Nellysford, Virginia Short-Term Rental Market
The Nellysford area STR market averaged $265 a night at 46.3% occupancy in June 2026 near Wintergreen Resort.
Quick Answer: Nellysford, Virginia is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Charlottesville market area is 46%. average monthly revenue in the Charlottesville market area is $3,568. average daily rate in the Charlottesville market area is $265. the top operator in the Charlottesville market area is Wintergreen Resort with 219 listings. market score is 92/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the Charlottesville regional market, which includes Nellysford. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Nellysford.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Nellysford area short-term rental market, the commercial hub of Nelson County’s Route 151 brewery and winery trail and gateway to Wintergreen Resort, sits within a wider central Virginia Blue Ridge market that tracks 3,116 listings as of June 2026; the listing-mix figures below reflect that shared regional data set rather than Nellysford alone. The Nellysford area’s own STR performance averaged $265.16 a night (ADR) at 46.3% occupancy, generating an average of $3,568 in monthly revenue per listing. Revenue is up 8.5% year over year and ADR is up 6.6%, while occupancy is down 3.3%, meaning rate gains are outpacing softer bookings.
The listing mix across this regional market is dominated by entire places: 2,898 of the 3,116 listings (93.0%) are whole units, with 217 (7.0%) private rooms and 1 shared room. Of the 3,112 listings with bedroom data on file, 1-bedroom units are the largest group at 1,066 (34.3%), followed by 2-bedroom units at 783 (25.2%) and 3-bedroom units at 630 (20.2%). Larger 4-bedroom and 5-bedroom properties account for 357 (11.5%) and 276 (8.9%) of the market.
Channel distribution across the region favors dual listing: 1,508 properties (48.4%) are marketed on both Airbnb and Vrbo, 1,412 (45.3%) are Airbnb only, and 196 (6.3%) are Vrbo only.
Revenue varies by property type in the Nellysford area itself: apartment-style units average $2,086 a month, entire-place units average $3,688, and standalone houses average $4,268, the highest of the three.
Nellysford has a population of about 1,254 and is the gateway to Wintergreen Resort, an 11,000-acre four-season Blue Ridge Mountain resort; countywide visitor spending reached $90.9 million in 2023, supporting about 864 tourism jobs.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 43% |
| Feb | 48% |
| Mar | 43% |
| Apr | 51% |
| May | 51% |
| Jun | 51% |
| Jul | 57% |
| Aug | 57% |
| Sep | 51% |
| Oct | 58% |
| Nov | 49% |
| Dec | 44% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Nellysford are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Charlottesville market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Charlottesville market as a whole, which includes Nellysford, so these counts are not Nellysford-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wintergreen Resort | 219 | 187 | ★ 4.62 |
| 2 | Evolve | 90 | 5,297 | ★ 4.80 |
| 3 | Be Still Getaways | 76 | 2,924 | ★ 4.88 |
| 4 | Lydia Mountain Lodge and Log Cabin | 63 | 1,406 | ★ 4.76 |
| 5 | Guesthouses | 58 | 2,507 | ★ 4.89 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Nellysford?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Nellysford 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 | 45.3% |
| vrbo | 6.3% |
| both | 48.4% |
Home Value Trends (Nellysford)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Nellysford 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 Nellysford — 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 and common in the Nellysford area, but operators must comply with several Nelson County requirements. First, obtain a Nelson County business license from the Commissioner of the Revenue, renewed annually on or before March 1.
As of a July 8, 2025 amendment, zoning approval from the Planning and Zoning department must be obtained before the business license is issued, so operators should confirm the STR use is permitted on a specific parcel with the Director of Planning and Zoning before listing. Vacation houses with more than five bedrooms face additional requirements.
Operators must collect and remit the county’s 7.0% local transient occupancy tax; effective July 1, 2024, third-party platforms including Airbnb, Vrbo, and Evolve are required to collect and remit this tax on hosts’ behalf. There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement and no published annual night cap.
Enforcement is rated moderate. The county is actively maintaining an STR inventory and overhauling its broader zoning and subdivision ordinance, with STR related rules expected to be revised in the 2025 and 2026 winter timeframe, so requirements may tighten. Investors should verify parcel-level zoning before purchase, since Wintergreen and rural residential areas may be treated differently.
Market Comparison
The Nellysford area’s 46.3% occupancy runs below the national short-term rental median of roughly 55%, about 8.7 percentage points lower, while its $265.16 ADR is roughly 20.5% above a national median ADR of about $220. This below-average occupancy paired with an above-average rate is typical of a seasonal mountain resort market with real pricing power but softer year-round booking volume than the strongest markets in this batch.
Wintergreen Resort itself is the leading operator in this market, holding the top spot with 219 listings (7.0% of the region’s 3,116 tracked listings) and a 4.62 average rating, reflecting the resort’s dominant on-site rental program. Evolve is second with 90 listings (2.9% share) and 5,297 reviews at 4.80. Be Still Getaways ranks third with 76 listings (2.4% share) and 2,924 reviews at 4.88. Together, these top three account for about 12.4% of tracked listings across this regional market, indicating a market anchored by one dominant resort operator alongside smaller local specialists like Lydia Mountain Lodge and Log Cabin.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nellysford, Virginia
What is the average Airbnb occupancy rate in the Nellysford, VA area?
What is the average nightly rate for a vacation rental near Nellysford, VA?
Do I need county approval to run a short-term rental near Nellysford?
How much revenue does the average Nellysford area short-term rental generate per month?
When is peak season for vacation rentals near Wintergreen / Nellysford?
Who are the top property managers operating near Wintergreen Resort and Nellysford?
What lodging tax applies to short-term rentals near Nellysford?
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