Virginia Beach, VA short-term rental market report (2026)
Virginia Beach city, Virginia. Rules, revenue, home values, demand, climate, reach and risk, each figure with its source.
- RulesStrict (4/5)
- Average revenue$53K a year
- 4-BR typical value$523K
- Gross yield10.1%
- FEMA riskRelatively Low
- Demand drivers within 50 mi4
Everything STR HUB holds on Virginia Beach, VA in one place, in the order an investor needs it: whether you can operate, what the numbers are, why and when people come, who can reach it, and what could go wrong.
Every figure comes from a named dataset listed under Sources and method, dated September 21, 2026. Where we do not hold a figure, that part of the report is left out rather than estimated.
Can you operate in Virginia Beach?
What the rating rests on: Virginia Beach requires a conditional use permit (CUP) approved by City Council for most new STR properties.
Rules change, and a city rating does not cover HOA or deed restrictions. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction before you buy or list.
Which way the rules are moving
Stable. The rules we hold report no recent or pending change.
Classified from the regulation text we publish; a direction is only kept when the sentence it rests on appears word for word in that text.
The numbers
Revenue
Gross market averages from STR HUB market analytics, the same figures shown on the market page. They are before cleaning, management, utilities, taxes and financing, and an individual property can earn more or less.
Home values in Virginia Beach city
Zillow Home Value Index: county-wide typical values for Virginia Beach city, not list prices. A specific property can sit well above or below them.
Gross yield
Gross yield is before every operating cost and before financing. It is a screening ratio, not a cash-on-cash return.
What it costs to own
Screening figures, not a bill or a quote. The tax rate is a county-wide median for owner-occupied homes (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018-2022); second homes and rentals are often taxed more heavily, and a purchase usually resets the assessed value. Expected annual loss is from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Housing market momentum
County-level, for-sale housing market: it says nothing directly about STR bookings. A relative ranking among tracked markets, not a forecast. Sources: Realtor.com Economic Research, U.S. Census Bureau, Zillow Home Value Index.
Why people come
4 demand drivers sit within 50 miles of Virginia Beach, 1 of them new, planned or one-off (flagged emerging). Ordered by published attendance. Attendance appears only where a source publishes it.
Attractions
- Atlantic Park emerging: newly opened
- When
- Year-round
- STR angle
- A brand-new demand generator at the north end of the Virginia Beach oceanfront; draws surf tourism plus concert/event traffic at The Dome, supporting multi-night stays in nearby STRs beyond the traditional summer-beach season.
- Source
- Wikipedia - Wavegarden
Parks and public lands
- Virginia Beach
- When
- Beach season, Memorial Day-Labor Day, is peak.
- STR angle
- The largest resort city on the mid-Atlantic coast, with a very large oceanfront hotel/condo and STR market.
Landmarks
- Historic Jamestowne & Yorktown Battlefield (Colonial National Historical Park)
- When
- Year-round; busiest months by 2025 NPS recreation visits were May, Jun, Jul.
- Attendance
- 1,582,994 (NPS recreation visits, full calendar year 2025 — covers the whole park, including the Colonial Parkway. Wikipedia's infobox shows 2,762,273 for 2022, so the 2025 figure is markedly lower)
- STR angle
- The two ends of the Historic Triangle bracket Williamsburg and are part of the same multi-day family itinerary. Yorktown's small riverfront adds beach and sailing appeal, so waterfront and village houses there pick up both history travellers and Hampton Roads weekenders.
- Colonial Williamsburg
- When
- Year-round; spring break, summer and the December Grand Illumination season peak.
- STR angle
- The 301-acre restored capital is a multi-day family trip usually paired with Jamestown, Yorktown and the local theme parks, so stays of three to five nights are common. Three- and four-bedroom houses and condos compete with a large timeshare inventory, which keeps a lid on rates outside peak weeks.
When they come
Four-season climate: comfortable months are spread across the year without one dominant season. 7 of 12 months have an average high between 60°F and 88°F. Warmest month: July (average high 86°F). Coldest: January (average low 38°F).
- Jan50°38°Cool
- Feb53°40°Cool
- Mar59°45°Cool
- Apr66°52°Comfortable
- May72°60°Comfortable
- Jun80°68°Comfortable
- Jul86°74°Comfortable
- Aug84°73°Comfortable
- Sep79°69°Comfortable
- Oct70°59°Comfortable
- Nov60°48°Cool
- Dec54°42°Cool
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high (°F) | 50 | 53 | 59 | 66 | 72 | 80 | 86 | 84 | 79 | 70 | 60 | 54 |
| Average low (°F) | 38 | 40 | 45 | 52 | 60 | 68 | 74 | 73 | 69 | 59 | 48 | 42 |
| Precipitation (in) | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 5.2 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 4.2 |
| Snowfall (in) | 2.3 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Sunshine (hours a day) | 6.8 | 6.6 | 8.6 | 10.4 | 11.1 | 11.8 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.9 | 8.5 | 7.7 | 6.9 |
This is climate and events, not booking data. Monthly normals are 2019-2023 averages from the Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (ERA5 reanalysis) at the market pin. We do not hold monthly occupancy or rate data for this market.
