Mountain townsVirginia2026
Virginia Mountain Towns
Luray, Wintergreen and Massanutten were the most booked of the 13 mountain towns in Virginia on Airbnb in the 12 months to October 2026, with an estimated 16,199, 13,686 and 8,113 stays. October is the busiest month across them, and the typical stay is 3.4 nights.
Figures are AirROI estimates. How they are made
- Most booked of these 13
- Luray 16,199 stays
- Highest revenue per home of these 13
- McGaheysville $75,451 a year
- Highest rated of these 13
- Afton 4.94 out of 5
- Lowest nightly rate of these 13
- Damascus $214 a night
- Longest typical stay of these 13
- Basye 4.4 nights
Ranking
Virginia Mountain Towns Ranked by Airbnb Stays
Every one of the mountain towns and villages in Virginia with 100 or more Airbnb homes and recent stays, most booked first.
| 1 | Luray | 16,199 | $302 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Wintergreen | 13,686 | $363 |
| 3 | Massanutten | 8,113 | $427 |
| 4 | Basye | 6,568 | $248 |
| 5 | Stanardsville | 5,987 | $244 |
| 6 | McGaheysville | 5,902 | $490 |
| 7 | Afton | 5,684 | $406 |
| 8 | Stanley | 5,261 | $359 |
| 9 | Shenandoah | 4,913 | $392 |
| 10 | Abingdon | 3,211 | $217 |
| 11 | Front Royal | 3,196 | $296 |
| 12 | Mount Jackson | 3,168 | $296 |
| 13 | Damascus | 2,488 | $214 |
Figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, and stays count Airbnb bookings only. Typical stay is a booking's length, occupancy the share of available nights booked, and revenue the yearly average per home, before costs. Guest rating is out of 5.
Town by town
Where the Top Towns Stand Out
4 of 8 are busiest in October. Massanutten and Basye peak in July, Wintergreen in January, and McGaheysville in December. Among guests who left a review, Washington is the top home city in 6 of the 8. Houses are the largest home type in 5 of the 8. The lines below add what the table can't show, where one of the 8 most booked towns leads its peers or differs from the rest.
- Luray
In the 12 months to October 2026, cabins, campers and other outdoor stays were the largest home type in Luray, Virginia, at 51% of homes.
- Wintergreen
Of the 13 mountain towns in Virginia with 100 or more homes, Wintergreen had the most Airbnb homes, at 512, and had the biggest share of apartments and condos, at 40%, in the 12 months to October 2026. Among guests who left a review, Richmond was the top home city for Wintergreen, at 9.1%.
- 4Basye
Of the 13 mountain towns in Virginia with 100 or more homes, Basye had the longest typical stay, at 4.4 nights, and was booked furthest ahead, about 78 days before arrival, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- 5Stanardsville
In the 12 months to October 2026, cabins, campers and other outdoor stays were the largest home type in Stanardsville, Virginia, at 49% of homes.
- 6McGaheysville
Of the 13 mountain towns in Virginia with 100 or more homes, McGaheysville had the biggest share of homes that sleep 8 or more, at 84%, and had the highest nightly rate, at $490, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- 7Afton
Of the 13 mountain towns in Virginia with 100 or more homes, Afton had the highest guest rating, at 4.94, in the 12 months to October 2026. Among guests who left a review, Richmond was the top home city for Afton, at 7.3%.
- 8Stanley
In the 12 months to October 2026, cabins, campers and other outdoor stays were the largest home type in Stanley, Virginia, at 66% of homes.
When to go
Busiest and Quietest Months
October, July and June rank as the busiest months for Airbnb nights across the mountain towns in Virginia, and March and February as the quietest. October is the busiest month in 8 of the 13, while Massanutten and Basye peak in July, and Wintergreen in January. Across the 13 towns, nightly rates run lowest in March, at about $307, and highest in December, at about $353. Across the 13 towns, stays run longest in July, at 4.2 nights, and shortest in September and October, at 2.7 nights.
