Best Airbnb Markets California, The United States in 2025

Name: Best Airbnb Markets in California, The United States
Creator: Airbtics

Based on Airbtics data from September 2024 to August 2025, this page shows the top Airbnb locations to invest in California, The United States with key statistics and information, like short-term rental regulations, number of listings, occupancy rate, average daily rate, and annual revenue. This allows you to discover the most profitable cities to invest in, buy, and own Airbnb rental properties in California, The United States.

Why Invest in Airbnb California, The United States in 2025?

** Last updated: 2025-10-04

In recent years, California, The United States has emerged as one of the best locations for investing in short-term rentals thanks to its popular tourist attractions, thriving business activities, growing digital nomad presence, and vibrant cities like Montecito, Malibu and Newport beach. With millions of international visitors coming each year, the demand for vacation rental accommodations is growing, making Airbnb California, The United States a lucrative option for both local and foreign investors.

Due to strong demand from travelers, California, The United States offers competitive average daily rates (ADR), healthy occupancy rates, and attractive revenue potential in the best Airbnb markets. Whether you’re looking to start your first Airbnb business with a modest budget or to add a luxury short-term rental property to your portfolio, California, The United States has a profitable location to meet your budget and aspirations as an investor.

Note on Methodology: The Airbtics Market Score indicates how attractive a location is for investing in an Airbnb rental property. We determine this score based on the following criteria:

Short-term rental yield: The ratio between annual revenue and property price, as a percentage. Locations with higher Airbnb rental yield score better.
Short-term rental regulations: How STR-friendly the local Airbnb rules and laws are. Markets with more lenient regulations get a higher score.
Market size: The number of Airbnb listings. Larger vacation rental markets get a higher score as it is easier for investors to buy and sell properties.
Growth: How fast the market is becoming saturated. Priority is given to markets that are already developed but are not approaching saturation yet.
Seasonality: To what degree Airbnb performance is affected by seasonality. Less seasonal impact is preferred as investors can enjoy a more stable short-term rental performance throughout the year.

Based on this methodology, the best places to buy Airbnb in California, The United States are:

Learn more about how we collect the data and accuracy

Top 75 The United States Cities for Airbnb in 2025

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	Los angeles	Strict	11,250	67%	$213	$53,589	12.3%	34.5%
2	San diego	Strict	10,113	71%	$248	$65,769	12.3%	34.5%
3	San francisco	Strict	4,008	72%	$194	$52,083	12.3%	34.5%
4	Palm springs	Lenient	3,400	57%	$427	$90,337	12.3%	34.5%
5	Big bear lake	Strict	2,556	37%	$314	$44,126	12.3%	34.5%
6	San jose	Lenient	1,939	68%	$131	$33,279	12.3%	34.5%
7	Big bear city	Strict	1,869	36%	$270	$37,028	12.3%	34.5%
8	Fresno	Lenient	1,694	53%	$174	$34,860	12.3%	34.5%
9	Monterey	Lenient	1,456	64%	$339	$80,990	12.3%	34.5%
10	North lake tahoe	Lenient	1,437	52%	$428	$83,556	12.3%	34.5%
11	Madera	Lenient	1,407	54%	$265	$53,882	12.3%	34.5%
12	Cobb	Lenient	1,395	60%	$158	$35,977	12.3%	34.5%
13	La quinta	Strict	1,383	54%	$353	$71,296	12.3%	34.5%
14	Santa cruz	Lenient	1,375	61%	$364	$82,795	12.3%	34.5%
15	Bakersfield	Lenient	1,346	51%	$179	$34,421	12.3%	34.5%
16	Contra costa	Lenient	1,329	59%	$152	$33,633	12.3%	34.5%
17	Oceanside	Lenient	1,292	71%	$298	$79,027	12.3%	34.5%
18	Long beach	Strict	1,286	68%	$212	$54,238	12.3%	34.5%
19	Palm desert	Lenient	1,276	54%	$274	$55,405	12.3%	34.5%
20	Indio	Strict	1,268	49%	$434	$80,021	12.3%	34.5%
21	Newport beach	Strict	1,258	71%	$502	$132,784	12.3%	34.5%
22	Tulare	Lenient	1,241	58%	$227	$49,616	12.3%	34.5%
23	Marin	Lenient	1,187	68%	$311	$78,690	12.3%	34.5%
24	Tuolumne	Lenient	1,155	46%	$272	$47,419	12.3%	34.5%
25	Lake arrowhead	Strict	1,142	38%	$320	$46,184	12.3%	34.5%
26	South lake tahoe	Lenient	1,122	55%	$289	$59,637	12.3%	34.5%
27	Mendocino	Lenient	1,054	54%	$277	$56,277	12.3%	34.5%
28	San miguel	Lenient	1,019	60%	$536	$119,176	12.3%	34.5%
29	Santa monica	Strict	921	73%	$225	$61,451	12.3%	34.5%
30	Truckee	Lenient	896	49%	$417	$76,780	12.3%	34.5%
31	Calaveras	Lenient	895	43%	$301	$48,942	12.3%	34.5%
32	Mariposa county	Lenient	879	63%	$315	$73,919	12.3%	34.5%
33	Joshua tree	Strict	854	56%	$229	$49,358	12.3%	34.5%
34	Napa	Lenient	823	55%	$312	$63,984	12.3%	34.5%
35	Santa barbara	Lenient	802	69%	$344	$88,976	12.3%	34.5%
36	Santa ana	Lenient	776	72%	$182	$49,455	12.3%	34.5%
37	Anaheim	Strict	718	78%	$298	$86,641	12.3%	34.5%
38	Shasta	Lenient	673	59%	$205	$45,347	12.3%	34.5%
39	Yucca valley	Lenient	623	57%	$253	$55,187	12.3%	34.5%
40	Beverly hills	Lenient	562	67%	$230	$57,642	12.3%	34.5%
41	Modesto	Lenient	457	54%	$146	$29,677	12.3%	34.5%
42	Somerset	Lenient	385	55%	$201	$41,051	12.3%	34.5%
43	Malibu	Strict	320	57%	$731	$155,385	12.3%	34.5%
44	Ventura	Lenient	285	70%	$290	$75,595	12.3%	34.5%
45	El monte	Lenient	263	70%	$102	$27,111	12.3%	34.5%
46	Monterey park	Lenient	252	67%	$156	$39,140	12.3%	34.5%
47	Lancaster	Lenient	250	57%	$79	$16,936	12.3%	34.5%
48	Redondo beach	Lenient	249	67%	$220	$54,701	12.3%	34.5%
49	Thousand oaks	Lenient	227	71%	$237	$62,544	12.3%	34.5%
50	Oxnard	Lenient	226	57%	$379	$81,791	12.3%	34.5%
51	Santa clarita	Lenient	214	62%	$205	$47,642	12.3%	34.5%
52	West covina	Lenient	210	66%	$132	$32,439	12.3%	34.5%
53	Merced	Lenient	204	53%	$126	$24,975	12.3%	34.5%
54	San gabriel	Lenient	186	72%	$130	$34,964	12.3%	34.5%
55	Monrovia	Lenient	176	77%	$177	$50,746	12.3%	34.5%
56	Hermosa beach	Lenient	170	62%	$294	$68,692	12.3%	34.5%
57	Rosemead	Lenient	159	66%	$103	$25,533	12.3%	34.5%
58	Avalon	Lenient	155	54%	$615	$123,393	12.3%	34.5%
59	Altadena	Lenient	150	70%	$179	$46,694	12.3%	34.5%
60	Palmdale	Lenient	135	53%	$110	$22,320	12.3%	34.5%
61	Baldwin park	Lenient	132	73%	$125	$34,086	12.3%	34.5%
62	Carpinteria	Lenient	127	61%	$357	$80,686	12.3%	34.5%
63	Montecito	Lenient	122	70%	$642	$166,531	12.3%	34.5%
64	Mineral	Lenient	105	57%	$259	$54,755	12.3%	34.5%
65	Downey	Lenient	98	67%	$153	$38,196	12.3%	34.5%
66	Summerland	Lenient	94	64%	$430	$102,848	12.3%	34.5%
67	Glendora	Lenient	83	69%	$207	$53,233	12.3%	34.5%
68	Covina	Lenient	82	63%	$122	$28,654	12.3%	34.5%
69	Azusa	Lenient	81	62%	$177	$41,035	12.3%	34.5%
70	Santa ynez	Lenient	78	56%	$372	$77,027	12.3%	34.5%
71	Port hueneme	Lenient	73	62%	$313	$73,136	12.3%	34.5%
72	Temple city	Lenient	69	63%	$91	$21,325	12.3%	34.5%
73	Norwalk	Lenient	65	68%	$127	$32,796	12.3%	34.5%
74	Goleta	Strict	64	61%	$270	$61,701	12.3%	34.5%
75	Camarillo	Lenient	52	64%	$164	$39,450	12.3%	34.5%

