Best Southeast Coastal Markets for Short-Term Rental Investment in 2026

Thomas Garner
Jul 8
10 min read

AirDNA leaderboards answer "where is ADR highest?" Investors need "where can I defend this purchase to a partner or lender?" — and those are different questions. The Southeast coast in 2026 rewards a transparent scoring framework that weighs demand depth, regulation friction, seasonality concentration, entry cost, and operating complexity alongside raw revenue. A market with $416 ADR and 60% occupancy means little if 55% of gross concentrates in eight summer weeks, oceanfront entry runs $1.5M+, and a pending ordinance could cap supply next session. A market with a $276 ADR and 54% occupancy might produce a better risk-adjusted yield when regulation is permissive, feeders are drive-market loyal, and acquisition cost is half that of the premium tier. This investor-facing pillar compares the silo's named markets with grounded specifics and an editorial scoring lens that accounts for regulatory and seasonality risk — variables that data-platform pages systematically underweight. Directional AirROI figures from the June 2025–May 2026 window.

The Scoring Framework: Five Variables That Decide "Where and Why"

Rate each market 1–5 on five dimensions. A thoughtful investor weighs regulation friction and seasonality concentration as heavily as ADR. First, demand depth: visitor volume, feeder-market durability, repeat visitation, and convention/event anchors — markets with 10M+ annual visitors and a drive-market insulation score higher than that of thin specialty coasts. Second, regulation friction: permits, caps, litigation, registration cost, minimum-stay rules, and legislative tail risk, where post-Schroeder NC scores high while Key West license scarcity and Tybee litigation score low. Third, seasonality concentration, or the share of annual revenue in peak months — OBX and Grand Strand summer concentration (55–65% June–August) scores lower than Destin/30A shoulder strength or Savannah's spring-fall dual peak. Fourth, entry cost: oceanfront acquisition, condo vs. house, and cap-rate math, illustrated by the spread between Myrtle Beach studios at the ~$95/night ADR tier, OBX oceanfront running thousands per week, and Brunswick, GA, at ~$227 ADR. Fifth and last, operating complexity — tax remittance, insurance, flood zones, ferry access, leasehold title (Jekyll), STVR certificate waitlists (Savannah), and property management saturation — which quietly determines how much of the headline revenue an owner actually keeps.

Market-by-Market Scorecard

Market	ADR (AirROI)	Occ.	Ann. rev/listing	Regulation	Seasonality	Verdict
Outer Banks (Corolla proxy)	~$276–$564*	~38–54%	~$33K–$53K	Low friction (post-Schroeder)	High summer peak	Premium family, peaky
Crystal Coast	~$200–$350	~35–50%	~$25K–$40K	Moderate town-by-town	Summer peak	Value beach, growing
Myrtle Beach	~$251	~37%	~$24,391	Overlay protects supply	Extreme July/Jan	Volume commodity
North Myrtle Beach	~$372	~36%	~$33,593	Permit tightening proposed	Extreme summer	Premium family
Charleston Lowcountry	Premium tier	Variable	Variable	Tight	Shoulder + events	Premium, regulated
Coastal Georgia (Tybee)	~$444	~41%	~$51,725	High (litigation)	3.5× peak/trough	High rate, high risk
Coastal Georgia (St. Simons)	~$399	~37%	~$42,138	Low (Glynn cert.)	Moderate dual peak	Balanced premium
Coastal Georgia (Savannah)	~$318	~45%	~$42,979	High (ward cap)	Spring peak	Urban, capped
Emerald Coast (Destin/30A)	~$416	~60%	~$50K+	Moderate FL local	Shoulder strength	Drive-to premium
Southeast FL (Miami/Delray)	~$303–$407	~42–46%	~$38K–$55K	High (varies by city)	Winter peak	Snowbird premium
Key West	~$626–$695	~45–48%	~$91K–$96K	Very high (license cap)	Winter peak	Scarcity premium
Key Largo	~$390–$407	~40–42%	~$48,596	High (Monroe County)	Winter peak	Dive-trip family

*OBX ADR varies sharply by town: Corolla ~$564, Kill Devil Hills lower. Cite town-specific data in underwriting.

Tier 1: Best Risk-Adjusted Opportunities

Emerald Coast (Destin, 30A, Miramar Beach) posts approximately $416 ADR, ~60% occupancy, and an AirDNA market score in the low-80s, driven by drive-to family demand from 6–8 hour interior Southeast feeders; shoulder-season strength from remote workers distinguishes this market from pure summer-peak Atlantic beaches, and regulation is Florida local patchwork — verify Walton, Okaloosa, and Bay County rules at purchase. The combination of strong demand depth, moderate regulation, and better seasonality distribution than OBX is what puts it at the top of the risk-adjusted tier. St. Simons Island / Golden Isles (Glynn County) follows closely at approximately $399 ADR, $42,138 average annual revenue, and +19.3% revenue growth on AirROI, underpinned by a friendly Glynn County Chapter 2-31 certificate framework, dual demand from summer beach plus RSM Classic golf shoulder, and a lower entry cost than OBX oceanfront — regulation scores high, seasonality is moderate, and operating complexity is low. North Myrtle Beach / Cherry Grove rounds out the tier at approximately $372 ADR, $33,593 average revenue, and +31.3% revenue growth, built on a family-house product carrying a 48% ADR premium over Myrtle Beach proper and a repeat-booking culture where near two-thirds of Grand Strand visitors are repeat guests; the item to watch is NMB permit ordinance adoption, but this remains a premium family segment within a proven drive-market engine.

