Harrisonburg, Virginia Short-Term Rental Market
Harrisonburg, VA STRs averaged $244/night at 49.5% occupancy in April 2026, with a market total score of 97.9 out of 100.
Quick Answer: Harrisonburg, Virginia is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 53%. average monthly revenue is $3,923. average daily rate is $262. the top operator is Evolve with 130 listings. market score is 98/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the Shenandoah Valley regional market, which includes Harrisonburg. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Harrisonburg.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Harrisonburg is the largest city in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and a regional hub anchored by James Madison University, which drives year-round visitor demand from parents, students, alumni, and event attendees. The city markets itself as the ‘Adventure Capital of the Shenandoah Valley,’ drawing outdoor recreation visitors for mountain biking (a National Geographic Top 10 Mountain Bike Town designation), hiking near the Swift Run Gap entrance to Shenandoah National Park, and the Shenandoah River. Downtown Harrisonburg is Virginia’s first designated Culinary District and an Arts and Cultural District, with a cluster of breweries and restaurants driving leisure visits. Visitor spending reached a record $243 million in 2024, supporting approximately 2,677 jobs and over $13 million in local tax revenue. As of April 2026, the STR market recorded an average daily rate of $244 and occupancy of 49.5%, producing a RevPAR of $121. Year-over-year, occupancy declined 3.2 percentage points while ADR rose 3.4% and average monthly revenue grew 2.8%. The active listing base totals approximately 4,395 units. Entire-place listings dominate at 4,108 (93.5% of supply), with 285 private-room listings and 2 shared-room listings. The bedroom mix is relatively balanced: 1-bedroom units lead at 1,204, followed by 3-bedrooms at 1,123, 2-bedrooms at 1,052, 4-bedrooms at 575, and 5-bedroom-plus properties at 430. By channel, 2,216 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, 1,900 are Airbnb-only, and 279 are VRBO-only. The market’s total score of 97.9 out of 100 and seasonality score of 93.2 signal strong, broadly distributed annual demand.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39% | $215 | $2,496 |
| Feb | 43% | $216 | $2,398 |
| Mar | 45% | $202 | $2,614 |
| Apr | 52% | $209 | $2,926 |
| May | 51% | $225 | $3,065 |
| Jun | 54% | $227 | $3,383 |
| Jul | 60% | $223 | $3,688 |
| Aug | 58% | $220 | $3,593 |
| Sep | 49% | $215 | $2,836 |
| Oct | 57% | $228 | $3,647 |
| Nov | 50% | $223 | $3,105 |
| Dec | 45% | $223 | $2,911 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Harrisonburg
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 130 | 8,129 | ★ 4.69 |
| 2 | TripForth | 123 | 3,960 | ★ 4.62 |
| 3 | Bryce Mountain Escapes | 102 | 1,303 | ★ 4.71 |
| 4 | Be Still Getaways | 51 | 4,986 | ★ 4.92 |
| 5 | Vacay Away Vacation Rentals | 40 | 2,965 | ★ 4.53 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Harrisonburg?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,204 |
| 2 bed | 1,052 |
| 3 bed | 1,123 |
| 4 bed | 575 |
| 5 bed | 430 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $270 |
| Luxury | $424 |
| Professionally Managed | $289 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,101 |
| Entire Place | $4,069 |
| House | $4,300 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 43.2% |
| vrbo | 6.3% |
| both | 50.4% |
Investment Analysis
Harrisonburg presents a compelling investment case with a high market total score of 97.9 and consistent revenue growth. The typical home value as of April 2026 was $352,622, with a median sale price of $343,895 and a median list price of $414,833. The sale-to-list ratio of 0.829 indicates homes are selling at approximately 82.9% of list price on average, which may reflect negotiating room or a mix of property types. At the April 2026 average monthly revenue of $3,353, the annualized revenue run rate of approximately $40,235 implies a gross STR yield of roughly 11.4% on the typical home value, before operating expenses, management fees, and taxes. This is a notably high implied yield relative to the other markets in this analysis. ADR tiers reveal a tight spread between the overall average and professionally managed properties: all-listings ADR was $244, entire-home listings averaged $251, and professionally managed properties also averaged $252, suggesting the market is already well-optimized and professional management adds less incremental ADR lift here than in other markets. Luxury-tier listings averaged $387. The 2025 annual average revenue of $3,490 per month is up from $3,337 in 2024, continuing a recovery from the post-pandemic rebalancing. Revenue growth score of 77.4 and investability score of 89.8 confirm a positive long-term trajectory.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
