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Airbnb in San Diego: License, Income & Investment Guide 2026

By HostPal Editorial·Updated 303 days ago·Source: Inside Airbnb

San Diego short-term rental market data, neighbourhood breakdown, and regulation summary.

At a glance
Median occupancy
48%
Median daily rate
$174
Active listings
9,541
13,162 total
Revenue per available night
$57.4

When San Diego Airbnbs perform best

Monthly occupancy data shows the seasonal rhythm of the San Diego short-term rental market. Use this to plan dynamic pricing, target peak demand, and avoid lulls.

San Diego — monthly occupancy 34% 33% 33% 37% 36% 40% 52% 50% 53% 48% 36% 31% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 100% 0%

How San Diego compares to United States

Benchmarked against 34 other United States markets we track, San Diego's metrics tell a clear story.

Occupancy vs national
+6 pts vs national
National median: 42%
Daily rate vs national
+27.5% vs national
National median: $136.5

What kind of Airbnbs are in San Diego?

Of the 9,541 active operating listings, 88.1% are entire homes (vs private rooms), and 60.3% are operated by Airbnb Superhosts.

Bedroom mix among active listings
Studio
1 BR
2 BR
3 BR
4+ BR
Studio: 8.3%1 BR: 37%2 BR: 24.5%3 BR: 17.1%4+ BR: 13.1%

Top neighborhoods in San Diego

The 102 neighborhoods we track range from established tourist hotspots to emerging investment zones. Here are the five strongest by revenue.

NeighborhoodListingsOccupancyRevPARYoY
Carmel Mountain736%$821.9
Estlake Greens164%$90.1
Kearny Mesa2463%$86.9
Mount Hope2360%$86.1
La Jolla75648%$86.1

Frequently asked questions

What is the average Airbnb occupancy in San Diego?
Active Airbnb listings in San Diego run at ~48% occupancy. Source: Inside Airbnb.
What is the median daily rate for an Airbnb in San Diego?
The median Airbnb daily rate (ADR) in San Diego is approximately $174. Based on listings with at least one review in the last 12 months.
How many active Airbnb listings are in San Diego?
There are approximately 9,541 active short-term rental listings in San Diego (listings with at least one booking in the last 12 months).

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Going deeper?

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Property-level financials, stress tests, neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdowns, and an AI verdict on whether to buy.

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Methodology. Market metrics are derived from Inside Airbnb's 2025-09 snapshot, filtered to active listings (those with at least one booking in the last 12 months). Year-over-year deltas compare against the closest archived snapshot ~12 months prior. Sample sizes: occupancy n=4,203, ADR n=8,650.