Tier 2: High Reward, Higher Friction

Outer Banks (Corolla, Duck, Nags Head) is a premium large-home market with 8-in-10 repeat visitation and a post-Schroeder regulatory tailwind, but revenue concentrates heavily June–August (55–65%) and oceanfront entry cost is high — Corolla generates ~$53K annual revenue at $564 ADR but only 38.5% full-year occupancy, making it best suited to operators who can merchandise three-season revenue and absorb peaky cash flow. Tybee Island carries the highest RevPAR among Georgia volume markets at $186 on AirROI and $51,725 average revenue, but regulation friction is the watch item: Ordinance 08-2024 is in litigation with a cap proposal drafting as of March 2026, so this is a high rate, high risk — verify legal status before acquisition. Delray Beach and select Southeast Florida mainland markets show a different profile: Delray posts $54,956 average revenue, 46.1% occupancy, and +24.4% revenue growth — the top mainland earner in the Southeast Florida dossier — on the strength of Atlantic Avenue walkability plus waterway homes, though compliance is registration-heavy (~96% registered on AirROI) with winter-peak seasonality. Marathon in the Florida Keys posts an average revenue of $ 60,558 and an ADR of $529, the highest RevPAR in the Keys dossier outside Key West, with friendlier zoning than Key West and a large whole-home family inventory — the risk to watch is supply growth of +26.3% YoY.

Tier 3: Volume, Value, or Specialty Plays

Myrtle Beach proper carries the lowest entry barrier on the Southeast coast, with ~8,427 listings, $251 ADR, $24,391 average revenue, and +52.4% supply growth producing brutal commodity competition; a December 2024 overlay protects existing supply, so the market rewards differentiated condo product in permitted zones rather than generic oceanfront towers. Brunswick and Richmond Hill in Coastal Georgia sit at the value end — Brunswick runs ~$227 ADR and $22,235 revenue, the lowest in the GA dossier, yet carries an AirDNA investability score of 99, while Richmond Hill shows +33.2% revenue growth on Metaplant demand, making this pairing a value-entry and cap-rate play rather than a premium-ADR one. Crystal Coast (Bogue Banks) — Atlantic Beach, Emerald Isle, Pine Knoll Shores — offers a lower ADR than the OBX premium tier, with growing supply and town-by-town NC rules, serving as a value alternative to the Outer Banks' northern beaches. Charleston Lowcountry closes the tier with premium rates, tight regulation, and event-driven demand; it rewards operators who already understand Charleston STR compliance and is not a low-friction entry market.

Tier 4: Scarcity Premium, License-Gated

Key West posts the highest ADR and highest regulation friction on the coast at ~$626–$695 ADR and ~$91K–$96K average revenue, but a hard transient-license cap means legal nightly inventory is far smaller than listing counts imply — this market is only for operators with an existing license or verified legal nightly status. Savannah Historic District runs at $318 ADR and $42,979 revenue, with a spring peak, but its 20%-per-ward STVR cap is reportedly fully utilized in affected wards, effectively closing new non-owner-occupied entries and leaving existing certificate holders to benefit from the supply constraint. Miami Beach prohibits single-family STR citywide, making it a condo/legal-zone game only; the city carries 4,325 listings, but regulatory overhang suppresses revenue growth to +4.0% against +28.2% supply growth on AirROI — a gap that shows how much friction can erode returns even where demand is strong.

How to Use This Ranking

Match the market to the investment thesis. For summer-family cash flow, look to OBX oceanfront, North Myrtle Beach houses, Tybee large-group beach houses, and Emerald Coast pool homes. For shoulder-season smoothing, consider Emerald Coast, Savannah's spring/fall pattern, the OBX October festival stack, and Coastal Georgia's golf shoulder. For snowbird winter income, Southeast Florida, the Palm Beaches, and the Keys (where licensed) fit best. If regulatory stability is the priority, post-Schroeder OBX, Glynn County Golden Isles, and Jekyll Island Authority licensing offer the clearest footing. For value entry and cap rate, Brunswick, GA, Crystal Coast, and differentiated Myrtle Beach condos are the plays, while scarcity and rate-ceiling exposure comes from licensed Key West, Sea Island luxury, and existing Savannah STVR certificates. Whatever the thesis, never underwrite from platform averages alone: median actively-rented revenue runs 70–140% above portfolio averages on many markets, occupancy methodology varies 20+ points between AirROI (available-night) and AirDNA (multi-channel booked), and the source should always be named.

