Lenoir, North Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Lenoir, NC STRs averaged $246/night at 37.1% occupancy in April 2026, with July historically averaging 63.8% occupancy.
Quick Answer: Lenoir, North Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 50%. average monthly revenue is $3,568. average daily rate is $282. the top operator is Blue Ridge Mountain Rentals with 753 listings. market score is 89/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the Boone regional market, which includes Lenoir. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Lenoir.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Lenoir, North Carolina, the seat of Caldwell County in the Blue Ridge Mountain foothills of western North Carolina, anchors a short-term rental market driven by outdoor recreation, heritage tourism, and mountain cabin demand. Data through April 2026 shows the market at 37.1% average occupancy and a $246 average daily rate for the spring shoulder season, producing $2,517 in average monthly revenue per listing. RevPAR stands at $91.10. April is one of the market’s softer months historically; summer peak and the December holiday period generate substantially stronger occupancy.
The listing base totals approximately 7,743 active units in the Lenoir area. Entire-place rentals dominate at 7,612 listings (98.3% of the market), with private rooms accounting for 131 listings. The bedroom mix skews toward 2- and 3-bedroom cabin-scale units: 2-bedroom listings number 2,298, 3-bedroom units 2,200, 1-bedroom units 1,427, 4-bedroom units 1,242, and 5-bedroom or larger units 569. The channel mix features 4,950 listings on both Airbnb and VRBO, 1,966 Airbnb-exclusive listings, and 827 VRBO-exclusive listings.
Year-over-year as of April 2026, occupancy fell 6.5 percentage points while ADR gained 4.7%, producing a net revenue change of -1.5%. The market’s composite score of 89.5 out of 100 is notably strong, led by an investability score of 87.3 and a revenue growth score of 79.8. Seasonality scores 86.1, reflecting the pronounced summer and winter demand peaks. Rental demand scores 57.3, consistent with a market that sees high occupancy in peak months but meaningful softness in the spring shoulder. Regulation scores 73.7.
Demand drivers include Wilson Creek (a federally designated Wild and Scenic River), Pisgah National Forest, Fort Defiance historic site, the Sculpture Celebration arts competition, the Caldwell County Balloon Festival, and the NC Blackberry Festival.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43% | $258 | $3,215 |
| Feb | 45% | $259 | $3,097 |
| Mar | 35% | $218 | $2,356 |
| Apr | 41% | $215 | $2,350 |
| May | 42% | $231 | $2,450 |
| Jun | 53% | $241 | $3,163 |
| Jul | 64% | $236 | $3,953 |
| Aug | 55% | $228 | $3,417 |
| Sep | 46% | $231 | $2,804 |
| Oct | 53% | $247 | $3,323 |
| Nov | 46% | $248 | $2,933 |
| Dec | 50% | $262 | $3,517 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Lenoir
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Ridge Mountain Rentals | 753 | 16,672 | ★ 4.77 |
| 2 | Carolina Cabin Rentals | 478 | 16,022 | ★ 4.65 |
| 3 | Evolve | 315 | 16,846 | ★ 4.74 |
| 4 | Vacasa | 306 | 13,132 | ★ 4.30 |
| 5 | Foscoe Rentals | 142 | 3,407 | ★ 4.85 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Lenoir?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,427 |
| 2 bed | 2,298 |
| 3 bed | 2,200 |
| 4 bed | 1,242 |
| 5 bed | 569 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $285 |
| Luxury | $488 |
| Professionally Managed | $364 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,331 |
| Entire Place | $3,600 |
| House | $3,979 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 25.4% |
| vrbo | 10.7% |
| both | 63.9% |
Investment Analysis
The April 2026 average monthly revenue of $2,517 reflects a spring shoulder period. The 2025 full-year average was $3,448 per month and the 2024 full-year average was $3,265 per month. At the 2025 annual average, revenue annualizes to approximately $41,376 per listing. Zillow housing data is not available for this area, so a direct gross yield calculation is not possible.
Pricing tier data shows entire-home listings averaging $248.55 per night, closely in line with the overall ADR of $246. Professionally managed listings average $321.03 per night, a 31% premium over the market average. Luxury-tier listings command $401.79 per night, a 64% premium. At the market’s April 2026 average occupancy of 37.1%, a professionally managed property would generate an estimated approximately $3,570 per month gross ($321.03 per night times 37.1% times 30 days), and a luxury-tier property approximately $4,472 per month gross, before expenses. These figures reflect the spring shoulder period; summer occupancy above 60% would produce materially higher returns.
