Airbnb market dataThrough 7,027 listingsHow we measure
A typical active Airbnb in San Diego, CA earned $58,324 in the 12 months to Sep 2026, with the median listing booked 63% of nights and an average nightly rate of $278 in Sep 2026.
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A typical active San Diego Airbnb earned $58,324 in the 12 months to Sep 2026. The top 25% of listings averaged $110,980, about 1.9× that. The bottom 25%, which includes rarely booked listings, averaged $5,317.
$5.3k
Bottom 25% average
$58.3k
Typical listing
$111k
Top 25% average
1-bedroom homes are the most common in San Diego (38% of listings).
| Bedrooms | Share of listings | Nightly rate | Occupancy | Est. revenue/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 8% | $165 | 64% | $38,440 |
| 1 bedroom | 38% | $169 | 61% | $37,650 |
| 2 bedrooms | 25% | $301 | 62% | $67,913 |
| 3 bedrooms |
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The best three months, Mar, Jun and Jul, brought in 30% of a typical San Diego listing's revenue over the 12 months to Sep 2026.
Apr–Jun and Sep beat a year earlier; Jul was 14% lower
Typical monthly revenue per listing, Oct 2025–Sep 2026, against the same month a year earlier
No year-earlier data for Oct–Mar yet.
Stockton has the highest gross yield of the 56 San Diego neighborhoods we rank, at 13.6%, with typical revenue of $96,853 a year.
| # | neighborhood | Gross yield | Revenue/yr | Occupancy | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stockton | 13.6% | $96,853 | ||
| 2 | Gaslamp | 9.6% | $42,394 | ||
| 3 | Logan Heights | 9.4% | $61,538 | ||
| 4 | Little Italy | locked | locked | locked | locked |
| 5 | Barrio Logan | locked | locked | locked | locked |
| 6 | Encanto | locked | locked | locked | locked |
| 7 | Paradise Hills | locked | locked | locked | locked |
| 8 | Hillcrest | locked | locked | locked | locked |
| 9 | Morena | 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 5.9% gross yield, before the mortgage, taxes and running costs.
San Diego ranks #34 of the 60 California markets we track by gross yield.
| # | Market | Gross yield | Revenue/yr | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Twentynine Palms, CA | 16.5% | $40,675 | |
| 2 | Joshua Tree, CA | 16.1% | $55,698 | |
| 3 | Yucca Valley, CA | 15.3% | $55,134 | |
| 4 | Coachella, CA |
A typical active Airbnb in San Diego, CA earned $58,324 in the 12 months to Sep 2026. The median listing was booked 63% of nights, and the average nightly rate was $278 in Sep 2026. Against a median home value of $985,158, that's a 5.9% gross yield before the mortgage, taxes and running costs.
A typical active listing earned $58,324 in the 12 months to Sep 2026. The top 25% of listings averaged $110,980 and the bottom 25% $5,317. Estimated by size: 1-bedroom about $37,650; 2-bedroom about $67,913; 3-bedroom about $99,816 and 4-bedroom about $127,709 a year.
The typical listing was booked 63% of nights in the 12 months to Sep 2026, from 76% in March to 53% in December.
Based on 7,027 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.
| 18% |
| $470 |
| 58% |
| $99,816 |
| 4 bedrooms | 9% | $627 | 56% | $127,709 |
|---|
| 5 bedrooms | 3% | $904 | 51% | $169,104 |
|---|
Estimated revenue = nightly rate × occupancy × 365, last 12 months.
| Month | Revenue | Occupancy | Nightly rate | Revenue a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | $4,457 | 62% | $224 | |
| Nov 2025 | $4,033 | 57% | $228 | |
| Dec 2025 | $4,259 | 53% | $254 | |
| Jan 2026 | $3,779 | 54% | $226 | |
| Feb 2026 | $4,165 | 64% | $252 | |
| Mar 2026 | $6,097 | 76% | $288 | |
| Apr 2026 | $4,901 | 67% | $278 | |
| May 2026 | $5,143 | 63% | $302 | |
| Jun 2026 | $5,858 | 72% | $354 | |
| Jul 2026 | $5,739 | 75% | $396 | |
| Aug 2026 | $5,196 | 68% | $339 | |
| Sep 2026 | $4,698 | 62% | $299 |
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
| 13.3% |
| $57,693 |
| 5 | Desert Hot Springs, CA | 12.3% | $46,154 |
|---|
| 6 | Sugarloaf, CA | 12.0% | $35,095 |
|---|
| 7 | Three Rivers, CA | 11.7% | $64,767 |
|---|
| 8 | Crestline, CA | 11.1% | $39,934 |
|---|
| 34 | San Diego, CA (this market) | 5.9% | $58,324 |
|---|
$1,750,000
1817-1819 Sunset Cliffs Blvd, San Diego, CA, 92107
3 bd · 3 ba · 1,016 sq ft
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March; June and July earned the most, bringing in 30% 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 38% of listings, earning an estimated $37,650 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 7,027 short-term rental listings in San Diego, CA, with data through Sep 2026.
For education only, not financial, legal or investment advice. Full methodology