Work with Crest & Cove Creative

Ready to translate Southeast Atlantic Coast market data into listing positioning, pricing tiers, and guest-guide copy? We help hosts and investors in the Southeast Atlantic Coast with sub-market positioning analysis, seasonal calendar architecture, anti-commodity listing merchandising, and guest guidebooks tuned to how guests actually search. If you want hands-on help implementing any of that on your property, our team takes a limited number of new engagements per quarter. Reach out at crestcove.co — we'll take an honest look at where your listing stands and tell you plainly whether we can help.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Southeast coastal market for STR investment in 2026?

There is no single winner — it depends on your investment thesis. Emerald Coast and St. Simons score well on risk-adjusted balance, combining strong demand depth with moderate regulation and better seasonality distribution than the peakiest Atlantic markets. OBX and North Myrtle Beach reward premium family operators who can actively manage seasonality and absorb concentrated summer cash flow. Key West rewards operators who already hold a transient license, since the hard license cap makes new legal entry difficult. Myrtle Beach rewards differentiated volume players who can stand out in a commodity condo market, rather than those who compete purely on price. Match the market to your operating strengths and risk tolerance rather than chasing the highest headline ADR alone.

How should I compare ADR across markets?

Never compare ADR in isolation — read it together with occupancy, seasonality, concentration, regulation friction, and entry cost. A market posting $416 ADR at 60% occupancy with shoulder-season strength, like Emerald Coast, produces a very different risk and cash-flow profile than one posting $276 ADR at 54% occupancy with 65% of revenue concentrated in summer, like OBX. The first spreads income and risk across more of the year; the second delivers a shorter, more intense season that requires stronger cash management and a bigger cushion for the off-months. Investors who rank markets by ADR alone routinely misprice the underlying risk.

Is the Outer Banks still a good investment?

Yes, for premium family inventory paired with three-season merchandising and the regulatory stability that followed the Schroeder decision. That said, revenue is peaky, oceanfront entry is expensive, and supply grew sharply in Corolla, up +108% year-over-year in listings on AirROI. The right underwriting approach uses town-specific data rather than regional averages — Corolla, for instance, runs about $53K in annual revenue at a $564 ADR but only 38.5% full-year occupancy, a very different picture from what a blended OBX-wide number would suggest.

Is Myrtle Beach oversaturated?

Supply grew 50%+ year-over-year in both Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach on AirROI, and while ADR and revenue still rose against that wave of new listings, per-listing economics have thinned for undifferentiated condos. Myrtle Beach proper illustrates the pressure directly: roughly 8,427 listings, $251 ADR, $24,391 average revenue, and +52.4% supply growth add up to brutal commodity competition. Differentiation and segment targeting are no longer optional in this market — they are mandatory for an owner to protect margins as supply continues to expand.

How risky is Tybee Island regulation?

Material, and worth underwriting conservatively. Ordinance 08-2024 remains in litigation, and cap proposals were still being drafted as of March 2026. Tybee's fundamentals are strong — it posts the highest RevPAR among Georgia volume markets at $186 on AirROI and an average revenue of $51,725 — but the regulatory picture is unsettled enough that an investor should verify the current legal status before acquisition rather than assume today's rules will hold through the next legislative session.

What about Florida regulation after SB 280?

SB 280 was vetoed on June 27, 2024, meaning the local regulatory patchwork across Florida will continue rather than be preempted statewide. Miami Beach bans single-family STR citywide, the Keys require transient licenses, and Pinellas requires a Certificate of Use — three very different regimes within one state. Town-specific verification is mandatory before any Florida acquisition, since assuming one city's rules apply elsewhere in the state is one of the most common underwriting mistakes investors make.

Should I trust AirDNA or AirROI figures?

Use both, but always name the source, since they measure different universes. AirROI counts a tighter Airbnb-active sample and tends to show lower occupancy, while AirDNA counts a broader multi-channel universe and tends to show higher occupancy — a 20+ point spread is common between the two on the same market. The critical discipline is not to blend occupancy from one platform with ADR from the other, since doing so creates a revenue picture that doesn't align with either platform's actual methodology.

Where can I find more in-depth market reports?

Deeper market reports live in the state pillars and cluster market reports across the Crest & Cove silo — covering OBX, Grand Strand, Emerald Coast, Coastal Georgia, and Southeast Florida, along with the cross-region hub linked in the Related Reading section below. Those pages carry town-by-town ADR, occupancy, and revenue detail beyond what this cross-region comparison can hold.

About the Authors

Crest & Cove Creative is a Southeast-focused short-term rental marketing agency founded by Thomas Garner and Jacob Mishalanie. We build direct-booking brands, listing-optimization systems, and market-specific content strategies for independent STR operators across the Gulf Coast, Appalachian Mountains, Coastal Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and the Southeast lake country.

Sources

AirROI — OBX, Grand Strand, Emerald Coast, Coastal Georgia, Southeast Florida, Keys market reports, Jun 2025–May 2026. AirDNA — market scores and multi-channel occupancy. OBVB — 8-in-10 repeat visitation. Tourism Economics — Dare County lodging revenue. Grand Strand Chamber — visitor spending. VISIT FLORIDA — statewide tourism. Florida Governor's Office — SB 280 veto. UNC SOG — Schroeder. Glynn County, City of Savannah, City of Tybee — regulation. Monroe County TDC — Keys visitor profile.