Hayesville, North Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Hayesville, NC STRs averaged $210/night at 44.3% occupancy in April 2026, with summer and fall peaks generating $3,426-$4,163 average monthly revenue.
Quick Answer: Hayesville, North Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the North Carolina Mtns market area is 58%. average monthly revenue in the North Carolina Mtns market area is $3,793. average daily rate in the North Carolina Mtns market area is $251. 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 Hayesville. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Hayesville.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Hayesville, North Carolina (town population 461) is a small mountain community in Clay County in the far-western Smokies, approximately 4 miles from the Georgia border. The area draws outdoor recreation and heritage travelers to Lake Chatuge, a 7,200-acre TVA reservoir with 132 miles of shoreline, as well as hikers using the Nantahala National Forest and Appalachian Trail corridor and cultural visitors attending the John C. Campbell Folk School in nearby Brasstown. The market encompasses approximately 12,370 active STR listings across the broader Clay County lake region.
The market posted an average daily rate of $209.83 and an occupancy rate of 44.3% in April 2026, with a RevPAR of $92.99. Year-over-year as of April 2026, occupancy is up 3.23%, ADR is up 0.37%, and revenue is up 5.73%, indicating healthy and balanced demand growth.
By listing type, entire-place rentals account for 12,067 of approximately 12,370 tracked listings (98% of supply), with 303 private-room listings rounding out supply. By bedroom count, the market is distributed across 1-bedroom (2,991), 2-bedroom (3,814), 3-bedroom (3,371), 4-bedroom (1,418), and 5-bedroom-plus (761) properties. Channel distribution shows 7,543 listings on both Airbnb and VRBO, 3,366 Airbnb-only, and 1,461 VRBO-only, reflecting strong dual-channel penetration characteristic of mountain cabin markets. The total market score of 70.06 and investability score of 81.02 place this market in the above-average tier.
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 Hayesville 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 Hayesville, so these counts are not Hayesville-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 Hayesville?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Hayesville 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 (Hayesville)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Hayesville 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 Hayesville — 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
Hayesville and Clay County operate with minimal STR regulation. No dedicated STR permit, registration, or licensing program is required in the Town of Hayesville or Clay County as of mid-2026.
Most of the lake-area STR inventory sits in unincorporated Clay County, which uses land-use development rules rather than full zoning and imposes no STR registration, permit, occupancy cap, or owner-occupancy requirement. Inside the Town of Hayesville limits and its Extraterritorial Jurisdiction, a general town zoning permit is required for property uses. A proposed STR ordinance was introduced at the September 11, 2023 Town Council meeting and would have required an annually renewed zoning permit, restricted rentals to residential units for lodging only, capped occupancy at two adults per bedroom (excluding children under 13), and barred exterior advertising. After public pushback over the 30-day rental threshold, the council tabled the ordinance. No successor ordinance has been confirmed as adopted as of mid-2026.
On taxes, Clay County levies a 3% room-occupancy tax on gross rental receipts, authorized by the NC General Assembly. Investors should verify current remittance procedures directly with the Clay County Tax Office. Owner-occupancy and primary-residence requirements do not apply. Enforcement severity is rated minimal.
Market Comparison
Nationally, the median STR market occupancy rate is approximately 55% and median ADR is around $220. Hayesville’s April 2026 occupancy of 44.3% is below the national median, a normal reading for an Appalachian mountain market in shoulder season, while its ADR of $209.83 sits near the national median. July peak occupancy of 67.92% is above the national median.
The top operator is Evolve with 723 listings and 35,109 reviews at an average rating of 4.76, the largest presence of any operator in this batch. Vacasa holds 454 listings with 17,037 reviews at 4.47. Yonder manages 119 listings at 4.71, and Rumbling Bald Resort and Bryson City Cabin Rentals each hold 112 listings. The top five collectively manage approximately 1,520 listings, representing roughly 12% of the estimated 12,370 active listings, a moderately concentrated landscape with two large operators (Evolve and Vacasa) holding the majority of managed inventory.
Compared to similar western NC mountain markets, Hayesville’s typical home value of $350,142 and resulting gross yield of approximately 8.6% represent a materially better entry-cost-to-revenue ratio than higher-priced Appalachian destination markets. The dual-peak seasonal pattern (summer plus autumn foliage) also reduces the binary all-eggs-in-summer-months risk that characterizes some mountain lake markets.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hayesville, North Carolina
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