Investor market data · North Carolina

Winston Salem, NC Rental Market for Investors

An estimated 66% of Winston Salem's active listings could cash-flow as a short-term rental — here's what the numbers say for investors, as of October 2026.

See what pencils →Run a DSCR

$320,000Median list price875 active listings

$33,755Median STR revenue / yrprojected, gross

Homes in Winston Salem that pencil right now

A sample of active Winston Salem listings whose DSCR clears 1.25 using short-term rental income projections we accept as a direct lender. These are spread across the price range, not ranked, and current as of October 2026.

$120,000DSCR 2.36
2 bed · 1 bath · 832 sqft
House in 27105 · built 1951
STR revenue
$23,934/yr
Est. interest-only payment
$675/mo
On the market 265 days · Listed by Alemay Realty Inc.
Scout this home & market: 2-bed house in Winston Salem
$150,000DSCR 1.89
3 bed · 1 bath · 1,340 sqft
House in 27107 · built 1953
STR revenue
$26,654/yr
Est. interest-only payment
$943/mo
On the market 54 days · Listed by One Source NC Realty
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Winston Salem
$174,900DSCR 1.84
3 bed · 1 bath · 1,197 sqft
House in 27107 · built 1923
STR revenue
$27,375/yr
Est. interest-only payment
$994/mo
On the market 116 days · Listed by Real Broker LLC
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Winston Salem
$225,000DSCR 1.26
3 bed · 1.5 bath · 1,200 sqft
House in 27107 · built 1959
STR revenue
$24,921/yr
Est. interest-only payment
$1,320/mo
On the market 234 days · Listed by Cooper Realty
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Winston Salem
$255,900DSCR 1.44
3 bed · 2 bath · 1,173 sqft
House in 27127 · built 2026
STR revenue
$30,596/yr
Est. interest-only payment
$1,420/mo
On the market 6 days · Listed by KB Realty
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Winston Salem

Ask about Winston Salem deals →Run any address yourself

As of October 2026, we analyzed 875 active for-sale homes in Winston Salem, North Carolina. The typical listing is priced at $320,000 and is projected to generate about $33,755 a year as a short-term rental.

After setting aside an estimated 20% for operating costs, an estimated 65.6% of those homes could still cover an investor mortgage payment on short-term-rental income — well above the 53.1% median across the 200 major metros we track, ranking Winston Salem #44 of 200 for cash-flow potential.

On market momentum: homes in Winston Salem sit a median of 56 days on the market, and 28% of active listings came on in just the last 30 days — a steadily paced market, which shapes how much room there is to negotiate.

For a DSCR loan — which qualifies on the property's rental income rather than your personal income — that's a relatively healthy setup: in Winston Salem, a meaningful share of listings throw off enough short-term-rental income, after costs, to cover an estimated investor mortgage payment.

What actually works in Winston Salem

Winston Salem works for investors, but the window is specific: 250 of the 696 Winston Salem homes, condos and townhomes we can price confidently clear a DSCR of 1.25. Nine in ten of them are priced under $320,000.

Share of those listings clearing an DSCR of 1.25, by price and bedroom count. The smaller figure is the median DSCR for that group.
Price	2 bed	3 bed	4 bed	5 bed
$150k–$250k	68%1.30	90%1.53	92%1.64	—
$250k–$350k	8%1.00	32%1.15	53%1.28	—
$350k–$500k	—	2%0.94	7%1.00	—
$500k+	—	0%0.61	0%0.69	0%0.59

Darker means a larger share of that group cash-flows. “—” means fewer than 8 active listings — too few to draw a conclusion from.

Winston Salem in full

Active for-sale homes analyzed	875
Median list price	$320,000
Median projected STR revenue (annual, gross)	$33,755
Median average daily rate (ADR)	$164
Median occupancy	56%
Median beds	3
Median size	1,792 sqft
Estimated cash-flow-positive share	65.6%
Median days on market	56 days
New listings (last 30 days)	28.0% of active