Golden, Colorado Short-Term Rental Market
Golden, CO STRs averaged $156/night at 66.8% occupancy in April 2026, anchored by 2.5 million annual visitors and Coors Brewery tourism.
Quick Answer: Golden, Colorado is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 78%. average monthly revenue is $4,298. average daily rate is $202. the top operator is Evolve with 279 listings. market score is 55/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Denver regional market, which includes Golden. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Golden.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Golden, Colorado sits at the edge of the Rocky Mountains just west of Denver, drawing an estimated 2.5 million visitors per year. The Coors Brewery (the world’s largest single-site brewery), Colorado Railroad Museum, Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave on Lookout Mountain, Clear Creek outdoor recreation, and the Colorado School of Mines form the primary visitor base. Golden attracts day-trippers, beer tourists, outdoor enthusiasts, and Denver-metro residents seeking a mountain-gateway experience.
As of April 2026, the market posted an average daily rate of $155.59 and occupancy of 66.75%, yielding a RevPAR of $103.86. This is a high-occupancy market: all 12 calendar months historically average above 58%, with a narrow trough by national standards. Year-over-year comparisons as of April 2026 showed modest softening: occupancy down 1.0%, ADR down 2.2%, and revenue down 0.4%. The 2025 annual average was 67.9% occupancy, $167/night, and $3,203/month, essentially flat compared to 2024.
Listing type leans toward entire-place rentals: approximately 10,939 entire-place listings, 2,148 private-room listings, and 87 shared-room listings. The bedroom mix is skewed toward smaller units, with 1-bedroom (5,670 listings) and 2-bedroom (3,276) making up the plurality of supply. Larger units include 3-bedroom (2,034), 4-bedroom (1,294), and 5-bedroom (874) configurations. Channel distribution shows Airbnb dominance: 7,762 listings on Airbnb only, 4,843 on both Airbnb and Vrbo, and only 569 on Vrbo alone.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58% | $126 | $2,084 |
| Feb | 65% | $128 | $2,134 |
| Mar | 68% | $133 | $2,481 |
| Apr | 67% | $137 | $2,460 |
| May | 71% | $149 | $2,844 |
| Jun | 81% | $171 | $3,607 |
| Jul | 80% | $165 | $3,585 |
| Aug | 76% | $160 | $3,337 |
| Sep | 73% | $155 | $3,010 |
| Oct | 69% | $150 | $2,853 |
| Nov | 61% | $135 | $2,224 |
| Dec | 62% | $137 | $2,250 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Golden
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 279 | 10,450 | ★ 4.65 |
| 2 | Effortless Rental Group | 141 | 10,652 | ★ 4.74 |
| 3 | Atomic Vacation Rentals | 140 | 9,862 | ★ 4.84 |
| 4 | VacayPlay | 83 | 5,503 | ★ 4.42 |
| 5 | Homes with Hospitality LLC | 81 | 850 | ★ 4.94 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Golden?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 5,670 |
| 2 bed | 3,276 |
| 3 bed | 2,034 |
| 4 bed | 1,294 |
| 5 bed | 874 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $224 |
| Luxury | $375 |
| Professionally Managed | $249 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $3,365 |
| Entire Place | $4,810 |
| House | $4,738 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 58.9% |
| vrbo | 4.3% |
| both | 36.8% |
Investment Analysis
Golden’s April 2026 average monthly revenue of $2,804 annualizes to approximately $33,651. Set against a Zillow typical home value of $871,116, this implies a gross annual yield of approximately 3.9% before expenses, which is among the lower raw yields for an STR market. The high home value is the primary constraint on return metrics.
That said, the occupancy profile is exceptionally consistent: the lowest historical monthly occupancy average is 58.4% in January, and the rental-demand score is 85.9 out of 100, the highest among the five markets in this batch. This consistency reduces income-volatility risk compared to highly seasonal markets.
