Emerald Isle, North Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Emerald Isle, NC STRs averaged $242/night at 48.8% occupancy in April 2026, with July peaks hitting 78% and $5,650 average monthly revenue.
Quick Answer: Emerald Isle, North Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 73%. average monthly revenue is $6,589. average daily rate is $354. the top operator is Bluewater Vacation Rentals with 557 listings. market score is 56/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Morehead City/Emerald Isle regional market, which includes Emerald Isle. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Emerald Isle.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Emerald Isle is a beach town on the western end of Bogue Banks, a barrier island on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast, with approximately 12 miles of Atlantic shoreline. The permanent population of about 3,800 swells to roughly 50,000 at summer peak. The broader Carteret County tourism economy generated approximately $743.4 million in visitor spending in 2024. Demand is almost entirely leisure, family-driven, and concentrated in the late spring through summer window.
In April 2026, the market posted an average daily rate of $242 and occupancy of 48.8%, producing a RevPAR of $117.86. Year-over-year, April occupancy declined 3.6% while ADR rose 9.0% and gross revenue per listing rose 10.2%, meaning rate strength more than offset occupancy softness.
The listing supply is overwhelmingly entire-place rentals: 5,102 of 5,260 total (97%), consistent with a whole-house beach rental market. Private rooms account for 157 listings. Channel distribution is notably balanced compared to most US markets: 2,905 listings are dual-listed on both Airbnb and VRBO, 1,345 are Airbnb-only, and 1,010 are VRBO-only, reflecting VRBO’s traditional strength in established beach-house rental markets. By bedroom count, 3-bedrooms lead at 1,747, followed by 2-bedrooms (1,299), 1-bedrooms (930), 4-bedrooms (800), and 5-bedrooms (479), consistent with a market dominated by full-house vacation rentals.
The market’s total score is 55.9, with revenue growth scoring strongly at 83.2 and investability at 75.5. Seasonality scores 44.3, accurately flagging the sharp summer peak and winter trough that characterize most US Atlantic beach markets.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36% | $152 | $1,615 |
| Feb | 46% | $150 | $1,632 |
| Mar | 54% | $179 | $2,192 |
| Apr | 54% | $197 | $2,626 |
| May | 60% | $237 | $3,377 |
| Jun | 75% | $292 | $5,458 |
| Jul | 78% | $276 | $5,649 |
| Aug | 65% | $261 | $4,534 |
| Sep | 51% | $220 | $2,974 |
| Oct | 48% | $192 | $2,504 |
| Nov | 41% | $176 | $1,973 |
| Dec | 38% | $159 | $1,761 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Emerald Isle
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bluewater Vacation Rentals | 557 | 504 | ★ 4.48 |
| 2 | Vacasa | 275 | 6,368 | ★ 4.37 |
| 3 | Evolve | 153 | 6,868 | ★ 4.69 |
| 4 | Casago | 149 | 2,066 | ★ 4.36 |
| 5 | Spectrum Rental Properties | 126 | 2,202 | ★ 4.77 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Emerald Isle?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 930 |
| 2 bed | 1,299 |
| 3 bed | 1,747 |
| 4 bed | 800 |
| 5 bed | 479 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $360 |
| Luxury | $510 |
| Professionally Managed | $429 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $6,008 |
| Entire Place | $6,709 |
| House | $7,061 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 25.6% |
| vrbo | 19.2% |
| both | 55.2% |
Investment Analysis
Emerald Isle’s investment profile combines high summer revenue potential with significant off-season softness and an above-average entry price. The typical home value was $753,143 as of April 2026. Median sale price was $712,667, and median list price was $887,833, with a sale-to-list ratio of 0.803, indicating active negotiation below asking. Median days to pending was 57, suggesting a buyer’s market with adequate time for due diligence.
At April 2026’s average monthly revenue of $3,030 per listing, annualized gross revenue at that pace runs approximately $36,360. Against the $753,143 typical home value, that implies a gross yield of approximately 4.8% at April’s pace. Using the 2025 full-year average of $3,451 per month, the 2025 annualized gross revenue was approximately $41,412, producing a gross yield near 5.5% on the current typical home value.
