Tourism statisticsState2026

North Carolina Tourism Statistics: Nearly 40M Visitors

Q: How many tourists visit North Carolina?

North Carolina had nearly 40 million domestic visitors in 2024, according to the North Carolina Office of the Governor. AirROI estimates 1,237,066 Airbnb stays in North Carolina in the 12 months to October 2026, which is a separate count of bookings.

Q: What is the quietest month in North Carolina?

January was the quietest Airbnb month in North Carolina in the 12 months to October 2026, ranking 12th of 12, and February ranked 11th. Stays in January were booked about 28 days ahead, against 68 days for July.

Q: How long is a typical Airbnb stay in North Carolina?

A typical Airbnb stay in North Carolina lasted 5.0 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 52 days ahead. By month, stays ran from 3.7 nights in September to 5.8 nights in July.

North Carolina recorded nearly 40 million domestic visitors in 2024, the North Carolina Office of the Governor reports. AirROI estimates 1,237,066 Airbnb stays in North Carolina in the 12 months to October 2026, with Charlotte the most booked town. The busiest month was July.

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: 6,147,084
Typical Airbnb stay: 5.0 nights
Busiest Airbnb month: July
From within the United States, among guests who left a review: 97.7%

Key facts

North Carolina 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 North Carolina at nearly 40 million domestic visitors in 2024.

Airbnb stays

AirROI puts Airbnb stays in North Carolina at 1,237,066 in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Airbnb stays in North Carolina added up to 6,147,084 nights in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates a typical Airbnb stay in North Carolina lasted 5.0 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 52 days ahead.

Busiest months

AirROI ranks July the busiest Airbnb month in North Carolina in the 12 months to October 2026, followed by June and August, with January the quietest.
AirROI estimates the six busiest Airbnb months in North Carolina ran unbroken from May to October in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Airbnb stays in North Carolina in July were booked furthest ahead, about 68 days, against 28 days for January, in the 12 months to October 2026.

Guests

AirROI estimates 97.7% of North Carolina Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026 were from within the United States.

By place

AirROI ranks North Carolina 4th for Airbnb stays among the United States' 51 states in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Charlotte had the most Airbnb stays of the 111 towns it lists in North Carolina in the 12 months to October 2026, at 84,198, ahead of Asheville and Wilmington.

Official numbers

How Many Tourists Visit North Carolina?

The North Carolina Office of the Governor counted nearly 40 million domestic visitors in 2024.

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

Airbnb stays

Airbnb Stays in North Carolina

North Carolina had 52,796 Airbnb homes in the 12 months to October 2026. They took an estimated 1,237,066 stays and 6,147,084 nights. A typical stay lasted 5.0 nights and was booked about 52 days ahead. AirROI's figures cover the 276 towns it tracks in North Carolina; places it does not track are not counted, so every total is a floor.

Airbnb homes: 52,796
Airbnb stays, estimate: 1,237,066
Airbnb nights, estimate: 6,147,084
Typical stay: 5.0 nights
Booked ahead: 52 days

Busiest months

When Is the Busiest Time in North Carolina?

On Airbnb, July was the busiest month in North Carolina in the 12 months to October 2026, then June and August. January was the quietest. The six busiest months run unbroken from May to October.

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, October, September, May, November, April, December, March, February, January.

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

Airbnb months in North Carolina 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	10.5%	5.8 nights	68 days
2	June	10.2%	5.3 nights	61 days
3	August	9.6%	4.9 nights	54 days
4	October	9.2%	4.0 nights	58 days
5	September	8.9%	3.7 nights	48 days
6	May	8.6%	4.4 nights	56 days
7	November	7.8%	4.1 nights	54 days
8	April	7.7%	4.5 nights	46 days
9	December	7.7%	4.5 nights	42 days
10	March	7.6%	4.8 nights	34 days
11	February	6.2%	4.7 nights	31 days
12	January	6.1%	5.0 nights	28 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 North Carolina Airbnb Guests Come From?

