Murphy, North Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
The Murphy, NC area STR market averaged $251/night at 58.1% occupancy in June 2026.
Quick Answer: Murphy, 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 Murphy. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Murphy.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Murphy, North Carolina area STR market posted a $251 average daily rate and 58.1% occupancy in June 2026. Occupancy is up 3.2% year over year and revenue is up 3.1% year over year to $3,793 per month, even as ADR is down 1.5% year over year. Multiplying June’s ADR by occupancy gives an implied RevPAR near $146 per night.
Bedroom mix, channel mix, market-score data, and top-operator data are all tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Murphy, so this profile omits them.
Multi-year data shows occupancy jumped from 45.45% in 2019 to 60.65% in 2020 and 60.41% in 2021 during the pandemic-era travel boom, before settling near 48% from 2023 through 2025. ADR climbed from $187 in 2017 to $221 by 2025, with monthly revenue reaching $3,034 that year, below June 2026’s stronger figure. Murphy’s own visitor base is large relative to its size: downtown Murphy alone reportedly draws nearly 2 million visits annually against a year-round population of just 1,608.
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 Murphy 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 Murphy, so these counts are not Murphy-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 Murphy?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Murphy 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 (Murphy)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Murphy 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 Murphy — 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
Murphy, North Carolina is a light-touch short-term rental market. There is no town- or county-specific STR ordinance imposing operating permits, night caps, or owner-occupancy and primary-residence requirements, and North Carolina state law (G.S. 160D and the Vacation Rental Act) restricts how far local governments can go in banning or registering vacation rentals.
The one mandatory compliance step is tax: anyone renting accommodations for fewer than 90 consecutive days must register with the Cherokee County Finance Office, collect the county occupancy tax, and file monthly returns by the 20th, even in months with no revenue. That occupancy tax is 4% through June 30, 2026, and rises to 6% effective July 1, 2026. On top of that, North Carolina sales tax on accommodations (4.75% state plus 2% local, 6.75% combined) also applies, bringing the all-in tax on gross rent to roughly 10.75% currently and about 12.75% from July 2026 onward. Airbnb and Vrbo may collect some of these taxes automatically, but operators remain responsible for proper registration and remittance.
There is no formal STR license fee. Investors should still confirm the parcel’s zoning district and any HOA or deed restrictions with the Town of Murphy and verify county occupancy-tax registration steps before purchasing. Enforcement is minimal and centered on tax compliance rather than land-use policing.
Market Comparison
The Murphy area’s 58.1% June 2026 occupancy runs above the roughly 55% median occupancy across StaySTRA-tracked US STR markets, while its $251 average daily rate sits above the roughly $220 national median ADR as well, a solid position on both dimensions.
Top-operator data is tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Murphy, so this profile omits it. Murphy’s dual summer-and-fall demand pattern is also somewhat unusual: many StaySTRA-tracked markets see a single dominant peak, while Murphy’s June/July high season is followed by a genuine secondary bump in October rather than a steady taper, giving hosts here two distinct windows to capture premium pricing rather than one. That dual-peak structure, combined with North Carolina’s light-touch STR regulation, makes Murphy a market where operational flexibility across two selling seasons matters more than it does in most single-peak StaySTRA-tracked destinations.
Frequently Asked Questions About Murphy, North Carolina
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What is the average daily rate for a short-term rental in Murphy, NC?
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How much occupancy tax applies to short-term rentals in Murphy, NC?
What is the best month for STR revenue in Murphy, NC?
How much does a typical home cost in Murphy, NC?
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