Airbnb market dataThrough 267 listingsHow we measure
Yes, with caveats. Chapel Hill’s Airbnb market posts a median annual revenue of $27,367, with 47% occupancy and a $153 ADR (Chalet data).
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Written from an earlier data window, so some figures differ from the live numbers above.
Chalet AI
A typical active Chapel Hill Airbnb earned $27,367 in the 12 months to Sep 2026. The top 25% of listings averaged $48,679, about 1.8× that. The bottom 25%, which includes rarely booked listings, averaged $1,657.
$1.7k
Bottom 25% average
$27.4k
Typical listing
$48.7k
Top 25% average
1-bedroom homes are the most common in Chapel Hill (47% of listings).
| Bedrooms |
|---|
The best three months, Sep, Apr and Mar, brought in 29% of a typical Chapel Hill listing's revenue over the 12 months to Sep 2026.
Sep brings in 2.1× as much as Dec
Typical monthly revenue per listing, Oct 2025–Sep 2026
27517 has the highest gross yield of the 3 Chapel Hill zipcodes we rank, at 5.0%, with typical revenue of $33,650 a year.
Ranked by gross yield (typical yearly revenue ÷ median home value), last 12 months.
Yield isn't everything: zoning and HOA rules decide which streets allow short-term rentals.
The median Chapel Hill home is worth $631,034 (Zillow, Aug 2026), down 0.7% in a year. At typical revenue that's a 4.3% gross yield, before the mortgage, taxes and running costs.
Chapel Hill ranks #25 of the 25 North Carolina markets we track by gross yield.
| # | Market | Gross yield | Revenue/yr | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | High Point, NC | 16.7% | $41,742 | |
| 2 | Fayetteville, NC | 12.9% | $29,005 | |
| 3 | Greensboro, NC | 12.4% | $32,755 | |
| 4 | Bryson City, NC |
None listed in Chapel Hill right now, so here are others in North Carolina.
A typical active Airbnb in Chapel Hill, NC earned $27,367 in the 12 months to Sep 2026. The median listing was booked 47% of nights, and the average nightly rate was $153 in Sep 2026. Against a median home value of $631,034, that's a 4.3% gross yield before the mortgage, taxes and running costs.
A typical active listing earned $27,367 in the 12 months to Sep 2026. The top 25% of listings averaged $48,679 and the bottom 25% $1,657. Estimated by size: 1-bedroom about $17,370; 2-bedroom about $30,240; 3-bedroom about $52,010 and 4-bedroom about $50,852 a year.
The typical listing was booked 47% of nights in the 12 months to Sep 2026, from 50% in October to 36% in December.
Based on 267 Chapel Hill short-term rental listings tracked by Chalet, with data through Sep 2026. Home values come from the Zillow Home Value Index.
Airbnb data sites count different things. Some average every listing, including ones that are rarely booked; some use a whole metro area instead of the town; some use a calendar year. We show typical figures for active listings in Chapel Hill over the last 12 months, and label each number with what it counts. Compare like with like before comparing sites.
| Share of listings |
|---|
| Nightly rate |
|---|
| Occupancy |
|---|
| Est. revenue/yr |
|---|
| Studio | 2% | $123 | 55% | $24,527 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | 47% | $99 | 48% | $17,370 |
| 2 bedrooms | 26% | $181 | 46% | $30,240 |
| 3 bedrooms | 13% | $297 | 48% | $52,010 |
| 4 bedrooms | 7% | $389 | 36% | $50,852 |
| 5 bedrooms | 4% | $570 | 25% | $52,280 |
Estimated revenue = nightly rate × occupancy × 365, last 12 months.
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Estimate its revenue, costs and cash flow with Chapel Hill's numbers.
| Month | Revenue | Occupancy | Nightly rate | Revenue a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | $1,979 | 50% | $139 | |
| Nov 2025 | $2,399 | 50% | $131 | |
| Dec 2025 | $1,445 | 36% | $127 | |
| Jan 2026 | $1,953 | 47% | $140 | |
| Feb 2026 | $2,140 | 46% | $153 | |
| Mar 2026 | $2,559 | 45% | $141 | |
| Apr 2026 | $2,601 | 48% | $166 | |
| May 2026 | $2,148 | 48% | $170 | |
| Jun 2026 | $2,491 | 48% | $171 | |
| Jul 2026 | $2,402 | 50% | $163 | |
| Aug 2026 | $2,398 | 45% | $165 | |
| Sep 2026 | $2,853 | 38% | $171 |
Yes, Airbnbs are legal in Chapel Hill with a required zoning compliance permit and adherence to zoning restrictions.
No, Chapel Hill does not require a separate business license for STRs, including Airbnb.
Yes, owner-occupied STRs may be restricted by an HOA. (Source: https://www.avalara.com/mylodgetax/en/blog/2023/05/state-of-the-state-north-carolina-str-rules.html)
STRs in Chapel Hill are subject to a 7% state/local sales tax and a 3% Orange County occupancy tax, totaling 10%.
The 10 largest operators in Chapel Hill each ran 5 or more listings as of May 2025.
and 3 more
Of guests from the top 10 cities, 85% live within a day's drive.
and 3 more
| 11.4% |
| $36,662 |
| 5 | Mooresville, NC | 11.3% | $54,143 |
|---|
| 6 | Waynesville, NC | 11.2% | $39,902 |
|---|
| 7 | Winston Salem, NC | 10.1% | $26,461 |
|---|
| 8 | Charlotte, NC | 9.3% | $36,442 |
|---|
| 25 | Chapel Hill, NC (this market) | 4.3% | $27,367 |
|---|
Buying here?
A Chapel Hill STR agent knows which properties and streets work as short-term rentals.
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Get matched with a listing agent who sells short-term rentals here.
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September; April and March earned the most, bringing in 29% of a typical listing's revenue in the 12 months to Sep 2026.
$631,034 as of August 2026 (Zillow Home Value Index), down 0.7% in a year.
1-bedroom homes make up 47% of listings, earning an estimated $17,370 a year.
The top origin cities are Charlotte, NC (4.8% of guests); Chapel Hill, NC (4.0% of guests) and Asheville, NC (2.7% of guests). Of guests from the top 10 cities, 85% live within a day's drive.
Chalet tracks 267 short-term rental listings in Chapel Hill, NC, with data through Sep 2026.
For education only, not financial, legal or investment advice. Full methodology