Nearly all North Carolina Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026 were from within the United States (97.7%), AirROI estimates. Among the same guests, Charlotte was the top origin city at 4.7%, ahead of Raleigh at 4%. The figures rest on 3,625,847 reviews, written over many years.

97.7% from within the United States

Among guests who left a review, as of October 2026

Top origin cities

Among guests who left a review

Charlotte 4.7%
Raleigh 4%
Atlanta 1.2%
Durham 1.1%

By town

Most Booked Towns in North Carolina

Charlotte, Asheville and Wilmington took 16% of Airbnb stays in North Carolina in the 12 months to October 2026. July is the busiest Airbnb month in 48 of the 111 towns, led by Carolina Beach, and October in 40, led by Asheville. Among guests who left a review, the share from abroad across the 25 most booked towns runs from under 1% in Oak Island to 4.1% in Durham.

Most Booked Towns in North Carolina: Airbnb stays, nights and typical stay, 12 months to October 2026; with origin among guests who left a review
#
1	Charlotte	84,198	490,558	5.8 nights	3.6%	Canada	June
2	Asheville	61,139	323,894	5.3 nights	2.2%	UK	October
3	Wilmington	48,290	235,157	4.9 nights	2.4%	UK	June
4	Raleigh	43,995	217,643	4.9 nights	3.6%	Canada	October
5	Carolina Beach	39,719	183,968	4.6 nights	1.4%	Canada	July
6	Bryson City	29,803	105,776	3.5 nights	2.2%	UK	October
7	Kill Devil Hills	28,483	138,268	4.9 nights	2.1%	Germany	July
8	Oak Island	27,765	150,419	5.4 nights	under 1%	Canada	July
9	Durham	26,208	171,404	6.5 nights	4.1%	UK	October
10	Greensboro	19,188	108,480	5.7 nights	3.1%	Canada	June
11	Boone	17,643	64,189	3.6 nights	2.1%	UK	July
12	North Topsail Beach	17,464	88,961	5.1 nights	under 1%	Canada	July
13	Beech Mountain	17,431	66,674	3.8 nights	1.9%	Brazil	January
14	Nags Head	16,560	90,678	5.5 nights	1.7%	Germany	July
15	Maggie Valley	15,836	67,035	4.2 nights	1.7%	UK	October
16	Winston-Salem	15,439	104,064	6.7 nights	2.9%	Canada	June
17	Black Mountain	15,178	66,631	4.4 nights	1.5%	UK	October
18	Surf City	14,977	74,307	5.0 nights	1.5%	Canada	June
19	Hendersonville	14,566	71,340	4.9 nights	1.3%	Canada	October
20	Banner Elk	13,906	57,157	4.1 nights	1.8%	Germany	July
21	Blowing Rock	13,781	53,278	3.9 nights	1.7%	UK	July
22	Wrightsville Beach	12,636	57,870	4.6 nights	2%	UK	July
23	Waynesville	11,456	54,037	4.7 nights	1.7%	UK	October
24	Fayetteville	11,073	75,722	6.8 nights	2.8%	Canada	June
25	Emerald Isle	11,049	55,017	5.0 nights	1.2%	UK	July
26	Corolla	10,906	64,473	5.9 nights	1.1%	Canada	July
27	Lake Lure	10,865	46,730	4.3 nights	1.6%	UK	July
28	Brevard	10,766	51,383	4.8 nights	1.8%	Canada	October
29	Kure Beach	10,746	49,707	4.6 nights	1.5%	Canada	July
30	Ocean Isle Beach	10,506	56,539	5.4 nights	under 1%	UK	July
31	Mooresville	10,440	48,480	4.6 nights	3.4%	UK	July
32	Atlantic Beach	10,031	49,896	5.0 nights	under 1%	Canada	June
33	Kitty Hawk	10,012	52,366	5.2 nights	2.3%	Canada	July
34	Pinehurst	9,507	43,028	4.5 nights	5%	Canada	July
35	Highlands	9,456	41,964	4.4 nights	under 1%	Germany	August
36	Candler	9,340	36,546	3.9 nights	2.3%	UK	October
37	Sugar Mountain	9,247	35,365	3.8 nights	2.9%	Brazil	January
38	Murphy	8,840	44,678	5.1 nights	1.5%	UK	October
39	Franklin	8,532	40,140	4.7 nights	2.9%	Canada	October
40	Weaverville	8,395	40,852	4.9 nights	2.1%	UK	October
41	Whittier	8,383	30,766	3.7 nights	2.1%	Canada	October
42	Cary	8,166	56,650	6.9 nights	3.8%	UK	June
43	Fairview	7,457	31,000	4.2 nights	1.8%	Germany	October
44	High Point	7,388	44,887	6.1 nights	2.4%	Canada	October
45	Beaufort	6,965	30,658	4.4 nights	1.7%	UK	June
