Lake City, Colorado Short-Term Rental Market
Lake City, CO area STRs averaged $179/night at 40.9% occupancy in April 2026, with July peaking at 72.4% and $4,203 average monthly revenue.
Quick Answer: Lake City, Colorado is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 65%. average monthly revenue is $4,125. average daily rate is $244. the top operator is Evolve with 552 listings. market score is 66/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Colorado Area regional market, which includes Lake City. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Lake City.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Lake City, Colorado sits at 8,672 feet in the San Juan Mountains of Hinsdale County, the least densely populated county in Colorado. The town has a permanent population of approximately 432, but the STR market covers a much broader area encompassing the Lake San Cristobal shoreline, the Alpine Loop corridor, and surrounding Hinsdale County. Tourism is the economic engine, concentrated in the June through September summer season.
Approximately 11,086 active listings are tracked across the market. Entire-place rentals dominate at 10,363 (93%), with 718 private rooms and 5 shared rooms. By bedroom, 1-bedroom units lead with 3,546 listings, followed by 3-bedrooms (3,016) and 2-bedrooms (2,834). Larger properties are fewer: 1,120 four-bedrooms and 549 five-bedrooms. Channel distribution is split: 5,562 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, 4,608 are Airbnb-only, and 916 are VRBO-only.
As of April 2026, average daily rate was $179.14 with occupancy at 40.9%, producing RevPAR of $73.18. Year-over-year comparisons show positive trends across all metrics: occupancy up 2.5%, ADR up 2.9%, and revenue up 2.3%. Market scores are moderate: total 66.4/100, rental demand 73.2/100, investability 70.7/100.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42% | $189 | $2,293 |
| Feb | 50% | $191 | $2,370 |
| Mar | 54% | $193 | $2,839 |
| Apr | 41% | $155 | $1,933 |
| May | 57% | $175 | $2,319 |
| Jun | 67% | $212 | $3,508 |
| Jul | 72% | $216 | $4,201 |
| Aug | 63% | $203 | $3,570 |
| Sep | 59% | $191 | $3,034 |
| Oct | 51% | $175 | $2,541 |
| Nov | 45% | $167 | $1,987 |
| Dec | 51% | $200 | $2,559 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Lake City
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 552 | 34,985 | ★ 4.77 |
| 2 | Vacasa | 205 | 11,102 | ★ 4.60 |
| 3 | Vacation Rental Collective | 163 | 8,326 | ★ 4.83 |
| 4 | Pinon Vacation | 111 | 8,000 | ★ 4.82 |
| 5 | VIP Vacation Services | 94 | 3,082 | ★ 4.83 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Lake City?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 3,546 |
| 2 bed | 2,834 |
| 3 bed | 3,016 |
| 4 bed | 1,120 |
| 5 bed | 549 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $252 |
| Luxury | $406 |
| Professionally Managed | $302 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $3,363 |
| Entire Place | $4,276 |
| House | $4,513 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 41.6% |
| vrbo | 8.3% |
| both | 50.2% |
Investment Analysis
Housing data for the Lake City area is limited, reflecting the thin and illiquid nature of this remote mountain market. Zillow data shows a typical home value of $483,524 as of April 2026, with a median list price of $751,667. Only 22 properties were for sale at snapshot time, underscoring the scarcity of available inventory. Median sale price and days-to-pending data are not available due to the small transaction volume.
At April 2026’s average monthly STR revenue of $2,184, annualized gross revenue would be approximately $26,208. That implies a gross yield of roughly 5.4% on the $483,524 typical home value, or roughly 3.5% on the $751,667 median list price. These figures use April metrics; the 2025 full-year average of $3,240/month annualizes to $38,880, which would imply a gross yield of approximately 8.0% on typical home value. Investors should use full-year revenue averages rather than April-month data for underwriting.
Tier comparison: luxury listings averaged $327/night versus $179 for all listings, an 82% premium. Professionally managed listings averaged $210/night, a $31 premium. Houses averaged $2,354/month versus $1,715 for apartments. The entire-place category averaged $2,260 versus the all-listing $2,184, with the gap explained by private-room inventory.
All three YoY metrics are positive as of April 2026, and the 2024-2025 annual averages show modest but consistent revenue growth ($3,165 to $3,240, a 2.4% increase).
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Lake City area guests book an average of 40.0 days in advance as of April 2026. This lead time reflects the destination nature of the market: visitors traveling from Texas and Colorado’s Front Range to a remote 8,672-foot mountain destination plan ahead, often coinciding with securing Jeep trail permits, fishing licenses, or group travel coordination.
Average length of stay is 3.76 nights, longer than a typical weekend trip and consistent with the extended nature of outdoor adventure vacations. A 4-night stay covers the typical Thursday-to-Monday summer pattern, allowing guests to maximize time on the Alpine Loop, 14er hikes, or Lake San Cristobal.
The combination of 40-day lead time and 3.76-night stays means operators have meaningful advance visibility into their calendar. A 3.76-night average at 40.9% April occupancy translates to roughly 3.3 bookings per month per listing. In July, with 72.4% occupancy and the same average stay length, that rises to approximately 5.8 bookings per month. Minimum-stay requirements of 3-4 nights during peak summer months are common and appropriate for this market.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Lake City and Hinsdale County have a comparatively light-touch STR regulatory environment as of mid-2026. No dedicated stand-alone STR licensing ordinance with occupancy caps, density limits, owner-occupancy requirements, or night limits was found for the Town of Lake City. Operators are subject to the town’s general business license requirement, a Colorado state sales tax license, and applicable lodging taxes.
The most significant recent change is a lodging tax increase. In November 2025, Hinsdale County voters approved (with approximately 76.5% support) tripling the county lodging tax on short-term rentals from 2% to 6%, effective 2026. This brings the combined tax burden to approximately 9.15% on STR stays (2.9% Colorado state sales tax, 5.0% Hinsdale County, and 1.25% Lake City Area Fire Protection District special district tax), plus the new 6% county lodging tax.
There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement and no annual night cap identified in public sources. Enforcement is classified as minimal, consistent with the town’s small staff and tourism-dependent economy.
Investors should verify current requirements directly with the Town Clerk (970-944-2333) and Hinsdale County before finalizing any investment, as rules in small Colorado jurisdictions can change and may not be fully reflected in online sources.
Market Comparison
Nationally, STR markets average roughly 55% occupancy and $220 ADR. Lake City’s April 2026 occupancy of 40.9% is below the national average, but April is the seasonal trough; July reaches 72.4%. The $179 April ADR is below the national median, though July’s $216 is near it. The market’s strength lies in its consistent positive year-over-year growth (occupancy +2.5%, ADR +2.9%, revenue +2.3%) and its relatively modest seasonal swing compared to single-season resort markets.
The operator landscape is led by Evolve with 552 listings, 34,985 reviews, and a 4.77 rating, making it the clear dominant operator in this market. Vacasa holds 205 listings with 11,102 reviews at 4.60. Vacation Rental Collective manages 163 listings with the highest rating of the top five at 4.83, and Pinon Vacation holds 111 listings at 4.82. VIP Vacation Services rounds out the top five with 94 listings and a 4.83 rating.
The top five operators collectively manage 1,125 listings, representing about 10.1% of the 11,086-listing market. Evolve alone accounts for roughly 5.0% of all active listings. The market’s regulation score of 70.4/100 and minimal enforcement posture make it accessible for new operators, though the thin housing inventory (22 for-sale properties at snapshot) makes entry at the property level the primary constraint.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lake City, Colorado
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