Find the Best Airbnb Markets with Our Interactive Tool

Use our interactive Market Explorer to find the best places to start an Airbnb in COUNTRY. Compare multiple markets side by side, apply filters like regulations, budget (property or rent prices), and market size, and even export the results to Excel.

Explore Interactive Tool

Mid-Range Airbnb Markets: $150,000-$300,000

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	Madera	Lenient	1,407	54%	$265	$53,882	12.3%	34.5%
2	Tulare	Lenient	1,241	58%	$227	$49,616	12.3%	34.5%
3	Shasta	Lenient	673	59%	$205	$45,347	12.3%	34.5%
4	Merced	Lenient	204	53%	$126	$24,975	12.3%	34.5%
5	Mineral	Lenient	105	57%	$259	$54,755	12.3%	34.5%
6	Lancaster	Lenient	250	57%	$79	$16,936	12.3%	34.5%

Upper-Mid Airbnb Markets: $300,000-$500,000

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	Fresno	Lenient	1,694	53%	$174	$34,860	12.3%	34.5%
2	Bakersfield	Lenient	1,346	51%	$179	$34,421	12.3%	34.5%
3	Tuolumne	Lenient	1,155	46%	$272	$47,419	12.3%	34.5%
4	Yucca valley	Lenient	623	57%	$253	$55,187	12.3%	34.5%
5	Modesto	Lenient	457	54%	$146	$29,677	12.3%	34.5%
6	Big bear city	Strict	1,869	36%	$270	$37,028	12.3%	34.5%
7	Cobb	Lenient	1,395	60%	$158	$35,977	12.3%	34.5%
8	Indio	Strict	1,268	49%	$434	$80,021	12.3%	34.5%
9	Calaveras	Lenient	895	43%	$301	$48,942	12.3%	34.5%
10	Mariposa county	Lenient	879	63%	$315	$73,919	12.3%	34.5%
11	Joshua tree	Strict	854	56%	$229	$49,358	12.3%	34.5%
12	Somerset	Lenient	385	55%	$201	$41,051	12.3%	34.5%
13	Palmdale	Lenient	135	53%	$110	$22,320	12.3%	34.5%
14	Palm desert	Lenient	1,276	54%	$274	$55,405	12.3%	34.5%
15	San miguel	Lenient	1,019	60%	$536	$119,176	12.3%	34.5%
16	Palm springs	Lenient	3,400	57%	$427	$90,337	12.3%	34.5%
17	Big bear lake	Strict	2,556	37%	$314	$44,126	12.3%	34.5%
18	La quinta	Strict	1,383	54%	$353	$71,296	12.3%	34.5%
19	Lake arrowhead	Strict	1,142	38%	$320	$46,184	12.3%	34.5%
20	Port hueneme	Lenient	73	62%	$313	$73,136	12.3%	34.5%
21	Azusa	Lenient	81	62%	$177	$41,035	12.3%	34.5%

