Tourism statisticsRegion2026

Outer Banks Tourism Statistics: 100,924 Airbnb Stays

Q: How many tourists visit the Outer Banks?

North Carolina as a whole had nearly 40 million domestic visitors in 2024, according to the North Carolina Office of the Governor. AirROI puts the Outer Banks at 8.2% of Airbnb stays in North Carolina in the 12 months to October 2026. AirROI estimates 100,924 Airbnb stays in the Outer Banks in the 12 months to October 2026, which counts bookings and not tourists.

Q: What is the quietest month in the Outer Banks?

January was the quietest Airbnb month in the Outer Banks in the 12 months to October 2026, ranking 12th of 12, and February ranked 11th. Stays in January were booked about 34 days ahead, against 99 days for July.

Q: How long is a typical Airbnb stay in the Outer Banks?

A typical Airbnb stay in the Outer Banks lasted 5.2 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 75 days ahead. By month, stays ran from 4.0 nights in September to 6.5 nights in July.

AirROI estimates 100,924 Airbnb stays in the Outer Banks, in North Carolina, United States, in the 12 months to October 2026, with Kill Devil Hills the most booked town. The busiest month was July. All of North Carolina had nearly 40 million domestic visitors in 2024, the North Carolina Office of the Governor reports.

Source: AirROI Reviewed by Jun Zhou, Founder @ AirROI Updated November 4, 2026

Airbnb figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026. Read the method

Estimated Airbnb nights: 528,732
Typical Airbnb stay: 5.2 nights
Busiest Airbnb month: July
From within the United States, among guests who left a review: 97.9%

Key facts

Outer Banks Tourism Facts

Each sentence names its place, period and source, so it can be quoted alone.

Official

The North Carolina Office of the Governor puts all of North Carolina at nearly 40 million domestic visitors in 2024.

Airbnb stays

AirROI puts Airbnb stays in the Outer Banks at 100,924 in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Airbnb stays in the Outer Banks added up to 528,732 nights in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates a typical Airbnb stay in the Outer Banks lasted 5.2 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 75 days ahead.

Busiest months

AirROI ranks July the busiest Airbnb month in the Outer Banks in the 12 months to October 2026, followed by June and August, with January the quietest.
AirROI estimates the six busiest Airbnb months in the Outer Banks ran unbroken from April to September in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Airbnb stays in the Outer Banks in July were booked furthest ahead, about 99 days, against 30 days for February, in the 12 months to October 2026.

Guests

AirROI estimates 97.9% of Outer Banks Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026 were from within the United States.

By place

AirROI estimates the Outer Banks took 8.2% of all Airbnb stays in North Carolina in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Kill Devil Hills had the most Airbnb stays of the Outer Banks' 16 towns in the 12 months to October 2026, at 28,483, ahead of Nags Head and Corolla.

Official numbers

How Many Tourists Visit North Carolina?

The North Carolina Office of the Governor counted nearly 40 million domestic visitors for all of North Carolina in 2024. On AirROI's estimates, the Outer Banks accounted for 8.2% of Airbnb stays in North Carolina in the 12 months to October 2026.

Official tourism figures for North Carolina: what each counts, its year and its publisher
Figure	What it counts	Year	Publisher
Nearly 40 millionDomestic visitors, all of North Carolina	Domestic visitors to North Carolina	2024	North Carolina Office of the Governor

Airbnb stays

Airbnb Stays in the Outer Banks

The Outer Banks had 5,358 Airbnb homes in the 12 months to October 2026. They took an estimated 100,924 stays and 528,732 nights. A typical stay lasted 5.2 nights and was booked about 75 days ahead. AirROI's figures cover the 16 towns it tracks in the Outer Banks and Elsewhere in Currituck County; places it does not track are not counted, so every total is a floor.

Airbnb homes: 5,358
Airbnb stays, estimate: 100,924
Airbnb nights, estimate: 528,732
Typical stay: 5.2 nights
Booked ahead: 75 days

Busiest months

When Is the Busiest Time in the Outer Banks?

On Airbnb, July was the busiest month in the Outer Banks in the 12 months to October 2026, then June and August. January was the quietest. The six busiest months run unbroken from April to September.

July ranks first, January last

Airbnb months in calendar order, 12 months to October 2026. The number is the month's rank, and 1 is the busiest. The bar shows its part of Airbnb nights.

Three busiest months
Other months

From busiest to quietest: July, June, August, September, May, April, October, March, November, December, February, January.

Month by month: rank, typical stay and days booked ahead

Airbnb months in the Outer Banks by rank, with share of nights, typical stay and days booked ahead, 12 months to October 2026
Rank	Month	Share of nights	Typical stay	Booked ahead
1	July	13.7%	6.5 nights	99 days
2	June	13.1%	6.0 nights	94 days
3	August	12.6%	5.1 nights	86 days
4	September	9.7%	4.0 nights	67 days
5	May	9.3%	5.0 nights	71 days
6	April	7.6%	4.9 nights	56 days
7	October	7.4%	4.0 nights	68 days
8	March	6.1%	4.9 nights	40 days
9	November	5.9%	4.0 nights	67 days
10	December	5.4%	4.3 nights	49 days
11	February	4.8%	5.2 nights	30 days
12	January	4.3%	5.3 nights	34 days

Share is each month's part of the year's Airbnb nights. Typical stay and days booked ahead are AirROI estimates for stays in each month.

