Maggie Valley, North Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Maggie Valley, NC STRs averaged $210/night at 44.3% occupancy in April 2026, with summer and fall foliage peaks above 60%.
Quick Answer: Maggie Valley, North Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 58%. average monthly revenue is $3,793. average daily rate is $251. the top operator is Evolve with 723 listings. market score is 70/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the North Carolina Mtns regional market, which includes Maggie Valley. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Maggie Valley.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Maggie Valley and Haywood County, North Carolina short-term rental market tracked 12,370 active listings in its latest snapshot. Entire-place rentals overwhelmingly dominate at 12,067 units (97.5% of supply), with private rooms accounting for only 303 listings. Bedroom distribution is broad: 2-bedroom units lead at 3,814 listings (31% of supply), followed by 3-bedroom (3,371), 1-bedroom (2,991), 4-bedroom (1,418), and 5-or-more-bedroom cabins (761).
In April 2026, the all-listing average daily rate was $210, up 0.4% from April 2025. Occupancy reached 44.3%, up 3.2% year over year, and average monthly revenue was $2,508, up 5.7% year over year. RevPAR was $92.99. April is a shoulder month, situated between the winter ski season and the onset of summer recreation and festival demand.
Channel distribution shows a dual-platform market: 7,543 listings (61%) appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, 3,366 are Airbnb-exclusive, and 1,461 are VRBO-exclusive. The market composite score is 70.1 out of 100, with investability scoring 81.0, seasonality 71.0, regulation 74.2, and revenue growth 67.6. Rental demand scored 59.4, a more modest reading for this rural mountain market.
Annually, 2025 average monthly revenue was $3,032, up 1.1% from $2,999 in 2024. The 2025 annual ADR averaged $221, slightly below $223 in 2024, indicating modest rate compression offset by occupancy gains.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32% | $183 | $1,842 |
| Feb | 41% | $181 | $1,882 |
| Mar | 47% | $187 | $2,363 |
| Apr | 47% | $194 | $2,450 |
| May | 49% | $205 | $2,533 |
| Jun | 61% | $230 | $3,558 |
| Jul | 68% | $226 | $4,163 |
| Aug | 56% | $218 | $3,422 |
| Sep | 49% | $207 | $2,750 |
| Oct | 61% | $212 | $3,426 |
| Nov | 49% | $213 | $2,819 |
| Dec | 46% | $208 | $2,732 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Maggie Valley
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | 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 Maggie Valley?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 2,991 |
| 2 bed | 3,814 |
| 3 bed | 3,371 |
| 4 bed | 1,418 |
| 5 bed | 761 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $253 |
| Luxury | $433 |
| Professionally Managed | $290 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,628 |
| Entire Place | $3,843 |
| House | $4,036 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 27.2% |
| vrbo | 11.8% |
| both | 61% |
Investment Analysis
The Maggie Valley market’s investability score of 81.0 reflects a relatively investor-friendly regulatory environment with no identified owner-occupancy requirement, no annual night cap, and a straightforward county tax-registration process. At the 2025 annual average of $3,032/month, gross annual revenue per listing approximates $36,384, a gross yield of approximately 9.4% relative to the Zillow typical home value of $388,108. The median list price in the market is $433,000; using that figure, the implied gross yield would be approximately 8.4%.
In the housing market, 117 properties were listed for sale at the April 2026 snapshot, providing a moderate supply of acquisition options. Sale-price and days-to-pending data were not available in the snapshot.
Rate tier comparisons show the clearest upside comes from professional management and luxury positioning. The all-listing April 2026 ADR was $210. Entire-home listings averaged $212 (only 1% above market), while professionally managed listings averaged $243 (16% above market), indicating that professional revenue management adds measurable rate lift. Luxury-tier properties averaged $358/night, approximately 1.7x the market average.
At the listing-type revenue level, houses averaged $2,651/month and entire-place listings averaged $2,541/month, both modestly above the all-listing average of $2,508. Apartments averaged $1,762/month, approximately $789 below the market average. The revenue trend from 2022 to 2025 shows a gradual recovery from the post-pandemic correction: annual revenue averaged $3,103 (2022), $2,959 (2023), $2,999 (2024), and $3,032 (2025), a measured upward trend over two years.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Guests book Maggie Valley rentals an average of 49 days in advance, approximately 7 weeks ahead of their stay. This advance window reflects the drive-market nature of the Great Smoky Mountains visitor base, with travelers planning multi-day mountain trips rather than same-week bookings.
Average length of stay is 3.7 nights, approximately 4 nights per booking. This shorter stay length is consistent with long-weekend visitors and cabin-rental patterns common in the western NC mountains. The 4-night average creates moderately frequent turnover relative to markets with 6-night-plus stays.
For operators, the 49-day lead window means that summer peak dates (June through July) are largely locked in during April and May. Fall foliage dates (October, occasionally late September) tend to book significantly in advance given the predictable and high-demand nature of the leaf-peeping window. Operators who maintain competitive rates and open availability in the spring for summer dates, and in August for October dates, capture the bulk of peak-season demand before last-minute inventory fills at lower rates.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are broadly permitted in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. No town-level STR ordinance imposing caps, owner-occupancy requirements, or annual night limits has been identified. There is no primary-residence requirement for Maggie Valley STR operators.
The primary compliance obligation is the Haywood County Lodging and Occupancy Tax. Operators must register their property with the Haywood County Finance Office/Tourism Development Authority and collect a 4% occupancy tax on stays of fewer than 90 consecutive days. The tax is remitted monthly by the 20th. Stays of 90 or more consecutive days by the same guest are exempt. Private residences rented fewer than 15 days per calendar year are also exempt. North Carolina state and local sales tax on accommodations applies on top of the occupancy tax.
No separate Town of Maggie Valley STR license was identified. Land use is governed by the Town’s Unified Development Ordinance. Operators should confirm district-level use allowances directly with the Maggie Valley Planning Department (828-926-0866) before beginning operations.
Note on pending rate change: North Carolina House Bill 169, effective July 1, 2025, authorizes Haywood County to increase the occupancy tax from the existing 4% to a maximum of 6%. The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority’s published rate remained 4% at the time this data was compiled. Verify the current effective rate with the County Finance Office before pricing.
Overall, enforcement is minimal and the regulatory environment is among the more permissive for short-term rentals in western North Carolina.
Market Comparison
The national STR occupancy median is approximately 55% and the median ADR is approximately $220. Maggie Valley’s April 2026 occupancy of 44.3% falls below the national median, reflecting the shoulder season. Peak-season occupancy in July (67.9%) exceeds the national median by a meaningful margin. The all-listing ADR of $210 is close to the national median of $220, with the luxury-tier ADR of $358 above the national norm.
The market investability score of 81.0 is above average nationally, driven by light regulation, no owner-occupancy requirement, and a diverse year-round demand base from skiing, summer recreation, fall foliage, and national park visitation.
The top five property management companies account for a combined 1,520 listings, approximately 12.3% of the 12,370-listing market. Evolve leads with 723 listings (5.8% market share) and a 4.76 average guest rating across 35,109 reviews, the largest PM presence in the market. Vacasa manages 454 listings (4.47 rating, 17,037 reviews) as the second-largest operator. Yonder manages 119 listings (4.71 rating, 3,777 reviews). Rumbling Bald Resort and Bryson City Cabin Rentals each manage 112 listings. The market is broadly fragmented, with 87.7% of supply managed outside the top 5 operators.
Frequently Asked Questions About Maggie Valley, North Carolina
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