Jacksonville, North Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Jacksonville, NC STRs averaged $242/night at 48.7% occupancy in April 2026 across roughly 5,260 active listings.
Quick Answer: Jacksonville, 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 Jacksonville. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Jacksonville.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Jacksonville, NC sits at the center of Onslow County, anchored by Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and MCAS New River. That military presence shapes the short-term rental market in ways that distinguish it from typical beach or mountain destinations. Demand comes from personnel visits, military graduations, homecomings, deployments, and business travel to the base, rather than purely leisure tourism.
As of April 2026, the market recorded an average daily rate of $242 and occupancy of 48.7%, producing a RevPAR of $117.78. Year-over-year, ADR rose 9.0% and revenue grew 10.1%, though occupancy dipped 3.7 percentage points, indicating that rate increases are driving revenue gains even as occupancy softens slightly.
The supply base spans approximately 5,260 listings across bedroom categories: 928 studios or one-bedrooms, 1,302 two-bedrooms, 1,755 three-bedrooms, 799 four-bedrooms, and 477 five-bedroom-plus units. Larger units dominate the mix, reflecting demand from groups visiting base personnel. Entire-place listings account for 5,110 of the total (97%), with 155 private rooms and just 1 shared room. Channel distribution shows 2,915 listings on both Airbnb and VRBO, 1,344 Airbnb-only, and 1,007 VRBO-only, indicating broad multi-channel exposure among active operators.
The overall market score is 56.48 out of 100, with investability (75.58) and revenue growth (82.94) scoring notably higher than seasonality (44.25).
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36% | $152 | $1,614 |
| Feb | 46% | $150 | $1,631 |
| Mar | 54% | $179 | $2,191 |
| Apr | 54% | $197 | $2,625 |
| May | 60% | $237 | $3,376 |
| Jun | 75% | $292 | $5,457 |
| Jul | 78% | $275 | $5,648 |
| Aug | 65% | $261 | $4,534 |
| Sep | 51% | $220 | $2,973 |
| Oct | 48% | $192 | $2,503 |
| Nov | 41% | $176 | $1,972 |
| Dec | 38% | $159 | $1,761 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Jacksonville
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bluewater Vacation Rentals | 557 | 506 | ★ 4.50 |
| 2 | Vacasa | 276 | 6,357 | ★ 4.37 |
| 3 | Evolve | 153 | 6,899 | ★ 4.68 |
| 4 | Casago | 152 | 2,112 | ★ 4.34 |
| 5 | Spectrum Rental Properties | 126 | 2,213 | ★ 4.78 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Jacksonville?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 928 |
| 2 bed | 1,302 |
| 3 bed | 1,755 |
| 4 bed | 799 |
| 5 bed | 477 |
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 | 25.5% |
| vrbo | 19.1% |
| both | 55.4% |
Investment Analysis
Jacksonville presents an unusual investment case: low entry cost relative to many coastal STR markets, combined with a demand base that does not depend on weather or vacation seasonality. The typical home value as of April 2026 was $262,215, with a median list price of $261,450 and median sale price of $251,667. At average monthly revenue of $3,027 in April 2026, annualized gross revenue projects to approximately $36,329, representing a gross yield of roughly 13.9% against the typical home value. That figure reflects the April snapshot month and will vary with seasonal swings.
Tier comparison shows meaningful differentiation: the all-listings ADR of $242 compares to $247 for entire-home units, $397 for luxury tier, and $324 for professionally managed properties. Operators investing in professional management or higher-end units capture a 34% to 64% ADR premium over the market average.
YoY revenue growth of 10.1% in April 2026 signals continued upward momentum despite the 3.7-point occupancy decline. The revenue growth market score (82.94) corroborates this trend. Investability scores 75.58, the second-highest dimension. The regulation score of 67.49 reflects a permissive operating environment with no permit requirement and no owner-occupancy or primary-residence rules at the city level.
The housing market shows 358 active for-sale units, a sale-to-list ratio of 0.963, and a median of 11 days to pending, indicating a competitive but not extreme seller’s market. Investors can still negotiate, but inventory moves quickly.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
April 2026 data shows an average booking lead time of 44.9 days and an average length of stay of 4.0 nights. The 45-day lead window suggests that most guests book roughly six weeks in advance. Pricing strategies should front-load rate increases at the 60-day and 45-day marks to capture demand before the booking curve peaks.
A 4.0-night average stay produces approximately 7 to 8 turnovers per month at typical occupancy levels, a moderate turnover rate that keeps housekeeping costs manageable while maintaining solid night volume. Military-related guests (visiting personnel, PCS movers) often book shorter stays, while summer beach visitors may book longer. Hosts who monitor the military event calendar at Camp Lejeune, particularly graduation dates and large exercises, can anticipate demand spikes and adjust minimum-stay requirements accordingly.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Jacksonville, NC currently operates without a short-term-rental-specific ordinance. The city does not require an STR permit, registration, or license. There is no owner-occupancy requirement, no primary-residence restriction, and no confirmed annual-night cap at the city level. STRs are governed by the general Unified Development Ordinance zoning framework.
The primary compliance obligation is tax. Lodging stays under 90 consecutive days are subject to Onslow County’s 3% occupancy (room) tax, remitted monthly by the 15th via the county’s GovOS/MuniRevs portal. North Carolina accommodations are also subject to state and local sales tax (4.75% state plus 2.25% Onslow County local, totaling 7%). Stays of 90 or more consecutive days are exempt from the county occupancy tax.
North Carolina’s Vacation Rental Act governs written rental agreements and security deposit handling statewide. Enforcement severity is classified as minimal based on available data.
Note: Several online guides conflate Jacksonville, NC with Jacksonville, FL and Jacksonville, OR. Rules reported elsewhere, including R-1/R-2 bans, a September 2024 STR elimination vote, and Historic Core-only zoning, apply to Jacksonville, Oregon and do not apply here. Hosts should verify current zoning directly with the City of Jacksonville Planning and Development Department (910-938-5236) and Onslow County Finance before listing.
Market Comparison
The US median STR occupancy is approximately 55%, and the national median ADR is approximately $220. Jacksonville’s April 2026 occupancy of 48.7% sits below the national median, reflecting the non-resort character of the market and its seasonal trough proximity in April. The ADR of $242 is above the national median, driven partly by the large-unit mix (3-bedrooms represent 33% of supply) and the demand premium for military-adjacent accommodations.
Among the top operators, Bluewater Vacation Rentals leads with 557 listings and a 4.50 average rating. Vacasa holds 276 listings with a 4.37 rating and 6,357 reviews. Evolve manages 153 listings with the highest rating among the top three at 4.68. Casago and Spectrum Rental Properties each operate over 125 listings with ratings above 4.34. The concentration of professional management across the top five operators totaling 1,264 listings represents roughly 24% of the estimated listing base, a meaningful share that contributes to the higher ADR seen in the professionally managed tier ($324 vs. $242 overall).
Frequently Asked Questions About Jacksonville, North Carolina
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