Luray, Virginia Short-Term Rental Market
Shenandoah Valley STRs averaged $262 ADR, 48.5% occupancy and $3,541 monthly revenue in September 2026.
Quick Answer: Luray, Virginia is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Shenandoah Valley market area is 48%. average monthly revenue in the Shenandoah Valley market area is $3,541. average daily rate in the Shenandoah Valley market area is $262. the top operator in the Shenandoah Valley market area is Evolve with 130 listings. market score is 98/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the Shenandoah Valley regional market, which includes Luray. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Luray.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
This page covers short-term rental performance for Luray, Virginia, using data through September 2026. Performance figures are tracked at the Shenandoah Valley level, a shared regional series, so every performance number below describes the Shenandoah Valley STR market rather than Luray alone. In September 2026 the average daily rate across all listings was $262, occupancy was 48.5%, and average monthly revenue per listing was $3,541. Compared with a year earlier, occupancy is up 10.0%, ADR is up 4.4%, and revenue is up 19.8%, so the recent gain came from both more booked nights and higher rates.
Entire homes earned an ADR of $270, luxury listings reached $418, and professionally managed listings averaged $275. Through the first nine months of 2026, occupancy has averaged 48.8% with an ADR of $258 and monthly revenue of $3,552, close to the 2025 full-year figures of 48.8%, $250 and $3,480. The longer view shows a market that peaked in 2021 at 62.1% occupancy and $3,818 in monthly revenue, then settled near 49% occupancy while rates kept climbing from $225 in 2021 to $258 in 2026.
Bedroom, channel and listing-type counts, along with top operator names, are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Luray, so this profile omits them.
Luray itself has a population of 4,827 and draws about 500,000 visitors a year, mostly through Luray Caverns. It serves as a western gateway to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive. Demand comes mainly from drive-market travelers in the Washington D.C., Northern Virginia and Mid-Atlantic corridors, with spring through fall the strongest season. Short-term rentals are legal in town but require a Special Use Permit, covered in the regulatory section below.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 39% |
| Feb | 43% |
| Mar | 45% |
| Apr | 52% |
| May | 51% |
| Jun | 54% |
| Jul | 59% |
| Aug | 58% |
| Sep | 49% |
| Oct | 57% |
| Nov | 50% |
| Dec | 45% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Luray are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Shenandoah Valley market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Shenandoah Valley market as a whole, which includes Luray, so these counts are not Luray-only figures.
| # | 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 Luray?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Luray 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 | 43.2% |
| vrbo | 6.3% |
| both | 50.4% |
Home Value Trends (Luray)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Luray 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 Luray — 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 legal in the Town of Luray, but approval is discretionary rather than by-right. Any non-hotel rental of under 30 days is treated as a lodging house and requires a Special Use Permit, granted by the Planning Commission and Town Council after a public hearing. Reviewers weigh neighborhood impact and the concentration of other lodging houses on the same street, and they consider the applicant’s compliance history. Investors should expect the public hearing to be the main hurdle and budget for the timeline.
Operators also need a Town business license, Virginia sales tax registration, and must collect and remit the Town’s 6% Transient Occupancy Tax. That rate was raised from 5% in April 2022 and held at 6% in the FY26 budget. It is separate from Page County’s 10% tax, which applies outside town limits. The permit renews annually. A permit cost is not published.
Recently approved permits have carried standard conditions: occupancy capped at six guests, off-street parking for all guest vehicles, and a single identification sign no larger than four square feet.
There is no documented owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement, and no town-wide numeric limit on permits. On March 10, 2025 the Town Council adopted a lodging house resolution by a 4-1 vote that formalized the evaluation criteria and referred a possible zoning amendment, Article V, Section 519, to the Planning Commission. No cap or ban was imposed. The town counted roughly 41 lodging operations in early 2025, and STRs were about 5% of the housing stock. Enforcement severity is rated moderate, and reviews have flagged unregistered rentals that skip licensing and tax payments.
Market Comparison
The Shenandoah Valley STR market earned a $262 ADR on 48.5% occupancy in September 2026, so it earns its revenue through rate rather than volume.
The pattern is consistent over time. Annual occupancy has stayed between 48.6% and 49.9% since 2023, while ADR has risen from $223 in 2023 to $258 in 2026 year to date. Occupancy is also recovering, with a 10.0% year-over-year gain in the latest month.
Luray’s draw comes from a specific set of attractions: Luray Caverns, Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive, and the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. These support premium pricing from nearby drive-market travelers, but the strong seasonality limits how many nights a property can fill, especially from December through March.
Top operator rankings are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Luray, so this profile omits them. Investors comparing Luray with other markets should weigh the higher rates and permit requirement against occupancy that sits below 50%.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luray, Virginia
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How much revenue does a Luray area short-term rental earn?
Do you need a permit to run a short-term rental in Luray?
What are the best months for Luray short-term rentals?
How far ahead do guests book and how long do they stay?
What does a typical home cost in the Luray area?
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