46	Sylva	6,861	29,192	4.3 nights	1.9%	UK	October
47	Chapel Hill	6,675	44,973	6.7 nights	3.3%	UK	October
48	Woodfin	6,490	29,752	4.6 nights	2%	Canada	October
49	Sunset Beach	6,442	32,862	5.1 nights	1.5%	Canada	July
50	Mars Hill	6,070	28,540	4.7 nights	2.7%	UK	October
51	Robbinsville	6,070	24,290	4.0 nights	1.9%	Canada	October
52	New Bern	5,723	25,037	4.4 nights	1.4%	Germany	June
53	West Jefferson	5,673	22,136	3.9 nights	1.1%	Canada	July
54	Swannanoa	5,622	26,030	4.6 nights	2.1%	UK	October
55	Southern Pines	5,582	29,155	5.2 nights	2.8%	Canada	July
56	Burnsville	5,443	24,516	4.5 nights	3%	Canada	October
57	Newland	5,377	23,251	4.3 nights	1.9%	UK	July
58	Jacksonville	5,274	30,537	5.8 nights	2.6%	Japan	June
59	Duck	4,944	29,002	5.9 nights	2.6%	UK	July
60	Hot Springs	4,719	17,788	3.8 nights	2.2%	UK	October
61	Manteo	4,706	16,777	3.6 nights	2%	Germany	July
62	Holden Beach	4,519	26,202	5.8 nights	under 1%	Brazil	July
63	Greenville	4,504	24,644	5.5 nights	2.1%	Canada	August
64	Fletcher	4,411	19,893	4.5 nights	1.7%	UK	October
65	Marshall	4,377	19,259	4.4 nights	2.3%	UK	October
66	Avon	4,305	25,843	6.0 nights	2.4%	Canada	June
67	Seven Devils	4,080	15,015	3.7 nights	2.2%	Brazil	July
68	Hickory	4,072	23,602	5.8 nights	4.7%	Mexico	September
69	Leicester	4,004	19,454	4.9 nights	1.3%	UK	October
70	Concord	3,990	21,582	5.4 nights	2.2%	Canada	October
71	Canton	3,776	15,388	4.1 nights	1.8%	UK	October
72	Lexington	3,594	16,609	4.6 nights	1.8%	Germany	August
73	Marion	3,541	14,514	4.1 nights	2.2%	Germany	October
74	Morehead City	3,511	16,676	4.7 nights	1.8%	UK	June
75	Morganton	3,465	18,923	5.5 nights	1.3%	Canada	October
76	Rodanthe	3,417	19,415	5.7 nights	2%	France	July
77	Arden	3,392	17,673	5.2 nights	under 1%	Canada	October
78	Denver	3,379	18,825	5.6 nights	3.9%	Canada	July
79	Belmont	3,332	19,193	5.8 nights	3.4%	Canada	July
80	Apex	3,278	21,459	6.5 nights	3.5%	UK	October
81	Pisgah Forest	3,217	13,978	4.3 nights	1.6%	Canada	July
82	Southport	3,215	15,700	4.9 nights	1.6%	Germany	July
83	Southern Shores	3,151	18,567	5.9 nights	2.2%	Germany	July
84	Topton	3,075	15,140	4.9 nights	1.2%	Brazil	July
85	Sapphire	2,954	14,424	4.9 nights	1.7%	UK	July
86	Saluda	2,896	12,106	4.2 nights	under 1%	Canada	July
87	Littleton	2,895	12,846	4.4 nights	1.2%	Brazil	July
88	Bald Head Island	2,888	14,150	4.9 nights	under 1%	Peru	June
89	Burlington	2,877	14,661	5.1 nights	2%	Germany	October
90	Lenoir	2,842	12,047	4.2 nights	1.4%	Germany	July
91	Mount Airy	2,776	10,916	3.9 nights	1.3%	Canada	October
92	Wake Forest	2,772	18,248	6.6 nights	2.1%	UK	October
93	Ocracoke	2,744	13,639	5.0 nights	1%	Germany	July
94	Cullowhee	2,693	11,980	4.4 nights	under 1%	Australia	July
95	Old Fort	2,679	10,262	3.8 nights	1.1%	Brazil	October
96	Vilas	2,672	10,812	4.0 nights	1.7%	UK	October
97	Fuquay-Varina	2,635	16,355	6.2 nights	2.6%	UK	October
98	Hayesville	2,586	13,463	5.2 nights	1.6%	Puerto Rico	July
99	Topsail Beach	2,494	14,882	6.0 nights	under 1%	Germany	July
100	Cashiers	2,449	10,175	4.2 nights	under 1%	New Zealand	July
101	Mill Spring	2,366	10,754	4.5 nights	1.3%	Puerto Rico	July
102	Buxton	2,232	10,561	4.7 nights	3.6%	Canada	July
103	Currituck County	2,204	11,891	5.4 nights	1.1%	Germany	August
104	Frisco	2,190	11,923	5.4 nights	1.6%	Canada	July
105	Tryon	2,149	9,898	4.6 nights	1.2%	UK	October
106	Sneads Ferry	2,038	9,244	4.5 nights	1.6%	Germany	July
107	Gastonia	1,992	15,281	7.7 nights	6.5%	UK	January
108	Lake Junaluska	1,907	9,897	5.2 nights	2%	Italy	July
109	Rocky Mount	1,891	12,523	6.6 nights	2.4%	Brazil	June
110	Hatteras	1,837	8,597	4.7 nights	2.3%	Germany	July
111	Calabash	1,755	9,411	5.4 nights	2.4%	Canada	July

