Airbnb market dataThrough 6,970 listingsHow we measure
A typical active Airbnb in San Diego, CA earned $47,711 in the 12 months to Sep 2026, with the median listing booked 55% of nights and an average nightly rate of $282 in Sep 2026.
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A typical active San Diego Airbnb earned $47,711 in the 12 months to Sep 2026. The top 25% of listings averaged $90,089, about 1.9× that. The bottom 25%, which includes rarely booked listings, averaged $4,578.
$4.6k
Bottom 25% average
$47.7k
Typical listing
$90.1k
Top 25% average
1-bedroom homes are the most common in San Diego (37% of listings).
| Bedrooms | Share of listings | Nightly rate | Occupancy | Est. revenue/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 8% | $166 | 59% | $35,540 |
| 1 bedroom | 37% | $170 | 56% | $34,718 |
| 2 bedrooms | 25% | $305 | 56% | $62,216 |
| 3 bedrooms | 18% | $474 | 52% | $90,137 |
| 4 bedrooms | 9% | $639 | 50% | $116,618 |
| 5 bedrooms | 3% | $912 | 46% | $152,924 |
Estimated revenue = nightly rate × occupancy × 365, last 12 months.
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Estimate its revenue, costs and cash flow with San Diego's numbers.
The best three months, Jul, Jun and Mar, brought in 31% of a typical San Diego listing's revenue over the 12 months to Sep 2026.
Jul brings in 1.6× as much as Nov
Typical monthly revenue per listing, Oct 2025–Sep 2026
| Month | Revenue | Occupancy | Nightly rate | Revenue a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | $3,234 | 55% | $226 | |
| Nov 2025 | $3,114 | 50% | $230 | |
| Dec 2025 | $3,493 | 45% | $256 | |
| Jan 2026 | $3,130 | 45% | $231 | |
| Feb 2026 | $3,476 | 54% | $256 | |
| Mar 2026 | $4,772 | 68% | $290 | |
| Apr 2026 |
Grant Hill has the highest gross yield of the 56 San Diego neighborhoods we rank, at 10.9%, with typical revenue of $81,173 a year.
| # | neighborhood | Gross yield | Revenue/yr | Occupancy | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grant Hill | 10.9% | $81,173 | ||
| 2 | Stockton | 10.3% | $73,465 | ||
| 3 | Sherman Heights | 9.9% | $73,295 | ||
| 4 | Gaslamp | locked | locked | locked | locked |
| 5 | Encanto | locked | locked | locked | locked |
| 6 | Logan Heights | locked | locked | locked | locked |
| 7 | Cherokee Point | locked | locked | locked | locked |
| 8 | Little Italy | locked | locked | locked | locked |
| 9 | Sunset Cliffs | locked | locked | locked | locked |
and 47 more neighborhoods
Ranked by gross yield (typical yearly revenue ÷ median home value), last 12 months. 49 neighborhoods have fewer than 20 listings or incomplete data and aren't ranked.
Yield isn't everything: zoning and HOA rules decide which streets allow short-term rentals.
The median San Diego home is worth $985,158 (Zillow, Aug 2026), down 0.4% in a year. At typical revenue that's a 4.8% gross yield, before the mortgage, taxes and running costs.
Yes, Airbnbs are legal in San Diego with a valid STRO license and compliance with city rules.
Yes, all STRs, including Airbnbs, require a Short-Term Residential Occupancy (STRO) license in San Diego.
Yes, HOAs may prohibit STRs even if the city issues a license.
The Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) applies at rates of 11.75%, 12.75%, or 13.75% depending on location in San Diego.
The 10 largest operators in San Diego each ran 59 or more listings as of May 2025.
and 3 more
Of guests from the top 10 cities, 61% live within a day's drive. Guests book 57 days ahead on average.
and 3 more
San Diego ranks #36 of the 60 California markets we track by gross yield.
| # | Market | Gross yield | Revenue/yr | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Twentynine Palms, CA | 11.9% | $29,362 | |
| 2 | Coachella, CA | 11.5% | $50,071 | |
| 3 | Palm Desert, CA | 11.4% | $61,533 | |
| 4 | Joshua Tree, CA | 10.9% | $37,732 | |
| 5 | Indio, CA | 10.5% | $53,281 | |
| 6 | Desert Hot Springs, CA | 10.4% | $39,002 | |
| 7 | Yucca Valley, CA | 10.2% | $36,548 | |
| 8 | Sugarloaf, CA | 9.8% | $28,800 | |
| 36 | San Diego, CA (this market) | 4.8% | $47,711 |
None listed in San Diego right now, so here are others in California.
$6,495,000
13244 Snowshoe Thompson, Truckee, CA, 96161
5 bd · 5 ba · 4,996 sq ft
$4,050,000
9217 Heartwood Dr, Truckee, CA, 96161
4 bd · 5 ba · 3,851 sq ft
$4,495,000
12237 Pete Alvertson Dr, Truckee, CA, 96161
4 bd · 5 ba · 4,004 sq ft
Buying here?
A San Diego STR agent knows which properties and streets work as short-term rentals.
Selling a San Diego Airbnb?
Get matched with a listing agent who sells short-term rentals here.
Need financing?
DSCR lenders qualify you on the property's projected rental income.
A typical active Airbnb in San Diego, CA earned $47,711 in the 12 months to Sep 2026. The median listing was booked 55% of nights, and the average nightly rate was $282 in Sep 2026. Against a median home value of $985,158, that's a 4.8% gross yield before the mortgage, taxes and running costs.
A typical active listing earned $47,711 in the 12 months to Sep 2026. The top 25% of listings averaged $90,089 and the bottom 25% $4,578. Estimated by size: 1-bedroom about $34,718; 2-bedroom about $62,216; 3-bedroom about $90,137 and 4-bedroom about $116,618 a year.
The typical listing was booked 55% of nights in the 12 months to Sep 2026, from 69% in July to 45% in January.
July; June and March earned the most, bringing in 31% of a typical listing's revenue in the 12 months to Sep 2026.
$985,158 as of August 2026 (Zillow Home Value Index), down 0.4% in a year.
1-bedroom homes make up 37% of listings, earning an estimated $34,718 a year.
The top origin cities are San Diego, CA (5.4% of guests); Los Angeles, CA (5.1% of guests) and Phoenix, AZ (3.3% of guests). Of guests from the top 10 cities, 61% live within a day's drive.
Chalet tracks 6,970 short-term rental listings in San Diego, CA, with data through Sep 2026.
Based on 6,970 San Diego short-term rental listings tracked by Chalet, with data through Sep 2026. Home values come from the Zillow Home Value Index.
Airbnb data sites count different things. Some average every listing, including ones that are rarely booked; some use a whole metro area instead of the town; some use a calendar year. We show typical figures for active listings in San Diego over the last 12 months, and label each number with what it counts. Compare like with like before comparing sites.
For education only, not financial, legal or investment advice. Full methodology
| $4,020 |
| 58% |
| $282 |
| May 2026 | $3,954 | 55% | $303 |
|---|
| Jun 2026 | $4,904 | 66% | $355 |
|---|
| Jul 2026 | $5,143 | 69% | $395 |
|---|
| Aug 2026 | $4,432 | 60% | $339 |
|---|
| Sep 2026 | $4,038 | 57% | $300 |
|---|