Winston Salem, North Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Winston-Salem has no STR license; Piedmont Triad August ADR $153, occupancy 58.3%, revenue $2,539 per listing.
Quick Answer: Winston Salem, North Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Winston-Salem/Greensboro market area is 56%. average monthly revenue in the Winston-Salem/Greensboro market area is $2,325. average daily rate in the Winston-Salem/Greensboro market area is $154. the top operator in the Winston-Salem/Greensboro market area is Evolve with 128 listings. market score is 76/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the Winston-Salem/Greensboro regional market, which includes Winston Salem. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Winston Salem.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Apivex reports Winston-Salem performance data as part of a shared Piedmont Triad series. The same figures also appear for Greensboro, High Point, and Lexington. All performance numbers on this page therefore describe the Piedmont Triad STR market, not Winston-Salem alone. In August 2026, the newest month in the data, the Piedmont Triad market posted an average daily rate (ADR) of $153, occupancy of 58.3%, and average revenue of $2,539 per listing for the month.
Year over year, ADR rose 3.9%, occupancy was flat at a 0.02% decline, and revenue rose 0.2%. Across 2025, the annual averages were an ADR of $148, occupancy of 55.9%, and monthly revenue of $2,356. The first eight months of 2026 average an ADR of $151, occupancy of 57.9%, and monthly revenue of $2,451, so 2026 is running ahead of 2025 on all three measures.
Winston-Salem itself has 258,880 residents. The area profile reports more than 7 million visitors a year, and Forsyth County visitor spending topped $1.05 billion in 2023. Visitors include heritage and arts travelers drawn to Old Salem and Reynolda House, university-connected visitors from Wake Forest, and business and convention guests at the Benton Convention Center. The profile also notes that hotel revenue rose about 11% since mid-2024, which suggests the wider lodging market in the city has been growing. Old Salem is a restored 18th-century Moravian town, and Reynolda Village adds shopping and dining. Listing counts, listing-type mix, and bedroom mix are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Winston-Salem, so this profile omits them.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 47% |
| Feb | 57% |
| Mar | 60% |
| Apr | 63% |
| May | 57% |
| Jun | 63% |
| Jul | 64% |
| Aug | 61% |
| Sep | 58% |
| Oct | 62% |
| Nov | 51% |
| Dec | 52% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Winston Salem are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Winston-Salem/Greensboro market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Winston-Salem/Greensboro market as a whole, which includes Winston Salem, so these counts are not Winston Salem-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 128 | 3,605 | ★ 4.62 |
| 2 | Whatever it Takes Solutions, LLC | 55 | 444 | ★ 4.49 |
| 3 | Morenito | 40 | 1,733 | ★ 4.74 |
| 4 | Blue Skies Property Management | 36 | 1,296 | ★ 4.96 |
| 5 | Bruins Properties | 31 | 1,176 | ★ 4.89 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Winston Salem?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Winston Salem 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 | 61.1% |
| vrbo | 3.7% |
| both | 35.2% |
Home Value Trends (Winston Salem)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Winston Salem 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 Winston Salem — 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
Winston-Salem does not run a dedicated short-term rental license or registration program. North Carolina state law largely bars cities from requiring permits or registration as a condition of renting residential property short term. The city instead relies on its Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), which sets where STRs are a permitted use by zoning district, plus general building, housing, and safety codes such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and egress. There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement.
Hosts pay North Carolina state sales and use tax of 6.75% in Forsyth County plus a 6% Forsyth County room occupancy tax. Airbnb collects and remits state sales tax for hosts. Hosts are generally responsible for registering with the county and remitting the 6% occupancy tax.
Enforcement is minimal and driven by complaints and zoning. Because residential districts may restrict transient lodging, confirm your property’s zoning with the Winston-Salem Planning and Development Services Department before you buy or list. Officials in Winston-Salem and Greensboro have been debating accessory dwelling units and STR growth amid housing affordability concerns. As of mid-2026 no STR licensing ordinance has been adopted, so regulation remains zoning-based. The 2023 North Carolina law on accessory dwelling units allows them by right in single-dwelling districts, which may affect STR supply.
Market Comparison
The Piedmont Triad STR market posted 58.3% occupancy in August 2026, above the rough US STR median of about 55%. Its ADR of $153 is about 30% below the US median of roughly $220. This is a lower-rate, steady-occupancy market, and the 2025 annual averages of 55.9% occupancy and a $148 ADR sit close to the national occupancy figure.
August year over year shows rates up 3.9% and occupancy flat, so the market is growing slowly. Winston-Salem specific results can differ from the regional average.
Top-operator rankings are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Winston-Salem, so this profile omits them. The Winston-Salem facts to weigh are a typical home value of $267,668, a 6% county occupancy tax, a zoning-based regulatory approach, and a visitor base of more than 7 million people a year. Compared with national medians, it is an affordable entry market with moderate rates.
Frequently Asked Questions About Winston Salem, North Carolina
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What taxes apply to STRs in Winston-Salem?
How much do STRs earn in the Piedmont Triad market that includes Winston-Salem?
What is the best month for STRs in this market?
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