Salem, South Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Salem, SC (Upstate SC, Lake Jocassee/Keowee) STR data: $311/night at 55.5% occupancy in June 2026.
Quick Answer: Salem, South Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Lake Hartwell market area is 56%. average monthly revenue in the Lake Hartwell market area is $4,048. average daily rate in the Lake Hartwell market area is $311. the top operator in the Lake Hartwell market area is Evolve with 146 listings. market score is 47/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Lake Hartwell regional market, which includes Salem. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Salem.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Salem is a tiny foothills town of about 120 residents in Oconee County, South Carolina’s ‘Golden Corner,’ serving as the gateway to Lake Jocassee (via Devils Fork State Park, the only public access point) and Lake Keowee. Visitors are overwhelmingly outdoor-recreation travelers: boaters, trout anglers, scuba divers, kayakers, hikers, and waterfall seekers from Upstate SC, Atlanta, and Charlotte.
STRs are legal in and around Salem, but the real practical constraint is private: HOA and subdivision covenants in gated lake communities frequently prohibit short-term rentals or limit them to 30-plus-day stays, and that restriction varies heavily by specific community. County zoning itself is permissive (most land is a ‘Control Free’ district with no use limits), so it’s the HOA layer, not the county, that most often decides whether a specific lakefront property can operate as an Airbnb.
StaySTRA’s Airbnb/Vrbo performance data for this area is tracked at a shared regional level with Anderson, Clemson, Townville, and Westminster rather than uniquely for Salem; treat the following as the Upstate South Carolina area STR market. In June 2026, that market averaged 55.5% occupancy and a $311 ADR, producing $4,048 in average monthly revenue per listing. Year over year, occupancy is up 3.1 points, but ADR is down 3.1% and revenue is down a sharp 11.7%, a continuation of a multi-year softening trend.
StaySTRA does not have listing-type, bedroom-mix, or top-property-manager data broken out at the city level for this area; that data is tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Salem, so this profile omits it.
Using StaySTRA’s housing data, Salem’s typical home value is $569,800, with a notably high median list price ($696,167) reflecting lakefront property premiums.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 29% |
| Feb | 43% |
| Mar | 47% |
| Apr | 48% |
| May | 50% |
| Jun | 60% |
| Jul | 66% |
| Aug | 54% |
| Sep | 45% |
| Oct | 44% |
| Nov | 44% |
| Dec | 35% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Salem are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Lake Hartwell market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Lake Hartwell market as a whole, which includes Salem, so these counts are not Salem-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 146 | 6,530 | ★ 4.75 |
| 2 | Linton Realty | 86 | 5,662 | ★ 4.96 |
| 3 | Cope Property Management | 47 | 913 | ★ 4.76 |
| 4 | Clemson Vacation Rentals | 36 | 667 | ★ 4.88 |
| 5 | Oconee Hospitality | 31 | 1,572 | ★ 4.91 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Salem?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for 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 | 42.3% |
| vrbo | 11.4% |
| both | 46.3% |
Home Value Trends (Salem)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for 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 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
Salem is a very small unincorporated-style community in Oconee County, South Carolina, and STR activity is regulated at the county level rather than by the town. Oconee County requires every short-term rental (any lodging rented to transients for fewer than 90 consecutive days) to register the property through the county’s Host Compliance online portal and to collect and remit the county’s local accommodations tax, 3% in unincorporated areas (1.5% if inside a municipality that also levies the tax).
On top of that, South Carolina charges a state accommodations tax of 7% (5% sales tax plus 2% state accommodations tax), so an operator typically faces roughly a 10% combined lodging tax. Operators must hold an SC Retail License ($50, one-time, from SCDOR) to file accommodations tax, with returns due by the 20th of each month.
Zoning is permissive: most county land is ‘Control Free District’ with no use limits, so there is no owner-occupancy requirement, no primary-residence rule, and no annual night cap. Properties along Lake Keowee and Lake Jocassee fall in the county’s Lake Overlay District, which imposes additional standards.
The main practical constraint is private, not governmental: HOA and subdivision covenants in gated lake communities frequently prohibit or limit rentals to 30-plus days, and this varies heavily by specific community. The county uses monitoring software (Host Compliance) to track compliance, making enforcement moderate but not heavy-handed.
Market Comparison
National benchmarks put the median U.S. short-term rental market at roughly 55% occupancy and a $220 ADR. The Upstate South Carolina area STR market that includes Salem runs close to the occupancy benchmark and well above the ADR benchmark, at 55.5% occupancy and a $311 ADR in June 2026, consistent with a premium lake-house market.
Unlike some of the stronger-growth markets in this batch, the Upstate SC trend is softening: revenue is down 11.7% year over year even as occupancy improved, a rate-driven decline worth monitoring relative to peer Southeast lake markets.
Top property managers in the shared regional market include Evolve (146 listings), Linton Realty (86 listings, a 4.96 rating), and Cope Property Management (47 listings), though StaySTRA does not have this data broken out uniquely for Salem; treat these as regional context rather than Salem-specific figures.
Frequently Asked Questions About Salem, South Carolina
Are short-term rentals legal in Salem, SC?
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Salem?
Does Salem require a permit for short-term rentals?
What is the average occupancy for the Salem area STR market?
When is peak season for short-term rentals near Salem?
What is the typical home value in Salem, SC?
Is the Upstate South Carolina STR market growing or shrinking?
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