That nightly rate jump should stop you mid-sip — a 65% year-on-year rise to around $348 is extraordinary, and it's doing a lot of the heavy lifting here, because 48% occupancy is genuinely thin for a city with San Diego's tourism pull and nearly 10,000 active listings competing for the same guests. The market isn't growing busier; it's just charging more per night, which tells you supply has caught up and operators are pricing aggressively to protect revenue. California's short-term rental regulation is tightening city by city, and San Diego's permit requirements add real friction to new entrants. If you're buying here, the rate tailwind is real but fragile — this is a market where operational discipline and location precision matter more than the headline numbers suggest.
Year-over-year performance
Compared to the closest snapshot from approximately 12 months ago, the San Diego short-term rental market has shifted in measurable ways. Occupancy among active listings is up 1.1 points, while the median daily rate is up 62.1 percent.
When San Diego Airbnbs perform best
Occupancy in San Diego peaks in September at 52% and bottoms out in December at 33%, a 19-point swing across the year. Price the peak, defend the shoulder months with minimum-stay rules, and budget the trough as empty.
| Month | Occupancy | Median nightly rate |
|---|---|---|
| January | 34% | — |
| February | 34% | — |
| March | 34% | — |
| April | 36% | — |
| May | 35% | — |
| June | 39% | — |
| July | 48% | — |
| August | 46% | — |
| September | 52% | — |
| October | 51% | — |
| November | 37% | — |
| December | 33% | — |
Looking ahead, 39% of the next 30 nights are already booked across the market, 36% of the next 60 and 36% of the next 90 (as of 2026-10-18).
How San Diego compares to United States
Benchmarked against 34 other United States markets we track, San Diego's metrics tell a clear story.
What kind of Airbnbs are in San Diego?
Of the 9,608 active operating listings, 87.7% are entire homes (vs private rooms), and 66.9% are operated by Airbnb Superhosts.
Top neighborhoods in San Diego
The 103 neighborhoods we track range from established tourist hotspots to emerging investment zones. Here are the 10 strongest by median annual revenue per listing, led by Bonita Long Canyon at £60,663 a year.
| Neighborhood | Listings | Occupancy | Annual revenue | RevPAR | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonita Long Canyon | 3 | 44.4% | £60,663 | £166 | +11.5 pts YoY |
| Nestor | 6 | 46.9% | £44,351 | £122 | +19.8 pts YoY |
| Del Mar Heights | 53 | 31.2% | £42,707 | £117 | +2.7 pts YoY |
| Kearny Mesa | 33 | 41.1% | £41,181 | £113 | -2.5 pts YoY |
| La Jolla | 745 | 27.9% | £40,302 | £110 | +4.9 pts YoY |
| Mount Hope | 24 | 36.8% | £40,190 | £110 | -14.2 pts YoY |
| San Carlos | 42 | 45.2% | £38,310 | £105 | +18.9 pts YoY |
| Southwest | 37 | 49.3% | £35,760 | £98 | +4.9 pts YoY |
| Webster | 20 | 60.8% | £34,247 | £94 | +11.5 pts YoY |
| Gateway | 13 | 37.8% | £33,656 | £92 | +4.9 pts YoY |
Frequently asked questions
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