As of April 2026, the average booking lead time in Harrisonburg was approximately 44 days, and the average length of stay was 3.2 nights. A 44-day lead window gives operators about six weeks to adjust pricing before a stay. The 3.2-night average stay is the shortest of the five markets in this batch, suggesting that Harrisonburg attracts a higher proportion of long-weekend and short-break travelers rather than week-long vacationers, consistent with the university-weekend and drive-market visitor profile. Minimum-stay requirements of two to three nights are likely optimal for most of the calendar, balancing yield with the risk of leaving gaps. Operators should open calendars at least 60 to 90 days out to capture event-driven bookings tied to the JMU academic calendar (parent weekends, graduation, football games) and fall foliage season, which tend to be planned further in advance. Dynamic pricing tools that respond to calendar-specific event demand can capture premium rates around university events.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Harrisonburg adopted its short-term rental zoning framework on March 26, 2019, creating a two-tier system. A Homestay operates by-right (no council approval required) only when the operator resides at the property as a primary resident, rents to 4 or fewer guests, for stays under 30 consecutive nights, fewer than 90 nights per calendar year, in a single-family detached, duplex, or townhouse principal dwelling. Any rental arrangement beyond those limits is classified as a Short-Term Rental and requires a Special Use Permit (SUP) reviewed by the Planning Commission and approved by City Council. The SUP application fee is $425 plus $30 per acre. STRs permitted through the SUP process have no fixed owner-occupancy requirement and no night cap unless City Council attaches conditions. All operators, both homestay and STR, must register annually with the Department of Community Development ($25 per year, renewed January 1 through March 1), obtain a city business license from the Commissioner of Revenue, register for state sales tax, and collect and remit the 7.0% transient occupancy tax monthly by the 20th of the following month. An STR business license cannot be issued until the SUP is approved. Both STRs and homestays are allowed in all zoning districts where residential uses are permitted, including multifamily zones. The discretionary SUP process means new whole-home or non-owner-occupied STRs face council-level review. No major regulatory overhaul was identified in the prior 24 months. Enforcement is classified as moderate.
Market Comparison
Against US STR benchmarks of approximately 55% occupancy and a median ADR near $220, Harrisonburg’s April 2026 ADR of $244 is above the national median while its 49.5% occupancy is below. The above-average ADR, combined with a RevPAR of $121 (the highest of the five markets in this analysis), indicates that Harrisonburg generates strong per-available-night revenue despite moderate occupancy. The five largest operators collectively hold 446 listings, representing about 10% of the 4,395-unit market. Evolve leads with 130 listings and 8,129 reviews at a 4.69 rating. TripForth manages 123 listings with 3,960 reviews at a 4.62 rating. Bryce Mountain Escapes holds 102 listings with 1,303 reviews at a 4.71 rating. Be Still Getaways operates 51 listings with 4,986 reviews at a 4.92 rating, the highest average rating in the top five. Vacay Away Vacation Rentals rounds out the top five with 40 listings and 2,965 reviews at a 4.53 rating. The market’s strong seasonality score of 93.2 signals year-round demand stability, while the total score of 97.9 places Harrisonburg among the top-performing markets in the data set.
Frequently Asked Questions About Harrisonburg, Virginia
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