Rodanthe, North Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Rodanthe, NC area STRs (Outer Banks) averaged $475/night at 79.4% occupancy in June 2026, though revenue fell 25% year over year.
Quick Answer: Rodanthe, 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 627 listings. market score is 78/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the Outer Banks regional market, which includes Rodanthe. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Rodanthe.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Rodanthe is a small, seasonal beach community on Hatteras Island in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, in unincorporated Dare County. It has no standalone visitor count of its own, but draws from the broader Outer Banks tourism economy: Dare County generated roughly $2.1 billion in visitor spending in 2024, including $566 million in lodging alone, and tourism supports about 45% of county jobs. Visitors are predominantly leisure travelers and groups driving in from the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast for week-long beach vacations, typically arriving in the summer peak season. Rodanthe specifically draws anglers, surfers, and kiteboarders and windsurfers (nearby Canadian Hole is a world-class wind-sports spot), along with fans of the film ‘Nights in Rodanthe’ and visitors to the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station and Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
Because StaySTRA’s short-term rental performance data for this submarket is shared across a tight Outer Banks cluster (Rodanthe, Hatteras, and Kitty Hawk), this profile frames occupancy, rate, and revenue figures as describing the Rodanthe area (Outer Banks) STR market rather than claiming Rodanthe-only precision.
In June 2026, that area STR market averaged 79.36% occupancy and a $475.21 average daily rate, with average monthly revenue of $9,059.85 per active listing, among the highest revenue figures in this pipeline. Year over year, however, the market cooled meaningfully: occupancy fell 2.66 points, ADR dropped 12.33%, and revenue fell a sharp 24.98%, a notably weaker trend than most other markets processed, worth flagging plainly rather than glossing over.
Listing count, bedroom mix, and channel split data for this area are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Rodanthe, so this profile omits those specific breakdowns.
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 Rodanthe 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 Rodanthe, so these counts are not Rodanthe-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 627 | 22,355 | ★ 4.33 |
| 2 | Village Realty | 573 | 5,461 | ★ 4.49 |
| 3 | Surf Or Sound | 451 | 2,555 | ★ 4.30 |
| 4 | Resort Realty | 435 | 1,940 | ★ 4.37 |
| 5 | Seaside vacation rentals | 354 | 3,561 | ★ 4.44 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Rodanthe?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Rodanthe 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 | 19.8% |
| vrbo | 24.2% |
| both | 56% |
Home Value Trends (Rodanthe)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Rodanthe 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 Rodanthe — 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
Rodanthe sits in unincorporated Dare County, one of the most STR-friendly jurisdictions on the Outer Banks. Unlike incorporated OBX towns such as Nags Head, unincorporated Dare County requires no vacation-rental permit or annual license, imposes no cap on rental nights, and has no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement. Whole-home weekly rentals are the norm and the market is mature and well-established.
The primary compliance obligation is tax: operators must collect and remit the 6% Dare County occupancy tax on gross rental receipts, filed monthly by the 20th, in addition to the 6.75% North Carolina state and local sales tax on accommodations, for a combined roughly 12.75% tax on guest rent. The occupancy tax does not apply to a private residence or cottage rented fewer than 15 days in a calendar year, or to stays of 90 or more continuous days. Owners must also comply with the North Carolina Vacation Rental Act, which governs rental agreements, deposits, and cancellations.
The main zoning caveat is that subsidized Workforce Housing Units and certain long-term cluster developments cannot be operated as short-term rentals. Enforcement of STR operations generally is minimal, since there is no permit regime to police, though the county actively enforces occupancy-tax collection. Investors should still verify individual parcel zoning and any private HOA or subdivision covenants, which can restrict rentals independently of county rules. No new STR permit or licensing regime had been adopted for unincorporated Dare County as of mid-2026.
Market Comparison
Rodanthe’s 79.36% occupancy in June 2026 runs well above the roughly 55% occupancy typical of the broader U.S. short-term rental market, and its $475.21 ADR is more than double the national median of roughly $220, placing this among the stronger-performing markets in this pipeline on both fill rate and price, even accounting for its recent year-over-year softening.
Property manager data for this area is tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Rodanthe, so this profile omits naming specific operators here.
What distinguishes Rodanthe from many markets in this pipeline is the combination of genuinely permit-free, low-friction regulation with a mature, high-revenue vacation-rental market, tempered by a real year-over-year revenue decline (down nearly 25%) that buyers should weigh against the strong absolute performance numbers rather than assume as ongoing momentum.
Frequently Asked Questions About Rodanthe, North Carolina
Do I need a permit to operate a short-term rental in Rodanthe, NC?
What is the average nightly rate for a short-term rental in Rodanthe, NC?
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Rodanthe, NC?
Why did revenue fall in the Rodanthe, NC area?
Can I rent out a Workforce Housing Unit as a short-term rental in Rodanthe, NC?
What is the strongest month for short-term rentals in Rodanthe, NC?
What is the typical home value in Rodanthe, NC?
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