Outer Banks Vacation Rental Revenue in 2026
The Outer Banks (OBX) — the barrier-island stretch of North Carolina from Corolla to Hatteras — is one of the East Coast's classic large-home vacation-rental markets. Wide beaches, multi-family "reunion" houses and strong repeat demand make it attractive, but revenue is highly seasonal and highly dependent on property size and oceanfront proximity.
Based on live STRmetrics data from public Airbnb listings on 2026-07-02, the median Outer Banks listing is running a forward occupancy of 75.6% over the next 90 nights at a median nightly rate of $274.
Key Outer Banks Revenue Benchmarks
- Median ADR: $274 / night
- Forward occupancy (next 90 nights): 75.6%
- RevPAR (revenue per available night): $207
- Estimated monthly revenue per listing: $6,298
- Estimated annual revenue per listing: $75,577
What Drives Outer Banks Revenue
OBX is a summer-dominant market — the bulk of annual revenue is earned between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when weekly bookings of large oceanfront homes drive both occupancy and ADR to their peaks. This concentration is why the forward-90-day occupancy of 75.6% reads high: it captures peak-season booking pace. Oceanfront position, private pools, and 4+ bedroom capacity are the biggest revenue levers here.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
On the Outer Banks, size is the dominant driver of nightly rate — larger homes command steep premiums:
- 1BR: median ADR $213/night (from 9 live listings sampled)
- 2BR: median ADR $333/night (from 4 live listings sampled)
- 3BR: median ADR $642/night (from 2 live listings sampled)
- 4BR: median ADR $311/night (from 1 live listing sampled)
Underwriting an Outer Banks Rental in 2026
A typical listing shows an estimated $75,577 in annual revenue, but the range across the islands is enormous — a compact soundside 1-bedroom and a 6-bedroom oceanfront home live in completely different revenue tiers. Because so much income is packed into the summer weeks, small changes in peak-season pricing and minimum-stay rules move the annual number materially. Benchmark the exact town, bedroom count and oceanfront tier before you buy.
STRmetrics provides live Outer Banks occupancy, ADR and revenue estimates — and the same data for every U.S. STR market — via API, so you can underwrite and price with real marketplace numbers.