Premium Airbnb Markets: $500,000-$1,000,000

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	El monte	Lenient	263	70%	$102	$27,111	12.3%	34.5%
2	Covina	Lenient	82	63%	$122	$28,654	12.3%	34.5%
3	South lake tahoe	Lenient	1,122	55%	$289	$59,637	12.3%	34.5%
4	Mendocino	Lenient	1,054	54%	$277	$56,277	12.3%	34.5%
5	Santa ana	Lenient	776	72%	$182	$49,455	12.3%	34.5%
6	Thousand oaks	Lenient	227	71%	$237	$62,544	12.3%	34.5%
7	Oxnard	Lenient	226	57%	$379	$81,791	12.3%	34.5%
8	Santa clarita	Lenient	214	62%	$205	$47,642	12.3%	34.5%
9	West covina	Lenient	210	66%	$132	$32,439	12.3%	34.5%
10	Rosemead	Lenient	159	66%	$103	$25,533	12.3%	34.5%
11	Baldwin park	Lenient	132	73%	$125	$34,086	12.3%	34.5%
12	Downey	Lenient	98	67%	$153	$38,196	12.3%	34.5%
13	Glendora	Lenient	83	69%	$207	$53,233	12.3%	34.5%
14	Norwalk	Lenient	65	68%	$127	$32,796	12.3%	34.5%
15	Camarillo	Lenient	52	64%	$164	$39,450	12.3%	34.5%
16	Oceanside	Lenient	1,292	71%	$298	$79,027	12.3%	34.5%
17	Long beach	Strict	1,286	68%	$212	$54,238	12.3%	34.5%
18	Anaheim	Strict	718	78%	$298	$86,641	12.3%	34.5%
19	North lake tahoe	Lenient	1,437	52%	$428	$83,556	12.3%	34.5%
20	Contra costa	Lenient	1,329	59%	$152	$33,633	12.3%	34.5%
21	Truckee	Lenient	896	49%	$417	$76,780	12.3%	34.5%
22	Ventura	Lenient	285	70%	$290	$75,595	12.3%	34.5%
23	Monterey park	Lenient	252	67%	$156	$39,140	12.3%	34.5%
24	San gabriel	Lenient	186	72%	$130	$34,964	12.3%	34.5%
25	Monrovia	Lenient	176	77%	$177	$50,746	12.3%	34.5%
26	Temple city	Lenient	69	63%	$91	$21,325	12.3%	34.5%
27	San diego	Strict	10,113	71%	$248	$65,769	12.3%	34.5%
28	Monterey	Lenient	1,456	64%	$339	$80,990	12.3%	34.5%
29	Napa	Lenient	823	55%	$312	$63,984	12.3%	34.5%
30	Altadena	Lenient	150	70%	$179	$46,694	12.3%	34.5%
31	Santa ynez	Lenient	78	56%	$372	$77,027	12.3%	34.5%
32	Los angeles	Strict	11,250	67%	$213	$53,589	12.3%	34.5%
33	Avalon	Lenient	155	54%	$615	$123,393	12.3%	34.5%
34	San jose	Lenient	1,939	68%	$131	$33,279	12.3%	34.5%
35	Carpinteria	Lenient	127	61%	$357	$80,686	12.3%	34.5%
36	Goleta	Strict	64	61%	$270	$61,701	12.3%	34.5%
37	Santa cruz	Lenient	1,375	61%	$364	$82,795	12.3%	34.5%
38	Marin	Lenient	1,187	68%	$311	$78,690	12.3%	34.5%
39	Redondo beach	Lenient	249	67%	$220	$54,701	12.3%	34.5%

