Nags Head, North Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
The Nags Head, NC area STR market averaged $475 nightly at 79.4% occupancy in June 2026, revenue down 25% yearly.
Quick Answer: Nags Head, North Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Outer Banks market area is 79%. average monthly revenue in the Outer Banks market area is $9,060. average daily rate in the Outer Banks market area is $475. the top operator in the Outer Banks market area is Vacasa with 629 listings. market score is 78/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the Outer Banks regional market, which includes Nags Head. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Nags Head.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Nags Head, NC area short-term rental market sits at the heart of North Carolina’s Outer Banks in Dare County, one of the East Coast’s most established beach vacation rental destinations. Nags Head itself is a town of 3,329 year-round residents, though STR demand here is part of a broader Outer Banks vacation rental economy; Dare County drew more than 5 million visitors in 2024, generating $2.1 billion in visitor spending.
Listing-level inventory counts, bedroom mix, and market-score benchmarks are tracked at a shared regional level across the northern Outer Banks rather than uniquely for Nags Head, so this profile omits those figures rather than present them as town-specific.
In the most recent month of data (June 2026), the Nags Head area STR market posted an average daily rate of $475.21 and average occupancy of 79.36%. Average monthly revenue per listing was $9,060, with standalone houses averaging $9,691 a month and entire-place listings averaging $9,166, both well ahead of the $6,812 average for apartment-style listings, figures that reflect this market’s status as one of the highest-revenue markets in this data set.
Year over year, occupancy in the latest month was down 2.7 percentage points, average daily rate fell 12.3%, and revenue per listing dropped 24.98%, a notable pullback worth flagging for any investor comparing this market to its recent peak. Dare County’s overall visitor spending was already down modestly, about 2.3%, in 2024 from 2023’s record, a directionally consistent signal even though it does not fully explain the size of this month’s revenue decline.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 29% |
| Feb | 41% |
| Mar | 55% |
| Apr | 57% |
| May | 63% |
| Jun | 79% |
| Jul | 83% |
| Aug | 80% |
| Sep | 62% |
| Oct | 48% |
| Nov | 39% |
| Dec | 32% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Nags Head are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Outer Banks market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Outer Banks market as a whole, which includes Nags Head, so these counts are not Nags Head-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 629 | 22,352 | ★ 4.33 |
| 2 | Village Realty | 575 | 5,553 | ★ 4.49 |
| 3 | Surf Or Sound | 451 | 2,567 | ★ 4.30 |
| 4 | Resort Realty | 435 | 1,965 | ★ 4.39 |
| 5 | Seaside vacation rentals | 354 | 3,576 | ★ 4.44 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Nags Head?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Nags Head 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 | 19.9% |
| vrbo | 24% |
| both | 56.1% |
Home Value Trends (Nags Head)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Nags Head 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 Nags Head — 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
Nags Head is one of the more STR-friendly markets on the East Coast. The town allows residential short-term rentals, defined as stays under 30 days, in every zoning district with no density caps, no maximum-nights limit, and no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement for whole-house rentals. Operators must complete an annual Short-Term Rental Registration with the Planning and Development Department for a $25 fee per rental, renewed each year before September 1.
Properties managed by a licensed North Carolina real estate broker are exempt from the registration requirement, as are hotels, motels, and rentals to people with no other primary residence. Hosts must carry appropriate liability insurance and comply with the North Carolina Vacation Rental Act’s safety provisions.
STR income is subject to Dare County’s 6% occupancy tax plus North Carolina sales tax, for a combined lodging tax of roughly 12.75%; the occupancy tax does not apply to residences rented fewer than 15 days per year or to stays of 90 or more continuous days. A separate rule applies to partial-house rentals, an owner-occupied home renting up to two guest rooms; renting more than two bedrooms in an owner-occupied home can trigger bed-and-breakfast rules and require a conditional use permit. The registration program has been in place since 2019, and enforcement is rated minimal, administrative, and registration-based rather than aggressive.
Market Comparison
The Nags Head area’s 79.36% average occupancy in the latest month runs well above the roughly 55% median occupancy typically seen across the broader US short-term rental market, and its $475.21 average daily rate sits far above the roughly $220 national median, reflecting one of the highest-priced markets in this data set, consistent with its status as a premier East Coast beach destination.
Property manager rankings for this market are tracked at a shared regional level across the northern Outer Banks rather than distinctly for Nags Head, so this profile omits a market-specific operator breakdown rather than present shared data as town-specific. Investors should expect a market with an active professional-management presence given the scale of the broader Outer Banks vacation rental economy, since large national and regional operators typically build meaningful footprints across the whole northern Outer Banks corridor rather than a single town. Prospective buyers should still request property-specific management proposals before assuming any single operator’s portfolio size applies to a particular listing.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nags Head, North Carolina
What is the average Airbnb occupancy rate in the Nags Head, NC area?
What is the average daily rate for a short-term rental in the Nags Head, NC area?
How much revenue can an Airbnb in the Nags Head, NC area generate per month?
Are short-term rentals legal in Nags Head, NC?
When is the best time to book or list a short-term rental in the Nags Head, NC area?
Is there listing-count or property-manager data available for Nags Head, NC specifically?
Is there housing price data available for the Nags Head, NC market?
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