Revenue by property type shows a meaningful spread: houses average $2,795 per month, entire-place listings $2,543, and apartments $1,589. The roughly $1,200 gap between house and apartment revenues suggests single-family house properties outperform in this cabin-oriented mountain market.
The market’s 2025 annual average of $3,448 per month, combined with high investability (87.3) and revenue growth scores (79.8), positions Lenoir as a mountain market with solid fundamentals. The 2020-2021 remote-work demand surge pushed annual averages to $3,089 and $3,488, and while occupancy has moderated since, revenue has remained relatively stable through ADR increases from $255 in 2022 to $271 in 2025.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
The average booking lead time for Lenoir-area STRs is 47.0 days, about seven weeks ahead of arrival. This relatively compact advance window reflects a mountain-recreation demand base where visitors book shorter getaways with moderate lead time.
Average length of stay is 3.4 nights per booking. At 37.1% occupancy in April, a listing accumulates approximately 11.1 booked nights per month. Divided by 3.4 nights per stay, this implies roughly 3 guest turnovers per month during the spring shoulder. In peak summer months (July at 63.8% occupancy), booked nights rise to approximately 19.1 per month, implying roughly 6 turnovers. Operators should plan cleaning logistics with this seasonal variation in mind.
The combination of a 47-day lead window and a 3.4-night average stay suggests a planned leisure traveler base focused on outdoor recreation. Marketing efforts targeted at hikers, kayakers, and leaf-peepers in the 4-8 week window before target dates are well-matched to this booking pattern.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are legal and operating in Lenoir, NC. No Lenoir-specific STR ordinance was found in the city’s code at the time of data collection; enforcement severity is rated minimal.
The clearest confirmed tax obligation is the City of Lenoir’s 3% occupancy tax on gross receipts from any room, lodging, or accommodation within city limits, explicitly covering rentals booked through Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway, and similar platforms. Tax returns and payments are due to the City of Lenoir by the 20th of each month following the rental period, and monthly reports are required even for months with zero rentals. The tax does not apply to stays of 90 or more consecutive days to the same guest. In unincorporated Caldwell County, a separate 3% county occupancy tax applies (proceeds split between tourism promotion and economic development).
North Carolina state law preempts mandatory STR registration requirements, meaning neither the state nor Caldwell County can compel hosts to register in a standalone licensing scheme. However, local governments retain authority to regulate STRs through zoning, specifying which districts allow whole-house rentals and setting parking and operational standards. No owner-occupancy, primary-residence, or annual night-cap rule was found for Lenoir.
Investors should confirm permitted zoning districts with the City of Lenoir Planning and Community Development Department before purchasing. NC state and local sales taxes on accommodations apply in addition to the occupancy tax.
Market Comparison
Lenoir’s April 2026 occupancy of 37.1% is below the approximate U.S. STR median of 55%, consistent with a shoulder-season month in a highly seasonal mountain market. The July historical average of 63.8% occupancy significantly exceeds the national median. The ADR of $246 is above the national STR median of roughly $220, reflecting demand for cabin-style entire-place rentals in a Blue Ridge Mountains setting.
Among the top operators, Blue Ridge Mountain Rentals leads with 753 listings and a 4.773 average rating across 16,672 reviews. Carolina Cabin Rentals follows with 478 listings and a 4.652 rating. Evolve holds third with 315 listings and a 4.740 rating across 16,846 reviews. Vacasa (306 listings, 4.304 rating) and Foscoe Rentals (142 listings, 4.846 rating across 3,407 reviews) complete the top five. These five operators collectively manage 1,994 listings, approximately 25.8% of the total 7,743-listing market. Professional management is meaningfully more concentrated here than in larger markets, with over a quarter of listings under the top five firms.
The composite score of 89.5 positions this market favorably among mountain STR markets nationally, driven by strong investability (87.3) and revenue growth scores (79.8). The primary constraint in the scoring is rental demand (57.3), reflecting the pronounced shoulder-season softness.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lenoir, North Carolina
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