Blacksburg, Virginia Short-Term Rental Market
Blacksburg, VA area STRs averaged $209/night at 48.1% occupancy in April 2026, with July peaking at 63% and $4,051 monthly revenue.
Quick Answer: Blacksburg, Virginia is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 48%. average monthly revenue is $2,657. average daily rate is $209. the top operator is Vacasa with 312 listings. market score is 68/100 (grade C).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Blacksburg, Virginia market area covers a broad region of Virginia’s western highlands and Blue Ridge corridor, encompassing gateway communities to Shenandoah National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Smith Mountain Lake, Wintergreen Resort, and the Virginia Tech university town of Blacksburg. The region draws visitors for outdoor recreation, fall foliage, Virginia wine tourism, and university events.
As of April 2026, the market posted an average daily rate of $209 and occupancy of 48.1%, with a RevPAR of $100.58. Year-over-year through April 2026, occupancy was down 1.4% and revenue was essentially flat at +0.19%, while ADR grew 3.7%, indicating pricing held steady as demand softened modestly.
The market contains approximately 9,416 active listings: 8,481 entire-place units, 932 private rooms, and 3 shared rooms. By channel, 4,462 listings are Airbnb-only, 3,981 are cross-listed on both platforms, and 973 are Vrbo-only. By bedroom count, 1-bedroom (2,856) and 3-bedroom (2,265) units lead inventory, followed by 2-bedroom (2,053), 4-bedroom (1,260), and 5-bedroom-plus (962). The 2025 annual average revenue was $3,085/month per listing, up from $2,941 in 2024.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35% | $152 | $1,674 |
| Feb | 45% | $151 | $1,663 |
| Mar | 49% | $166 | $2,074 |
| Apr | 50% | $186 | $2,423 |
| May | 52% | $219 | $2,839 |
| Jun | 58% | $241 | $3,656 |
| Jul | 63% | $238 | $4,051 |
| Aug | 59% | $237 | $3,815 |
| Sep | 49% | $215 | $2,811 |
| Oct | 50% | $203 | $2,834 |
| Nov | 45% | $195 | $2,400 |
| Dec | 40% | $173 | $2,106 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Blacksburg
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 312 | 10,504 | ★ 4.56 |
| 2 | Evolve | 300 | 11,552 | ★ 4.79 |
| 3 | Casago | 93 | 1,125 | ★ 4.58 |
| 4 | Lakefront Luxury | 72 | 3,462 | ★ 4.95 |
| 5 | Blue Ridge Escapes | 57 | 1,928 | ★ 4.78 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Blacksburg?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 2,856 |
| 2 bed | 2,053 |
| 3 bed | 2,265 |
| 4 bed | 1,260 |
| 5 bed | 962 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $221 |
| Luxury | $423 |
| Professionally Managed | $280 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,876 |
| Entire Place | $2,804 |
| House | $2,933 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 47.4% |
| vrbo | 10.3% |
| both | 42.3% |
Investment Analysis
The Blacksburg area presents a mid-range entry cost with solid investability metrics. The Zillow typical home value as of April 2026 was $423,763, with a median list price of $531,583 and 117 properties for sale. Median days to pending was 10, indicating a competitive resale market. The median sale price field was not reported in the current snapshot.
Using the 2025 annual average monthly revenue of $3,085, the annualized gross revenue estimate is approximately $37,020, implying a gross rental yield of roughly 8.7% on a $423,763 asset before expenses, management fees, and taxes. This is an above-average yield for the price range, driven by strong peak summer and shoulder-season demand.
ADR tiering shows a wide spread. Luxury-tier properties averaged $423 per night in April 2026 versus $209 for all listings, a 102% premium, indicating a substantial high-end segment serving premium mountain or lakefront properties. Professionally managed properties averaged $280 per night, 34% above the overall average. Entire-home ADR was $221.
The investability score of 88.6 out of 100 is high, reflecting the combination of a moderate entry price, strong revenue potential, and permissive regulation environment. The total score is 67.8 and regulation score is 69.8. Revenue growth score of 68.3 reflects steady improvement: from $1,971/month in 2017 to $3,085/month in 2025, an 57% gain over eight years.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
April 2026 booking lead time for the Blacksburg area averaged 45.1 days, meaning guests typically book about six and a half weeks before their stay. This moderate lead time supports revenue management, allowing operators to set peak-season pricing well in advance and monitor fill rates as the booking window approaches.
Average length of stay was 3.79 nights in April 2026, reflecting a mix of weekend getaways and partial-week stays typical of nature and recreation-oriented markets. This is slightly longer than pure urban markets but shorter than remote destination resort markets.
At 48.1% April occupancy and 3.79-night average stay, a property would generate roughly 3 to 4 guest stays per month in April. During peak July at 63.1% occupancy with similar stay patterns, that increases to approximately 5 stays per month. Operators offering minimum 3-night stays for weekend bookings can reduce cleaning frequency while capturing the core demand pattern.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are permitted in this market area, but Virginia has no statewide uniform STR permit. The regulatory framework is a local-option patchwork across the counties in the region. Permit cost data was not published in the current dataset.
State law (Virginia Code Section 15.2-983, effective with SB 544 signed April 2024) establishes a hard floor: localities may not require a special exception or conditional use permit for an owner-occupied primary residence used as an STR, if the ordinance was adopted after December 31, 2023. For investor-owned or non-primary-residence STRs, local permit requirements apply and vary by county.
Key county specifics: Shenandoah County requires an annual permit for STRs of 4 bedrooms or fewer; larger properties need a special use permit, with a 5% transient occupancy tax (raised from 2% in October 2023). Warren County requires a conditional use permit in residential subdivisions, with a 5% TOT. Nelson County (Wintergreen area) requires registration, a business license, and WPOA registration for Wintergreen properties, with a 7% TOT (effective July 1, 2024). Franklin County (Smith Mountain Lake) charges 7% TOT and requires annual registry registration; agricultural-zoned properties require a special use permit.
Booking platforms have been required since October 1, 2022 to collect and remit local transient occupancy taxes on behalf of hosts. Effective January 1, 2026, hosts fully using platforms may file an annual attestation rather than monthly zero-returns. Enforcement severity is rated minimal across this region.
Market Comparison
The Blacksburg area’s April 2026 ADR of $209 is near the approximate U.S. STR median ADR of $220. At 48.1% occupancy in April, the market is close to the U.S. annual median of roughly 55% for an individual month, with seasonal peaks well above that level.
The investability score of 88.6 is notably high, ranking this among the more investor-favorable markets in the data set for this asset price tier. The total score of 67.8 and rental demand score of 64.6 indicate solid but not exceptional demand breadth, consistent with a region that sees strong seasonal peaks rather than uniform year-round demand.
Vacasa and Evolve are the largest operators, nearly tied: Vacasa holds 312 listings (10,504 reviews, 4.56 rating) and Evolve holds 300 listings (11,552 reviews, 4.79 rating). Casago holds 93 listings (1,125 reviews, 4.58 rating), Lakefront Luxury holds 72 listings (3,462 reviews, 4.95 rating), and Blue Ridge Escapes holds 57 listings (1,928 reviews, 4.78 rating). The top 5 collectively account for 834 listings out of approximately 9,416 total, or roughly 9% of the market, indicating a largely independent operator base.
Frequently Asked Questions About Blacksburg, Virginia
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