Summer peak months drive materially higher output: July averages $5,650 per month and June averages $5,317 per month. Investors in larger properties (3+ bedrooms) will likely outperform the blended market average: house listings averaged $3,329 in April versus the all-listings average of $3,030. Professionally managed listings averaged $322 ADR, a 33% premium over the market average of $242, which is meaningful in a market where the top operator (Bluewater Vacation Rentals) holds 557 listings. Luxury-tier listings averaged $397 ADR.
ADR has grown from $177 in 2017 to $240 in 2025, a 36% increase, while occupancy has declined from a 2021 peak of 60.4% to 50.9% in 2025 as supply expanded. Revenue per listing has still grown from $2,157/month in 2017 to $3,451/month in 2025, driven by the rate appreciation more than offsetting the occupancy decline.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Emerald Isle’s average booking lead time of 44.9 days in April 2026 means guests book approximately six weeks in advance on average. For peak summer weeks in June and July, the actual lead time for preferred properties is often much longer, as prime beach houses in this market are frequently reserved 3 to 6 months ahead. Operators who open their summer calendar by January or February and hold firm on peak-week rates will capture the highest-intent early bookings.
Average length of stay was 3.98 nights in April 2026, just under 4 nights. In a traditional beach rental market, summer demand often runs in 7-night Saturday-to-Saturday cycles. Setting a 7-night minimum for peak June and July weeks, and a 3 to 4-night minimum during May, August, and September, is a common approach in this market that reduces turnover while maintaining strong occupancy. During the winter months (December through February), 1 or 2-night minimums allow the property to capture last-minute weekend visitors and fishing-trip guests, partially offsetting the seasonal revenue trough.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are permitted in Emerald Isle and the regulatory environment is among the most permissive on the Atlantic coast. North Carolina state law (G.S. 160D-1207(c)), reinforced by the 2022 Court of Appeals decision in Schroeder v. City of Wilmington, prohibits North Carolina municipalities from requiring STR owners to register their property or obtain a permit or permission to rent. As a result, there is no town STR permit or license requirement, no owner-occupancy mandate, no primary residence requirement, and no cap on annual rental nights.
STRs must comply with the North Carolina Vacation Rental Act (which governs the rental agreement, security deposits, and tenant rights), as well as applicable residential zoning, parking, and property-maintenance rules.
On taxes: operators must collect and remit North Carolina state sales tax of 6.75% plus the Carteret County occupancy tax of 6%, for a combined rate of approximately 12.75% on stays of 90 days or fewer. Stays to the same guest for 90 or more consecutive days are exempt from the occupancy tax. Airbnb and VRBO typically collect and remit these taxes automatically.
One pending regulatory development: as of early 2026, the Town of Emerald Isle was studying a proposed local vacation-rental permit/registration framework (Ordinance 209) that could require documentation of verified septic capacity, parking compliance, and Vacation Rental Act adherence, contingent on state legislation enabling mandatory registration. No ordinance had been adopted at the time of research. Enforcement of current rules is rated minimal.
Market Comparison
Emerald Isle’s April 2026 ADR of $242 is just above the US STR market median of approximately $220, and the 2025 annual average of $240 is in the same range. Occupancy at 48.8% in April is slightly below the national STR median of roughly 55%, but April is a shoulder month for a summer beach market; the peak-season June/July occupancy of 75 to 78% is well above national norms. The 2025 annual average occupancy of 50.9% is close to the national median.
The professional management market is dominated by regional specialists with large listing portfolios. Bluewater Vacation Rentals leads with 557 listings (4.48 average rating, 504 reviews). Vacasa, the national operator, holds 275 listings (4.37 rating, 6,368 reviews). Evolve manages 153 listings (4.69 rating, 6,868 reviews). Casago holds 149 listings (4.36 rating). Spectrum Rental Properties rounds out the top 5 with 126 listings and the highest rating in the group at 4.77 (2,202 reviews). The top 5 operators collectively manage 1,260 listings, approximately 24% of the market’s 5,260 total listings. This is a relatively high PM penetration rate, consistent with Emerald Isle’s long-established vacation rental tradition and the high-value properties that benefit from active management.
Frequently Asked Questions About Emerald Isle, North Carolina
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