Who can reach it
Largest counties within 150 miles
| County | Population |
|---|---|
| Prince George's County, MD | 957,189 |
| Virginia Beach city, VA | 457,900 |
| Chesterfield County, VA | 366,019 |
County populations (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018-2022) summed for every county whose centre lies within each straight-line radius. Straight lines are shorter than roads, so read these as generous upper bounds, not drive-time counts.
What could go wrong
| Hazard | FEMA rating | Score (0-100) |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 88.9 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 67.5 |
| Coastal flooding | Relatively Moderate | 67.4 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 66.7 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 55.8 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 54.7 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 37.3 |
| River flooding | Very Low | 27.9 |
This is a county-level index, not an insurance quote or a flood-zone determination. A coastal or wildfire-fringe rental can carry far more exposure than its county average suggests. Get property-level flood, wind and wildfire quotes before you buy.
Market context
Housing and jobs in Virginia Beach city
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2018-2022. Vacation-home share is housing units held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. All three describe the whole county, not one town or neighbourhood.
What is within 15 km of the Virginia Beach pin
Counts of features mapped in OpenStreetMap within 15 km of the market pin. A fixed radius favours dense metros, and map coverage varies by area.
Similar markets
The 4 tracked markets whose numbers sit closest to Virginia Beach's. Each links to its own report.
Closest by normalised distance across the figures both markets hold (typical 4BR value, revenue, occupancy, regulation rating, vacation-home share, tourism job share, 4+ bedroom share, amenity score, population within 300 miles, comfortable months and FEMA risk score). At most 2 of the 4 come from Virginia, so the list is not just the neighbours. Similar numbers do not mean similar rules: check each market's regulation section.
See Virginia Beach on the map
Open Virginia Beach on the National STR Map to see it against its neighbours, switch overlays and run the deal calculator on your own assumptions.
Virginia Beach STR questions, answered from the data
Is Airbnb legal in Virginia Beach?
STR HUB rates Virginia Beach's short-term rental rules 4/5 (Strict) on a scale from 1 (relaxed) to 5 (very strict). That rating was derived from the regulation text we hold and has not yet been reviewed by a person. Rules change, so confirm current requirements with the local jurisdiction before you buy or list.
How much does an Airbnb make in Virginia Beach?
The average short-term rental in Virginia Beach, VA grosses $53,000 a year, on a $235 average nightly rate and 62% occupancy. That ranks #57 of the 88 tracked markets with revenue data. It is a gross market average before cleaning, management, taxes and financing, and an individual property can earn more or less.
How much does a 4-bedroom home cost in Virginia Beach?
The typical 4-bedroom home in Virginia Beach city is valued at $522,685 (Zillow Home Value Index), and the typical home of any size at $427,536, with all-home values up 3.3% over the past year. These are county-wide typical values, not list prices.
What is the gross rental yield in Virginia Beach?
10.1%: average annual short-term rental revenue of $53,000 divided by the county's typical 4-bedroom home value of $522,685. It is before every operating cost and before financing, so treat it as a screening ratio, not a cash-on-cash return.
What brings visitors to Virginia Beach?
4 demand drivers sit within 50 miles of Virginia Beach, including Historic Jamestowne & Yorktown Battlefield (Colonial National Historical Park) (1,582,994 published attendance), Atlantic Park and Colonial Williamsburg. Attendance is shown only where a source publishes it, and each driver's source is linked in the report.
Sources and method
- Regulation summary and strictness rating: STR Agent HUB regulation research.
- Revenue, nightly rate and occupancy: STR Agent HUB market analytics.
- Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), county level. Data provided by Zillow Group.
- Housing, employment and population figures: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2018-2022.
- Natural hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, county level.
- Amenity counts: © OpenStreetMap contributors.
- Climate normals: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (CC BY 4.0), 2019-2023 averages.
- Demand drivers: each entry links its own published source in the list above.
Figures come from the STR HUB national dataset dated September 21, 2026 and this page is regenerated whenever that dataset is rebuilt. County-level figures describe Virginia Beach city as a whole, not one street or neighbourhood. The Opportunity Score (0-100) is a screening heuristic that weighs revenue (35%), regulatory climate (25%), tourism employment (15%), nearby amenities (15%) and large-home supply (10%) relative to the other tracked markets.
Confirm before you act. Short-term rental rules change. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction, and work with a licensed local agent who knows which properties can legally operate. This report is screening data, not investment, legal or tax advice.
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