Big Bear City, California Short-Term Rental Market
Big Bear City STRs averaged $254/night at 26.4% occupancy in April 2026, with December and January as the dominant revenue months across 8,400+ active listings.
Quick Answer: Big Bear City, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 26%. average monthly revenue is $2,203. average daily rate is $254. the top operator is Destination Big Bear with 486 listings. market score is 46/100 (grade D).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Big Bear City occupies the unincorporated eastern end of Big Bear Valley in the San Bernardino Mountains, roughly two hours from Los Angeles. The market tracked 8,411 active short-term rental listings in the latest snapshot. In April 2026, the average daily rate across all listing types was $254, with overall occupancy at 26.4% and RevPAR at $66.95. Average monthly revenue per listing was $2,203 in April.
Year-over-year as of April 2026, occupancy improved 13.1% compared to the same month in 2025, while ADR declined 4.1% and revenue declined 6.9%. The multi-year trend shows the market peaked in 2020 and 2021 (when average annual revenue per listing reached $4,373 and $4,816 respectively) and has since moderated toward the $3,200 to $3,400 range through 2023 to 2025.
The listing mix is strongly oriented toward entire-place rentals: 8,324 of 8,411 tracked listings (98.9%) are entire-place units, with private rooms at 81 and shared rooms at 6. By bedroom count, three-bedroom units represent the largest segment at 2,929 listings, followed by two-bedroom (2,509), four-bedroom (1,370), one-bedroom (904), and five-bedroom (692). By booking channel, 5,176 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, 2,840 on Airbnb only, and 395 on VRBO only, reflecting a dual-channel strategy among the majority of operators.
The market’s composite score from the Apivex scoring system is 46.3 out of 100. Revenue growth scores highest at 74.7, investability at 67.2, and regulatory environment at 69.6. Rental demand scores lowest at 41.6, consistent with a seasonally driven market where occupancy swings significantly by month.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44% | $420 | $5,261 |
| Feb | 43% | $404 | $4,569 |
| Mar | 32% | $314 | $3,169 |
| Apr | 30% | $255 | $2,198 |
| May | 33% | $267 | $2,003 |
| Jun | 41% | $289 | $2,800 |
| Jul | 47% | $306 | $3,733 |
| Aug | 40% | $289 | $3,132 |
| Sep | 28% | $274 | $2,148 |
| Oct | 34% | $273 | $2,439 |
| Nov | 40% | $325 | $3,104 |
| Dec | 53% | $460 | $6,146 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Big Bear City
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Destination Big Bear | 486 | 27,721 | ★ 4.72 |
| 2 | Big Bear Cool Cabins | 417 | 7,860 | ★ 4.50 |
| 3 | Big Bear Vacations | 416 | 7,402 | ★ 4.35 |
| 4 | Evolve | 269 | 11,248 | ★ 4.66 |
| 5 | Sky High Cabins | 189 | 9,233 | ★ 4.91 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Big Bear City?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 904 |
| 2 bed | 2,509 |
| 3 bed | 2,929 |
| 4 bed | 1,370 |
| 5 bed | 692 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $256 |
| Luxury | $441 |
| Professionally Managed | $290 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,251 |
| Entire Place | $2,217 |
| House | $2,232 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 33.8% |
| vrbo | 4.7% |
| both | 61.5% |
Investment Analysis
At a typical home value of $395,087 (Zillow, April 2026 snapshot), a Big Bear City STR property generating the April 2026 average of $2,203 per month would annualize to approximately $26,441, implying a gross revenue yield of approximately 6.7% before operating expenses, platform fees, and permit costs.
The luxury tier commands significantly higher rates: the tier_luxury ADR was $441 in April 2026 versus the all-listings average of $254, a 74% premium. Professionally managed properties averaged $290/night in ADR versus $254 across all listings. The entire-home average ADR was $256, close to the all-listings figure, consistent with the market being almost entirely entire-place inventory.
Revenue by listing subtype in April 2026: entire-place averaged $2,217 per month, house listings averaged $2,232, and apartment-classified listings averaged $1,251. The apartment figure is based on a much smaller subset of the market and reflects properties that do not fit the dominant cabin and house format.