Where guests come from

Where Do Outer Banks Airbnb Guests Come From?

Nearly all Outer Banks Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026 were from within the United States (97.9%), AirROI estimates. Among the same guests, Richmond was the top origin city at 3.9%, ahead of Raleigh at 3.1%. The figures rest on 276,269 reviews, written over many years.

97.9% from within the United States

Among guests who left a review, as of October 2026

Top origin cities

Among guests who left a review

Richmond 3.9%
Raleigh 3.1%
Washington 2.4%
Virginia Beach 2.1%

By town

Most Booked Towns in the Outer Banks

Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head and Corolla took 55% of Airbnb stays in the Outer Banks in the 12 months to October 2026. July is the busiest Airbnb month in 14 of the 16 towns, led by Kill Devil Hills, and June in 2, led by Avon. Among guests who left a review, the share from abroad across these towns runs from 1% in Ocracoke to 3.6% in Buxton.

Most Booked Towns in the Outer Banks: Airbnb stays, nights and typical stay, 12 months to October 2026; with origin among guests who left a review
#
1	Kill Devil Hills	28,483	138,268	4.9 nights	2.1%	Germany	July
2	Nags Head	16,560	90,678	5.5 nights	1.7%	Germany	July
3	Corolla	10,906	64,473	5.9 nights	1.1%	Canada	July
4	Kitty Hawk	10,012	52,366	5.2 nights	2.3%	Canada	July
5	Duck	4,944	29,002	5.9 nights	2.6%	UK	July
6	Manteo	4,706	16,777	3.6 nights	2%	Germany	July
7	Avon	4,305	25,843	6.0 nights	2.4%	Canada	June
8	Rodanthe	3,417	19,415	5.7 nights	2%	France	July
9	Southern Shores	3,151	18,567	5.9 nights	2.2%	Germany	July
10	Ocracoke	2,744	13,639	5.0 nights	1%	Germany	July
11	Buxton	2,232	10,561	4.7 nights	3.6%	Canada	July
12	Frisco	2,190	11,923	5.4 nights	1.6%	Canada	July
13	Hatteras	1,837	8,597	4.7 nights	2.3%	Germany	July
14	Salvo	1,180	6,295	5.3 nights	2.8%	Canada	June
15	Colington	1,134	5,308	4.7 nights	1.7%	Canada	July
16	Waves	919	5,129	5.6 nights	2.8%	Italy	July
	Elsewhere in Currituck County	2,204	11,891	5.4 nights	1.1%	Germany	August

* Among guests who left a review. Stays, nights and other figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, and cover Airbnb only. US is the top origin in every town, among guests who left a review, so this column names the top country abroad. A town with no tourism page of its own links to its Airbnb market page. Figures add up these 16 towns and Elsewhere in Currituck County, homes filed under a wider area, which take no rank.

FAQ

Questions About Tourism in the Outer Banks

How many tourists visit the Outer Banks?

North Carolina as a whole had nearly 40 million domestic visitors in 2024, according to the North Carolina Office of the Governor. AirROI puts the Outer Banks at 8.2% of Airbnb stays in North Carolina in the 12 months to October 2026. AirROI estimates 100,924 Airbnb stays in the Outer Banks in the 12 months to October 2026, which counts bookings and not tourists.

When is high season in the Outer Banks?

The busiest Airbnb month in the Outer Banks in the 12 months to October 2026 was July, then June and August. The six busiest months run from April to September.

What is the quietest month in the Outer Banks?

January was the quietest Airbnb month in the Outer Banks in the 12 months to October 2026, ranking 12th of 12, and February ranked 11th. Stays in January were booked about 34 days ahead, against 99 days for July.

How long is a typical Airbnb stay in the Outer Banks?

A typical Airbnb stay in the Outer Banks lasted 5.2 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 75 days ahead. By month, stays ran from 4.0 nights in September to 6.5 nights in July.

Where do Airbnb guests in the Outer Banks come from?

Of Outer Banks Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026, 97.9% were from within the United States, AirROI estimates. Among the same guests, the top origin city was Richmond at 3.9%, ahead of Raleigh at 3.1%.

What is the most booked town in the Outer Banks on Airbnb?

Kill Devil Hills was the most booked town in the Outer Banks on Airbnb, with an estimated 28,483 stays in the 12 months to October 2026, ahead of Nags Head and Corolla.

Are Airbnb stays the same as tourists?

No. The North Carolina Office of the Governor counts domestic visitors (nearly 40 million in 2024 across North Carolina). An Airbnb stay is one booking on one platform, however many guests it holds. AirROI's 100,924 stays are estimates for the 12 months to October 2026.

Method

How These Numbers Are Made

Official figures come from their publishers, linked above, and were last checked in November 2026. Stays and nights are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, built from Airbnb listing data, and cover Airbnb only. Nights add up each town's stays times its typical stay, across 16 towns and Elsewhere in Currituck County. Month ranks compare each month's part of Airbnb nights. Origin rests on 276,269 reviews and describes guests who left a review, not everyone who stayed. Read the method page.