As a nationally recognized vacation destination, Wilmington has no shortage of short-term rental options.
From historic homes to oceanfront suites, thousands of Wilmington residences are listed on travel booking sites like Airbnb and Vrbo. Data from AirDNA, a data analytics firm that tracks over 15 million short-term rentals, shows that a monthly average of 4,962.8 New Hanover County properties were listed as short-term rentals between September 2025 and August 2026.
Here are the top areas for short-term rentals in New Hanover, according to AirDNA data.
Carolina Beach
When it comes to monthly listings, Carolina Beach has the most short-term rentals by a landslide. The coastal community has had an average of 1,931.4 listings each month over the past year.
The number
has steadily climbed since the beginning of 2023, when 1,457 short-term rentals were listed in Carolina Beach. By August 2026, the town had 2,131 listings.
The average daily rate for short-term rentals in Carolina Beach over the past year was $348.20.
Historic downtown Wilmington
Within Wilmington city limits, nearly half of all listings are concentrated in the historic downtown and riverfront area, according to AirDNA Director of Economics and Forecasting Bram Gallagher. The district boasted an average of 833.9 monthly listings over the past year.
In January 2023, the area had 551 available listings. By August 2026, the figure had climbed to 876.
The distance from the beach knocks prices down, with an average daily rate of $197.99.
Wrightsville Beach
Wrightsville Beach has the third highest concentration of short-term rentals in New Hanover. The affluent beach town has had an average of 587.3 monthly listings over the past year.
In January 2023, Wrightsville Beach had 432 available listings. By August 2026, the figure had climbed to 652.
The average daily rate is $521.40.
Daniel Sheehan covers New Hanover County for the StarNews. Reach him at dsheehan@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Here's which parts of New Hanover have the most Airbnbs