The multi-year revenue trend shows average annual revenue per listing of $3,399 in 2025 and $3,359 in 2024, representing a modest 1.2% increase. The 2026 partial-year average of $3,621 is elevated by the strong winter months included so far (January through April). The Apivex investability score of 67.2 and revenue growth score of 74.7 suggest above-average return trajectory relative to other markets in the dataset, despite the modest April occupancy figure.
The median list price of $428,300 (April 2026) is roughly 8.4% above the typical home value of $395,087, and with 228 active listings for sale, buyers have meaningful inventory to evaluate.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Big Bear City guests book an average of 25.6 days (approximately 3.7 weeks) in advance. This relatively short booking window reflects the market’s dominant visitor base of Southern California day-trippers and weekend travelers who tend to plan mountain getaways on shorter notice than destination travelers booking flights.
Average length of stay is 2.85 nights, consistent with a weekend-trip market. The near-3-night average suggests most bookings span Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday, with minimal mid-week stays extending the average above 2 nights.
For operators, the 25.6-day lead time means rate adjustments made 3 to 4 weeks before a target date still reach most potential bookers before they commit. Holding premium pricing through the 4-week mark is viable before considering discounts for unsold nights. The sub-3-night average stay also implies a relatively high turnover rate, so cleaning cost per available night is a meaningful line item in the unit economics.
During December and January peak periods, earlier booking patterns likely apply, though the data reflects the all-months average of 25.6 days.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Big Bear City (ZIP 92314) is an unincorporated community governed by San Bernardino County, not by the City of Big Bear Lake, which has separate and more restrictive rules.
STRs are permitted. A San Bernardino County Short-Term Residential Rental Unit Permit is required for any rental of 30 days or less. As of July 1, 2025, new application fees total $1,144, broken out as $600 application, $285 permit, and $259 neighbor notification. Annual renewal costs $550 with no changes, up to $1,144 if both physical and management changes occur. The permit process takes approximately 6 to 8 weeks due to a mandatory 20-day neighbor notification period plus a 30-day appeal window after issuance.
Permits are non-transferable and must be renewed annually. Owner-occupancy is not required, and there is no primary residence requirement, so investor-owned non-occupied STRs are permitted. There is no stated cap on maximum nights per year.
The county’s Transient Occupancy Tax is 7% of gross rental receipts (including cleaning fees) for stays under 30 days. A November 2024 ballot measure that would have raised this to 11% was rejected by voters 57% to 43%, keeping the 7% rate in effect through at least 2026.
Zoning restrictions limit STRs to residential zones within unincorporated county territory. Multi-family apartment buildings are explicitly prohibited. Parcels under two acres are limited to one permit; parcels at or above two acres may hold two permits. All vehicle parking must remain on-property. Permitted properties must post the permit and a Good Neighbor brochure inside the unit, maintain quiet hours from 10 PM to 7 AM, and provide a local 24/7 contact reachable within one hour.
Operating without a permit is a criminal violation subject to fines of $1,000 per day. The county’s enforcement severity is rated strict.
Market Comparison
Compared to national STR benchmarks, Big Bear City’s April 2026 ADR of $254 exceeds the estimated US STR median ADR of approximately $220, positioning it as a premium-ADR mountain market. However, its April 2026 occupancy of 26.4% sits well below the US median of approximately 55%, reflecting the steep spring trough typical of ski-and-lake markets that draw most visitors in winter and summer.
For context, the market’s annual average occupancy across calendar years 2024 and 2025 was approximately 35%, which is a more representative ongoing figure than April’s low. Even at 35%, Big Bear City trails national medians on occupancy, compensating with above-average ADR in its peak months.
Among property managers operating in the market, Destination Big Bear leads with 486 listings and 27,721 reviews at a 4.72 average rating. Big Bear Cool Cabins and Big Bear Vacations hold comparable scale at 417 and 416 listings respectively. Evolve, a national operator, manages 269 Big Bear City listings with 11,248 reviews at a 4.66 rating. Sky High Cabins operates 189 listings with the highest average rating among the top five at 4.91 across 9,233 reviews. The concentration of professionally managed inventory among these five operators suggests a competitive management landscape where local specialists dominate over national platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions About Big Bear City, California
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