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 in the Virginia Area market area is 54%. average monthly revenue in the Virginia Area market area is $4,228. average daily rate in the Virginia Area market area is $285. the top operator in the Virginia Area market area is Vacasa with 312 listings. market score is 68/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Virginia Area regional market, which includes Blacksburg. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Blacksburg.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA 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 |
|---|---|
| Jan | 35% |
| Feb | 45% |
| Mar | 49% |
| Apr | 50% |
| May | 51% |
| Jun | 58% |
| Jul | 63% |
| Aug | 59% |
| Sep | 49% |
| Oct | 50% |
| Nov | 45% |
| Dec | 40% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Blacksburg are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Virginia Area market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Virginia Area market as a whole, which includes Blacksburg, so these counts are not Blacksburg-only figures.
| # | 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 nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Blacksburg 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 | 47.4% |
| vrbo | 10.3% |
| both | 42.3% |
Home Value Trends (Blacksburg)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Blacksburg 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 Blacksburg — 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
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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