demand score of 92.1 is the highest single dimension score in this batch of five markets, reflecting the Triangle’s combination of sports facilities, tech-sector employment, and university ecosystem as a multi-channel demand generator. The total score of 87.6 ranks second in this batch behind Carlsbad NM (93.1).
Professional management shows moderate penetration. Evolve leads with 106 listings and 3,065 reviews (4.52 rating). Coveted Hospitality manages 99 listings with 1,152 reviews (4.18 rating). Triangle Short Term Rentals, a locally-focused operator, holds 69 listings with 1,400 reviews and a 4.78 rating, the highest among the top 5. The top 5 collectively manage 439 listings, approximately 5.5% of the market. The local specialist operator (Triangle Short Term Rentals) outperforming the national brands on ratings suggests the market rewards local market knowledge.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cary, North Carolina
What is the average nightly rate for an Airbnb in Cary, NC?
What occupancy rate can I expect for a Cary NC short-term rental?
Do I need a permit to operate a short-term rental in Cary, NC?
How much monthly revenue does a Cary NC STR generate?
Why is Cary NC seeing such strong STR revenue growth?
When is the peak season for Cary NC short-term rentals?
How far in advance do guests book Cary NC rentals?
Analyze Cary Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Cary.
Free Cary STR Calculator →