Property-type variation in revenue is moderate. Entire-place units averaged $3,097/month, house listings averaged $2,948/month, and apartments averaged $2,492/month. Notably, houses do not significantly outperform entire-place units here, unlike in resort and coastal markets, suggesting configuration and location matter more than building type in this urban-adjacent market. The luxury ADR of $288.55 is 85% above the market average of $155.59. Professionally managed properties average $186.03/night, a 20% premium over the market ADR, indicating measurable rate uplift from professional management.
The housing market is highly competitive: the sale-to-list ratio of 1.043 means properties sell at 104.3% of list price on average, and the median days to pending is just 7 days. Investors should expect to pay above asking price and face limited purchase-negotiation leverage. The investability score of 53.8 reflects the yield compression caused by high entry costs relative to revenue.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Golden guests book an average of 39.8 days in advance and stay an average of 5.38 nights per booking, the longest average stay among the five markets in this batch. The 5.38-night average is characteristic of the Denver metro and Boulder-corridor markets, where a significant share of guests are work-from-anywhere travelers, extended-weekend visitors, and out-of-state travelers combining Denver business with mountain recreation.
The 40-day lead window is shorter than coastal or remote mountain markets, suggesting guests are more comfortable booking closer to their stay date. Operators in this market can hold pricing firmer for longer before discounting, given that late demand often materializes. For peak summer weekends (June through August), minimum stay requirements of 3 to 5 nights can reduce gap-night friction while aligning with the naturally occurring 5-night average. For shoulder months, shorter minimums of 2 nights help capture weekend demand.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Golden permits STRs in both residential and commercial zones, but with meaningfully different requirements by zone. Residential zones (including RE, R-1, R1-A, R-2, R-3, and residential planned-unit developments) require a Short-Term Rental License and owner occupancy of at least 10 months per year, effectively restricting residential-zone STRs to primary residences. Commercial zones (C-1, C-2, RC, CMU, and commercial PUDs) allow a Tourist Home License with no primary-residence requirement, making dedicated investor STRs viable in those zones.
The license fee is $200 for a two-year term, non-refundable and non-transferable. Applications require proof of ownership, primary-residence documentation where applicable, fire and liability insurance, a signed life-and-safety certification, and an STR affidavit. Only one dwelling unit per lot may be licensed. Occupancy is capped at four adults plus dependents. All listings must display the city STR license number and the required occupancy statement.
Golden applies a 6% lodging tax on stays under 30 days, in addition to the city’s regular sales tax. Enforcement is strict: the city conducts proactive enforcement, and unlicensed operation draws escalating citations starting at $150 per incident. Colorado-wide lodging-tax measures approved in November 2025 also affect STR operators statewide. Investors targeting commercial-zoned properties for non-owner-occupied STR use should verify individual parcel zoning before purchase.
Market Comparison
Golden’s April 2026 occupancy of 66.75% significantly exceeds the US STR median of approximately 55%, placing it among the higher-occupancy markets in the Rocky Mountain Front Range. Its ADR of $155.59 is below the US median of roughly $220, reflecting the urban-adjacent nature of the market, where competitive lodging alternatives (Denver hotels, mountain resorts) constrain pricing power relative to remote or trophy destinations.
The management landscape features a competitive mid-tier. Evolve leads with 279 listings and 10,450 reviews at a 4.65 rating. Effortless Rental Group holds 141 listings with a 4.74 rating across 10,652 reviews. Atomic Vacation Rentals manages 140 listings at a 4.84 rating. VacayPlay operates 83 listings (4.42 rating), and Homes with Hospitality LLC rounds out the top five with 81 listings and a 4.94 rating across 850 reviews, the highest satisfaction score in the group. Airbnb channel dominance is particularly pronounced in Golden: 7,762 listings on Airbnb only versus 569 on Vrbo only, a roughly 14-to-1 ratio, compared to more balanced splits in most comparable markets.
Frequently Asked Questions About Golden, Colorado
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