Sneads Ferry, North Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Sneads Ferry, NC's STR tax is 3%, not the 6% some sites claim; no city permit exists. June 2026 area ADR was $460.
Quick Answer: Sneads Ferry, North Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Wilmington market area is 75%. average monthly revenue in the Wilmington market area is $8,822. average daily rate in the Wilmington market area is $460. the top operator in the Wilmington market area is Vacasa with 770 listings. market score is 64/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Wilmington regional market, which includes Sneads Ferry. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Sneads Ferry.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Sneads Ferry is unincorporated, with no town government, so short-term rental rules come from Onslow County and North Carolina state law rather than a municipal ordinance. Owners must register and remit the county’s 3% Room Occupancy Tax, levied since 1986. Worth flagging directly: some third-party blogs claim a 6% tax and an annual ‘Sneads Ferry Planning Department’ STR permit, but these are contradicted by official Onslow County sources, the actual rate is 3% and Sneads Ferry has no planning department at all, so treat those specific claims as inaccurate.
Sneads Ferry is a coastal fishing community in Onslow County, population 2,548, near the New River inlet and Topsail Island beaches, known for fresh seafood and its working shrimping port, plus steady traffic tied to nearby Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. The signature local event is the annual Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival each August.
StaySTRA tracks Sneads Ferry’s ADR, occupancy, and revenue at a shared regional level with Wilmington and Ocean Isle Beach, a wide span from Onslow County in the north to Brunswick County in the south, so the figures below describe a broad southeastern North Carolina coast STR market rather than a tight local cluster; Wilmington in particular, population 125,267, is a major coastal city with its own distinct market character compared with Sneads Ferry’s small fishing-village scale. In June 2026, that area STR market posted a blended ADR of $460.25 and 74.9% occupancy, with average monthly revenue of $8,822/listing.
One note on the annual data below: the 2026 row is a January-through-June average, which excludes July, this market’s single highest-revenue month, so it understates the eventual full-year 2026 average. Bedroom mix, listing-type breakdown, and the top-property-manager list are tracked at the same shared regional level rather than uniquely for Sneads Ferry, so this profile omits those breakdowns.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 32% |
| Feb | 45% |
| Mar | 55% |
| Apr | 56% |
| May | 60% |
| Jun | 76% |
| Jul | 81% |
| Aug | 69% |
| Sep | 52% |
| Oct | 47% |
| Nov | 39% |
| Dec | 34% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Sneads Ferry are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Wilmington market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Wilmington market as a whole, which includes Sneads Ferry, so these counts are not Sneads Ferry-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 770 | 18,253 | ★ 4.46 |
| 2 | Oak Island Accommodations | 469 | 2,466 | ★ 4.42 |
| 3 | Better Beach Rentals | 439 | 3,661 | ★ 4.37 |
| 4 | Evolve | 331 | 12,224 | ★ 4.75 |
| 5 | Carolina Retreats by Vtrips | 314 | 3,759 | ★ 4.54 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Sneads Ferry?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Sneads Ferry 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 | 21.3% |
| vrbo | 17% |
| both | 61.7% |
Home Value Trends (Sneads Ferry)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Sneads Ferry 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 Sneads Ferry — 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
Sneads Ferry is an unincorporated community in Onslow County, North Carolina, with no municipal government of its own. There is therefore no town-level short-term rental ordinance; rules come from Onslow County and the State of North Carolina. Owners must register and remit the county’s 3% Room Occupancy Tax, levied since 1986 and collected by the Onslow County Finance Office (due by the 15th of the following month, filed via the GovOS/MuniRevs online portal or paper form).
No dedicated county short-term-rental permit, license, cap on rental nights, or owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement was found in official Onslow County sources; land use is controlled through the county Zoning Ordinance and its Table of Uses, and a zoning permit governs construction and changes of use. Rental agreements themselves are governed by the North Carolina Vacation Rental Act.
An important correction: some third-party blogs claim a 6% tax and an annual ‘Sneads Ferry Planning Department’ STR permit; these are contradicted by official county sources (the actual rate is 3%, and Sneads Ferry has no planning department) and appear inaccurate. Investors should verify current requirements directly with Onslow County Planning & Development and the Finance Office rather than relying on those secondary claims. Enforcement is rated minimal.
Market Comparison
This southeastern North Carolina coast market’s June 2026 occupancy of 74.9% runs well above the commonly cited US STR median of roughly 55%, while its $460.25 blended ADR is well above the roughly $220 US median; its luxury tier ($711.20) is more than three times the national ADR benchmark.
Top-property-manager data is not currently published uniquely for Sneads Ferry in this snapshot (tracked at a shared regional level with Wilmington and Ocean Isle Beach instead), so this profile omits a named-operator comparison. Sneads Ferry’s own scale, population 2,548, is far smaller than cluster-mate Wilmington’s 125,267, a real character difference worth keeping in mind alongside the shared performance numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sneads Ferry, North Carolina
What is the actual short-term rental tax rate in Sneads Ferry, NC?
Does Sneads Ferry have a 'Planning Department' short-term rental permit?
What is the average daily rate for short-term rentals near Sneads Ferry, NC?
Does Sneads Ferry require owner-occupancy for short-term rentals?
What is the gross yield on a Sneads Ferry short-term rental?
What draws visitors to Sneads Ferry?
Analyze Sneads Ferry Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Sneads Ferry.
Free Sneads Ferry STR Calculator →