* 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. Lists the 111 of North Carolina's 276 towns with 100 or more Airbnb homes. A town with no tourism page of its own links to its Airbnb market page.

FAQ

Questions About Tourism in North Carolina

How many tourists visit North Carolina?

North Carolina had nearly 40 million domestic visitors in 2024, according to the North Carolina Office of the Governor. AirROI estimates 1,237,066 Airbnb stays in North Carolina in the 12 months to October 2026, which is a separate count of bookings.

When is high season in North Carolina?

The busiest Airbnb month in North Carolina in the 12 months to October 2026 was July, then June and August. The six busiest months run from May to October.

What is the quietest month in North Carolina?

January was the quietest Airbnb month in North Carolina in the 12 months to October 2026, ranking 12th of 12, and February ranked 11th. Stays in January were booked about 28 days ahead, against 68 days for July.

How long is a typical Airbnb stay in North Carolina?

A typical Airbnb stay in North Carolina lasted 5.0 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 52 days ahead. By month, stays ran from 3.7 nights in September to 5.8 nights in July.

Where do Airbnb guests in North Carolina come from?

Of North Carolina Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026, 97.7% were from within the United States, AirROI estimates. Among the same guests, the top origin city was Charlotte at 4.7%, ahead of Raleigh at 4%.

What is the most booked town in North Carolina on Airbnb?

Charlotte was the most booked town in North Carolina on Airbnb, with an estimated 84,198 stays in the 12 months to October 2026, ahead of Asheville and Wilmington.

Are Airbnb stays the same as tourists?

No. The North Carolina Office of the Governor counts domestic visitors (nearly 40 million in 2024). An Airbnb stay is one booking on one platform, however many guests it holds. AirROI's 1,237,066 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 276 towns. Month ranks compare each month's part of Airbnb nights. Origin rests on 3,625,847 reviews and describes guests who left a review, not everyone who stayed. Read the method page.