Wrightwood, California Short-Term Rental Market
Wrightwood, CA STRs averaged $207/night at 54.2% occupancy in April 2026, with highly consistent year-round demand from the LA metro.
Quick Answer: Wrightwood, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 54%. average monthly revenue is $3,306. average daily rate is $207. the top operator is Evolve with 88 listings. market score is 53/100 (grade D).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Wrightwood is a mountain community of approximately 4,562 residents in the San Gabriel Mountains, 77 miles northeast of Los Angeles. The market draws year-round visitors from the LA metro area: skiers and snowboarders in winter at Mountain High Resort, hikers along the Pacific Crest Trail in summer, and weekenders escaping Southern California heat. As of April 2026, the market posted an average daily rate of $207 and occupancy of 54.2%, generating a RevPAR of $112.
The market holds approximately 7,496 active listings, with entire-place rentals at 4,880 (65.1%), private rooms at 2,597 (34.6%), and shared rooms at 19. The private-room share of 34.6% is the highest in this batch, reflecting the market’s large base of homeowners who rent rooms rather than entire properties. Bedroom distribution shows 1-bedroom units at 3,826, a large lead over 3-bedroom (993), 4-bedroom (961), 2-bedroom (938), and 5-bedroom-plus (761). Channel distribution is heavily Airbnb-weighted: 5,208 listings exclusively on Airbnb, 2,097 on both platforms, and 191 exclusively on Vrbo.
Year-over-year in April 2026: occupancy grew 2.6%, ADR declined 1.9%, and revenue grew 4.6%. The seasonality score of 97.8 is the second-highest in this batch, reflecting extremely consistent year-round demand with minimal monthly swing.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51% | $161 | $2,417 |
| Feb | 57% | $163 | $2,375 |
| Mar | 58% | $172 | $2,675 |
| Apr | 56% | $178 | $2,845 |
| May | 56% | $170 | $2,603 |
| Jun | 62% | $195 | $3,210 |
| Jul | 63% | $186 | $3,210 |
| Aug | 57% | $173 | $2,794 |
| Sep | 55% | $166 | $2,528 |
| Oct | 57% | $173 | $2,677 |
| Nov | 54% | $178 | $2,711 |
| Dec | 57% | $180 | $2,812 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Wrightwood
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 88 | 1,904 | ★ 4.58 |
| 2 | New Spirit Vacation Homes | 60 | 3,545 | ★ 4.46 |
| 3 | Host / Eric | 45 | 40 | ★ 4.67 |
| 4 | Holidale | 44 | 11 | ★ 4.57 |
| 5 | Vacasa | 43 | 2,764 | ★ 4.53 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Wrightwood?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 3,826 |
| 2 bed | 938 |
| 3 bed | 993 |
| 4 bed | 961 |
| 5 bed | 761 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $273 |
| Luxury | $484 |
| Professionally Managed | $390 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,205 |
| Entire Place | $4,240 |
| House | $3,453 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 69.5% |
| vrbo | 2.5% |
| both | 28% |
Investment Analysis
Wrightwood presents a mid-range entry cost with strong gross yield potential for entire-place listings. The typical home value is $432,145 and the median list price is $499,317 as of April 2026. With 64 active for-sale listings, inventory is moderate. At the average monthly revenue of $3,306 across all listing types, annualized gross revenue projects to approximately $39,672, implying a gross yield of roughly 9.2% against the typical home value.
The all-listings ADR of $207 is lower than the entire-home tier average of $273 because the large private-room segment (34.6% of listings) pulls the blended average down. Entire-place listings generate $4,240/month on average, 28% above the house average of $3,453, which is another unusual market dynamic. Luxury-tier properties average $484/night, 134% above the all-listings ADR. Professionally managed listings average $390/night, an 88% premium, the highest PM premium in this batch.
The investability score of 52.9 reflects the regulatory complexity of San Bernardino County’s permit system and strict enforcement. The permit fee of $1,144 for a new application is the highest in this batch. However, revenue growth of 4.6% year-over-year and consistent year-round occupancy above 50% demonstrate that this market absorbs well-managed inventory effectively. Operators must carefully budget for permitting costs and annual renewals.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Wrightwood guests book an average of 37.6 days in advance, approximately five to six weeks out. This relatively short lead time reflects the LA metro drive-market character: Southern California visitors make shorter-horizon weekend plans than tourists requiring flights. Mountain High ski weekends and PCT hiking season weekends are exceptions that book earlier.
Average length of stay is 4.9 nights, nearly 5 nights, tied with Winter Haven for the longest in this batch. This extended stay is surprising for an LA drive-market and may reflect the private-room segment’s tendency toward extended-stay bookings from PCT hikers (who often stay a week at resupply points) and remote workers using Wrightwood as a temporary LA escape. Operators with entire-place listings benefit from high revenue per booking and lower turnover costs. A 3 to 4 night minimum for entire-place properties and a 1 to 2 night minimum for rooms aligns with the market’s demand segments.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Wrightwood falls under San Bernardino County’s Short-Term Residential Rental permit system (Code Chapter 84.28) rather than any city-level STR ordinance. The county permits STRs only in its unincorporated Mountain and Desert Regions; Wrightwood qualifies as a Mountain Region community.
As of the fee schedule effective July 1, 2025, new permit applications total $1,144: $600 application fee, $285 permit fee, and $259 surrounding property owner notification fee. Annual renewals range from $550 to $1,144 depending on whether changes trigger new inspections or notifications. A $150 one-time credit is available for installing an outdoor noise monitoring device. Operators must complete a Code Enforcement exterior inspection plus a self-certified interior checklist.
A separate Transient Occupancy Tax Registration Certificate is required from the San Bernardino County Tax Collector. Operators must collect and remit a 7% TOT on the full rental price including cleaning fees. Occupancy limits are set by room size: 70 square feet minimum for one person, 50 additional square feet per additional occupant.
Operators must post a 24/7 phone number for complaint resolution; the county operates a 1-833-SBC-STR1 hotline. Enforcement is strict: operating without a permit can trigger fines of $1,000 per day. There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement, and no cap on annual nights. There is no annual night maximum for permitted operators. The county has enacted moratoriums on new permits in some neighboring mountain communities (such as Lake Arrowhead), but as of May 2026 no moratorium applies to Wrightwood.
Market Comparison
Wrightwood’s 54.2% April 2026 occupancy is close to the U.S. STR annual median of approximately 55%, reflecting the market’s consistent year-round demand. The $207 ADR is close to the national median of approximately $220, with the all-listings average pulled down by the substantial private-room segment. Entire-place listings at $273 ADR sit above the national median.
Year-over-year: occupancy grew 2.6% and revenue grew 4.6% despite a 1.9% ADR decline, indicating occupancy-driven growth. The 2025 full-year average of 56.1% occupancy and $200 ADR held near the 2021 peak level, showing market stability after the post-pandemic normalization.
Among property managers, Evolve leads with 88 listings and a 4.58 rating. New Spirit Vacation Homes follows with 60 listings and 3,545 reviews (4.46 rating). Host/Eric holds 45 listings (4.67 rating). Holidale has 44 listings (4.57 rating) and Vacasa holds 43 listings with 2,764 reviews (4.53 rating). The relatively small PM operator presence (top 5 combined: 280 listings, or 3.7% of the 7,496 total market) reflects the high self-management rate in this market.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wrightwood, California
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