October ranks first, February last
Airbnb months in calendar order. 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
Month by month: rank, typical stay and nightly rate
| Rank | Month | Typical stay | Nightly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October | 2.7 nights | $343 |
| 2 | July | 4.2 nights | $344 |
| 3 | June | 3.6 nights | $327 |
| 4 | August | 3.3 nights | $327 |
| 5 | November | 3.1 nights | $337 |
| 6 | December | 3.6 nights | $353 |
| 7 | May | 3.1 nights | $326 |
| 8 | September | 2.7 nights | $313 |
| 9 | January | 3.0 nights | $349 |
| 10 | April | 3.1 nights | $315 |
| 11 | March | 3.2 nights | $307 |
| 12 | February | 3.0 nights | $331 |
Who comes
Where Guests Come From
Among guests who left a review, 97% come from within the United States. The top home cities among those guests are Washington, Richmond and Virginia Beach. Mount Jackson draws the most from abroad, at 6%, among towns with 100 or more homes.
Top home cities
Among guests who left a review
97% from within the United States
The money view
Revenue, Occupancy and Nightly Rate
Among the 13 towns on this list, McGaheysville has the highest estimated revenue per home, at $75,451 a year. Of those 13, Shenandoah has the highest occupancy, at 47%, and Damascus has the lowest nightly rate on Airbnb, at $214. The most booked of the 13, Luray, earns about $42,017 per home.
Highest revenue per home of these 13
A year, AirROI estimate
- McGaheysville $75,451
- Shenandoah $62,176
- Stanley $59,666
- Afton $55,685
- Massanutten $50,122
Highest occupancy of these 13
Nights booked, AirROI estimate
- Shenandoah 47%
- Stanley 46%
- Luray 42%
- McGaheysville 42%
- Afton 42%
Lowest nightly rate of these 13
On Airbnb, AirROI estimate
- Damascus $214
- Abingdon $217
- Stanardsville $244
- Basye $248
- Front Royal $296
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular mountain town in Virginia?
By AirROI's estimates, Luray is the most booked of the 13 mountain towns in Virginia, with 16,199 Airbnb stays in the 12 months to October 2026. Wintergreen is second, with 13,686. This counts Airbnb bookings only.
What is the most affordable mountain town in Virginia?
By AirROI's estimated nightly rate on Airbnb in the 12 months to October 2026, among mountain towns in Virginia with 100 or more homes, the lowest are Damascus ($214), Abingdon ($217) and Stanardsville ($244). That is the average asking price on booked nights, not what it costs to live or buy there.
What are some small mountain towns in Virginia?
By AirROI's count of active Airbnb homes as of October 2026, the smallest of the 13 mountain towns it lists in Virginia are Mount Jackson (102), Shenandoah (107) and Front Royal (112). AirROI's list starts at 100 homes, so smaller places are not on it.
What mountain towns in Virginia offer the strongest Airbnb returns?
Returns depend on what a home costs to buy and run, which AirROI's figures do not cover. On AirROI's estimated revenue per home in the 12 months to October 2026, among mountain towns in Virginia with 100 or more homes, the highest are McGaheysville ($75,451), Shenandoah ($62,176) and Stanley ($59,666). Among the same towns, Shenandoah has the highest occupancy, at 47%.
Method
How These Lists and Numbers Are Made
How a town gets on this list. A town needs 100 or more Airbnb homes with recent stays. A language model then judges the place from its name, state, country and coordinates, not from words in its name: it has to sit in a mountain range or right at its foot, with the mountains the reason it is known and why people go. The town's own listings can back that up, with 15% of its listing titles naming the mountains. A town whose listings do not gets a second, stricter check, which asks whether people go there for that or mainly for something else. Big cities stay off. Corrections come last: places the checks got wrong are added or taken off, and rows that name one place are joined.
How the figures are made. Stays, occupancy, nightly rate and revenue are AirROI estimates built from Airbnb listing data, and cover Airbnb only. A town's stays are its bookings in the period, and the typical stay and busiest month come from the same data. Guest ratings, home sizes and how far ahead guests book are the latest figures in each town's AirROI data. Month ranks compare each month's part of Airbnb nights. Origin rests on 237,698 reviews and describes guests who left a review, not everyone who stayed. A town needs 1,000 reviews before this page gives its share from abroad.