Luxury Airbnb Markets: $1,000,000 & Above

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	San francisco	Strict	4,008	72%	$194	$52,083	12.3%	34.5%
2	Santa monica	Strict	921	73%	$225	$61,451	12.3%	34.5%
3	Santa barbara	Lenient	802	69%	$344	$88,976	12.3%	34.5%
4	Summerland	Lenient	94	64%	$430	$102,848	12.3%	34.5%
5	Hermosa beach	Lenient	170	62%	$294	$68,692	12.3%	34.5%
6	Newport beach	Strict	1,258	71%	$502	$132,784	12.3%	34.5%
7	Beverly hills	Lenient	562	67%	$230	$57,642	12.3%	34.5%
8	Malibu	Strict	320	57%	$731	$155,385	12.3%	34.5%
9	Montecito	Lenient	122	70%	$642	$166,531	12.3%	34.5%

Emerging vs Established Airbnb Markets in The United States

Top 20 Emerging Short-Term Rental Markets in The United States

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	Beverly hills	Lenient	562	67%	$230	$57,642	12.3%	34.5%
2	Baldwin park	Lenient	132	73%	$125	$34,086	12.3%	34.5%
3	Lancaster	Lenient	250	57%	$79	$16,936	12.3%	34.5%
4	Los angeles	Strict	11,250	67%	$213	$53,589	12.3%	34.5%
5	Camarillo	Lenient	52	64%	$164	$39,450	12.3%	34.5%
6	Monterey park	Lenient	252	67%	$156	$39,140	12.3%	34.5%
7	Santa ynez	Lenient	78	56%	$372	$77,027	12.3%	34.5%
8	Summerland	Lenient	94	64%	$430	$102,848	12.3%	34.5%
9	Glendora	Lenient	83	69%	$207	$53,233	12.3%	34.5%
10	Modesto	Lenient	457	54%	$146	$29,677	12.3%	34.5%
11	San jose	Lenient	1,939	68%	$131	$33,279	12.3%	34.5%
12	Cobb	Lenient	1,395	60%	$158	$35,977	12.3%	34.5%
13	Palm desert	Lenient	1,276	54%	$274	$55,405	12.3%	34.5%
14	San gabriel	Lenient	186	72%	$130	$34,964	12.3%	34.5%
15	Rosemead	Lenient	159	66%	$103	$25,533	12.3%	34.5%
16	Hermosa beach	Lenient	170	62%	$294	$68,692	12.3%	34.5%
17	Santa clarita	Lenient	214	62%	$205	$47,642	12.3%	34.5%
18	Redondo beach	Lenient	249	67%	$220	$54,701	12.3%	34.5%
19	Palmdale	Lenient	135	53%	$110	$22,320	12.3%	34.5%
20	West covina	Lenient	210	66%	$132	$32,439	12.3%	34.5%

Top 4 Established Short-Term Rental Markets in The United States

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	Los angeles	Strict	11,250	67%	$213	$53,589	12.3%	34.5%
2	San francisco	Strict	4,008	72%	$194	$52,083	12.3%	34.5%
3	San diego	Strict	10,113	71%	$248	$65,769	12.3%	34.5%
4	Palm springs	Lenient	3,400	57%	$427	$90,337	12.3%	34.5%

