Cashiers, North Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Western North Carolina mountains STR averaged $240 ADR, 48.3% occupancy and $3,198 monthly revenue in September 2026.
Quick Answer: Cashiers, North Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the North Carolina Mtns market area is 48%. average monthly revenue in the North Carolina Mtns market area is $3,198. average daily rate in the North Carolina Mtns market area is $240. the top operator in the North Carolina Mtns market area is Evolve with 723 listings. market score is 70/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the North Carolina Mtns regional market, which includes Cashiers. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Cashiers.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Cashiers is an unincorporated resort community on the Highlands and Cashiers plateau in Jackson County, North Carolina, at roughly 3,500 feet elevation. The performance figures on this page describe the Western North Carolina mountains STR market, a region that includes Cashiers. Bedroom, channel and listing-type counts and top operator rankings are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Cashiers, so this profile omits them. Gross yield is also omitted, because regional revenue over a local home value is not a valid ratio.
In September 2026 the Western North Carolina mountains STR market averaged an ADR of $240, occupancy of 48.3% and monthly revenue of $3,198. Compared with September 2025, occupancy rose 11.3%, ADR rose 3.4% and revenue rose 15.2%. Entire homes averaged $242 per night. Summing the typical monthly revenue for each calendar month gives annualized revenue of $34,068.
The permanent population of Cashiers is about 683 (ACS 2024 5-year estimate), but seasonal occupancy swells that figure to an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 people from Memorial Day through the October leaf season. Jackson County drew $468 million in visitor spending in 2023, up 3.4% from 2022, and tourism directly employs more than 2,470 people countywide. Visitor counts specific to Cashiers are not published separately from county data. Demand is tied to outdoor recreation, including Whiteside Mountain, Whitewater Falls and Lake Glenville, plus the Village Green, which hosts more than 80 events a year, among them the Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival each October.
Over the longer run, regional occupancy peaked at 60.6% in 2020 and has ranged from 47.6% to 53.1% since 2022, while ADR moved from $214 in 2022 to $226 in 2026 year to date.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 32% |
| Feb | 41% |
| Mar | 47% |
| Apr | 47% |
| May | 49% |
| Jun | 61% |
| Jul | 68% |
| Aug | 56% |
| Sep | 49% |
| Oct | 61% |
| Nov | 49% |
| Dec | 46% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Cashiers are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in North Carolina Mtns market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the North Carolina Mtns market as a whole, which includes Cashiers, so these counts are not Cashiers-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 723 | 35,109 | ★ 4.76 |
| 2 | Vacasa | 454 | 17,037 | ★ 4.47 |
| 3 | Yonder | 119 | 3,777 | ★ 4.71 |
| 4 | Rumbling Bald Resort | 112 | 415 | ★ 4.35 |
| 5 | Bryson City Cabin Rentals | 112 | 1,400 | ★ 4.65 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Cashiers?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Cashiers are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 27.2% |
| vrbo | 11.8% |
| both | 61% |
Home Value Trends (Cashiers)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Cashiers are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Cashiers — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Cashiers sits in unincorporated Jackson County, so no incorporated municipality regulates short-term rentals locally. Short-term rentals are permitted. As of May 2026 there is no county-wide ban, no owner-occupancy requirement, no primary residence requirement and no cap on rental nights per year.
The main compliance step is occupancy tax registration with the Jackson County Finance Office (828-631-2251, 401 Grindstaff Cove Road, Sylva, NC 28779) before renting. No separate county STR operational permit is required under the unincorporated county zoning. North Carolina General Statute 160D-1207(c) preempts registration-style permit programs for residential rentals, though zoning-based permits remain permissible, and the county has not enacted one.
Effective July 1, 2025, the Jackson County occupancy tax rose from 4% to 6%. It applies once a property is rented 15 or more days per calendar year, and stays of 90 or more consecutive days by the same guest are exempt. Operators collect it from guests and remit it to the county monthly or quarterly. North Carolina state sales tax on accommodations is 4.75% and the Jackson County local sales tax is 2%, bringing the combined burden to roughly 12.75%.
Zoning is governed by the Jackson County Unified Development Ordinance, adopted August 6, 2019. The ReCodify Cashiers commercial district project has not enacted STR restrictions. Sylva’s owner-occupancy rules apply only inside Sylva town limits, not Cashiers. Enforcement severity is rated minimal. North Carolina Senate Bill 291 (2025 session) proposes additional statewide regulation but had not been enacted as of May 2026.
Market Comparison
In September 2026 the Western North Carolina mountains STR market posted 48.3% occupancy at a $240 ADR, so its $3,198 monthly revenue depends on both rate and a pronounced seasonal swing.
The luxury tier at $403 and professionally managed listings at $281 sit well above the all-listings ADR of $240. Seasonal peaks are strong: July reaches 67.5%, and June and October each reach 60.6%, while January falls to 32.2%.
Growth is the stronger point. Occupancy is up 11.3%, ADR is up 3.4% and revenue is up 15.2% year over year. The long-run record is more mixed, with 2026 year to date occupancy of 47.6% well below the 60.6% of 2020 and the 60.4% of 2021. Investors should expect a pronounced summer and fall season and a high home entry cost of $1,433,960 for the typical home.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cashiers, North Carolina
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How far ahead do guests book and how long do they stay?
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