Bass Lake, California Short-Term Rental Market
Bass Lake, CA STRs averaged $277/night at 47.8% occupancy in April 2026 across a market with 3,712 entire-place listings near Yosemite.
Quick Answer: Bass Lake, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Southern Sierra Mtns market area is 65%. average monthly revenue in the Southern Sierra Mtns market area is $6,360. average daily rate in the Southern Sierra Mtns market area is $358. the top operator in the Southern Sierra Mtns market area is Vacasa with 143 listings. market score is 79/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the Southern Sierra Mtns regional market, which includes Bass Lake. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Bass Lake.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Bass Lake is an unincorporated mountain lake community in Madera County, California, situated 16-17 miles from Yosemite National Park’s south entrance. The short-term rental market here is dominated by entire-place listings, which account for 3,712 of 3,935 total listing-type entries (94.3%). Private rooms make up the remaining 222 (5.6%), with a single shared-room listing rounding out the inventory.
In April 2026, the market posted an average daily rate of $277 and occupancy of 47.8%, generating average monthly revenue of $3,675 per active listing. RevPAR stood at $132.55. Year-over-year, occupancy slipped 1.4 percentage points while ADR gained 3.2%, resulting in a modest 1.0% decline in revenue versus April 2025.
The bedroom mix is broad. One-bedroom listings lead at 1,240 units, followed by 3-bedroom (1,100), 2-bedroom (749), 4-bedroom (536), and 5-bedroom (306) properties. Larger cabins and houses are well-represented, which supports the above-average ADR for a market of this size.
Channel distribution shows Airbnb as the primary standalone platform with 1,754 listings; VRBO has 188 standalone listings; and 1,993 listings appear on both platforms. Dual-listed properties represent the largest channel segment, indicating that serious operators in this market tend to maximize reach across both platforms.
The market’s overall score is 79.5 out of 100, with revenue growth scoring particularly high at 84.7 and investability at 77.6. Seasonality scores 63.0, reflecting the market’s pronounced summer concentration.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 35% |
| Feb | 40% |
| Mar | 41% |
| Apr | 49% |
| May | 56% |
| Jun | 66% |
| Jul | 70% |
| Aug | 58% |
| Sep | 46% |
| Oct | 46% |
| Nov | 44% |
| Dec | 45% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Bass Lake are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Southern Sierra Mtns market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Southern Sierra Mtns market as a whole, which includes Bass Lake, so these counts are not Bass Lake-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 143 | 7,885 | ★ 4.45 |
| 2 | Evolve | 68 | 2,967 | ★ 4.63 |
| 3 | Acorn Vacation Properties | 57 | 9,776 | ★ 4.79 |
| 4 | The Cabin Host | 55 | 2,942 | ★ 4.96 |
| 5 | www loveyosemitepm com | 52 | 5,387 | ★ 4.89 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Bass Lake?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Bass Lake are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 44.6% |
| vrbo | 4.8% |
| both | 50.6% |
Home Value Trends (Bass Lake)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Bass Lake are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Bass Lake — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are legally permitted in Bass Lake, which sits in unincorporated Madera County. Currently, hosts are required to obtain a county business license and register for a Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) certificate. There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement, and no annual nights cap is in effect.
Guests pay a combined 11.5% tax rate: a 9% TOT plus a 2.5% Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) assessment, remitted quarterly to the county.
Madera County has been developing a dedicated Short-Term Vacation Rental (STVR) ordinance. The draft ordinance would require a non-transferable STVR permit in addition to the existing business license and TOT registration, and would establish operational standards covering occupancy limits tied to unit size, parking minimums, quiet hours, waste management, and fire code compliance including defensible space. The draft was scheduled for a Madera County Planning Commission hearing on February 4, 2026. As of May 2026, it is unclear whether the ordinance has been formally adopted.
If adopted, a fire inspection fee of $196 per year would apply. Enforcement to date has been minimal. HOA communities within Bass Lake, such as Cascadel Heights, may have CC&R-based restrictions that apply independently of county rules. The market’s regulation score is 72.2 out of 100, reflecting the currently permissive environment with some uncertainty from the pending ordinance.
Market Comparison
Bass Lake’s April 2026 ADR of $277 is above the U.S. STR median of approximately $220, placing it in the upper third of national markets by rate. Occupancy at 47.8% is below the U.S. STR median of approximately 55%, consistent with a seasonal resort market where summer demand is strong but off-season demand is limited.
The gap between Bass Lake’s ADR premium and its occupancy discount still produces a favorable RevPAR outcome: at $132.55, Bass Lake’s RevPAR exceeds the implied median-market figure of $121 (55% occupancy at $220 ADR).
Professional management is a meaningful presence in the market. Vacasa leads with 143 listings, 7,885 reviews, and a 4.45 average rating. Evolve follows with 68 listings, 2,967 reviews, and a 4.63 rating. Acorn Vacation Properties holds 57 listings with 9,776 reviews and a 4.79 rating, suggesting a long-established local operator. The Cabin Host has 55 listings at a 4.96 rating, and Love Yosemite PM rounds out the top five with 52 listings and a 4.89 average rating.
The top 5 operators account for 375 listings combined. Against the 3,935 total listing-type entries, that represents roughly 9.5% of inventory under professional management, leaving the large majority of listings in independent hands.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bass Lake, California
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