50 Best Places for Airbnb Arbitrage in The United States

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	San miguel	Lenient	1,019	60%	$536	$119,176	12.3%	34.5%
2	Mariposa county	Lenient	879	63%	$315	$73,919	12.3%	34.5%
3	Montecito	Lenient	122	70%	$642	$166,531	12.3%	34.5%
4	Mineral	Lenient	105	57%	$259	$54,755	12.3%	34.5%
5	Tulare	Lenient	1,241	58%	$227	$49,616	12.3%	34.5%
6	Santa ynez	Lenient	78	56%	$372	$77,027	12.3%	34.5%
7	Shasta	Lenient	673	59%	$205	$45,347	12.3%	34.5%
8	Napa	Lenient	823	55%	$312	$63,984	12.3%	34.5%
9	Avalon	Lenient	155	54%	$615	$123,393	12.3%	34.5%
10	Yucca valley	Lenient	623	57%	$253	$55,187	12.3%	34.5%
11	Monterey	Lenient	1,456	64%	$339	$80,990	12.3%	34.5%
12	Madera	Lenient	1,407	54%	$265	$53,882	12.3%	34.5%
13	Joshua tree	Strict	854	56%	$229	$49,358	12.3%	34.5%
14	Malibu	Strict	320	57%	$731	$155,385	12.3%	34.5%
15	Summerland	Lenient	94	64%	$430	$102,848	12.3%	34.5%
16	Santa barbara	Lenient	802	69%	$344	$88,976	12.3%	34.5%
17	Oceanside	Lenient	1,292	71%	$298	$79,027	12.3%	34.5%
18	South lake tahoe	Lenient	1,122	55%	$289	$59,637	12.3%	34.5%
19	Ventura	Lenient	285	70%	$290	$75,595	12.3%	34.5%
20	Indio	Strict	1,268	49%	$434	$80,021	12.3%	34.5%
21	Newport beach	Strict	1,258	71%	$502	$132,784	12.3%	34.5%
22	Palm desert	Lenient	1,276	54%	$274	$55,405	12.3%	34.5%
23	La quinta	Strict	1,383	54%	$353	$71,296	12.3%	34.5%
24	Anaheim	Strict	718	78%	$298	$86,641	12.3%	34.5%
25	Santa clarita	Lenient	214	62%	$205	$47,642	12.3%	34.5%
26	Thousand oaks	Lenient	227	71%	$237	$62,544	12.3%	34.5%
27	Tuolumne	Lenient	1,155	46%	$272	$47,419	12.3%	34.5%
28	Carpinteria	Lenient	127	61%	$357	$80,686	12.3%	34.5%
29	Norwalk	Lenient	65	68%	$127	$32,796	12.3%	34.5%
30	North lake tahoe	Lenient	1,437	52%	$428	$83,556	12.3%	34.5%
31	Santa cruz	Lenient	1,375	61%	$364	$82,795	12.3%	34.5%
32	Mendocino	Lenient	1,054	54%	$277	$56,277	12.3%	34.5%
33	Marin	Lenient	1,187	68%	$311	$78,690	12.3%	34.5%
34	Santa monica	Strict	921	73%	$225	$61,451	12.3%	34.5%
35	Somerset	Lenient	385	55%	$201	$41,051	12.3%	34.5%
36	Bakersfield	Lenient	1,346	51%	$179	$34,421	12.3%	34.5%
37	Palm springs	Lenient	3,400	57%	$427	$90,337	12.3%	34.5%
38	Camarillo	Lenient	52	64%	$164	$39,450	12.3%	34.5%
39	Hermosa beach	Lenient	170	62%	$294	$68,692	12.3%	34.5%
40	Calaveras	Lenient	895	43%	$301	$48,942	12.3%	34.5%
41	Oxnard	Lenient	226	57%	$379	$81,791	12.3%	34.5%
42	San diego	Strict	10,113	71%	$248	$65,769	12.3%	34.5%
43	Monterey park	Lenient	252	67%	$156	$39,140	12.3%	34.5%
44	San francisco	Strict	4,008	72%	$194	$52,083	12.3%	34.5%
45	Long beach	Strict	1,286	68%	$212	$54,238	12.3%	34.5%
46	Goleta	Strict	64	61%	$270	$61,701	12.3%	34.5%
47	Altadena	Lenient	150	70%	$179	$46,694	12.3%	34.5%
48	Cobb	Lenient	1,395	60%	$158	$35,977	12.3%	34.5%
49	Glendora	Lenient	83	69%	$207	$53,233	12.3%	34.5%
50	Port hueneme	Lenient	73	62%	$313	$73,136	12.3%	34.5%

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