Big Bear Lake, California Short-Term Rental Market
Big Bear Lake STRs averaged $254 per night at 26.4% occupancy in April 2026, with peak winter months reaching over 50% occupancy and $6,100 in monthly revenue.
Quick Answer: Big Bear Lake, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Big Bear market area is 40%. average monthly revenue in the Big Bear market area is $2,980. average daily rate in the Big Bear market area is $288. the top operator in the Big Bear market area is Destination Big Bear with 486 listings. market score is 46/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Big Bear regional market, which includes Big Bear Lake. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Big Bear Lake.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Big Bear Lake is a four-season mountain destination in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California, drawing approximately 7 million annual visitors to a permanent community of about 5,044 residents. The short-term rental market has approximately 8,466 active listings in the latest snapshot, overwhelmingly entire-place properties: 8,385 listings (99.0%) are entire units, with private rooms limited to 80 listings.
Bedroom distribution skews toward mid-size cabins and houses, with 3-bedroom (2,942) and 2-bedroom (2,527) units representing nearly 65% of total supply. Four-bedroom units account for 1,388 listings, 5-bedroom for 702, and 1-bedroom for 907.
In April 2026, the market was in its shoulder season between ski and summer: occupancy was 26.4%, the average daily rate was $253.93, and average monthly revenue was $2,202. Year-over-year, April 2026 occupancy was 13.3 percentage points higher than April 2025, while ADR declined 4.2% and revenue declined 6.7%. Channel distribution shows strong multi-platform presence: 5,178 listings appear on both Airbnb and Vrbo, while 2,896 are Airbnb-only and 397 are Vrbo-only.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 44% |
| Feb | 43% |
| Mar | 32% |
| Apr | 30% |
| May | 33% |
| Jun | 41% |
| Jul | 47% |
| Aug | 40% |
| Sep | 28% |
| Oct | 34% |
| Nov | 40% |
| Dec | 53% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Big Bear Lake are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Big Bear market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Big Bear market as a whole, which includes Big Bear Lake, so these counts are not Big Bear Lake-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Destination Big Bear | 486 | 27,786 | ★ 4.72 |
| 2 | Big Bear Vacations | 439 | 7,588 | ★ 4.35 |
| 3 | Big Bear Cool Cabins | 429 | 7,943 | ★ 4.49 |
| 4 | Evolve | 268 | 11,254 | ★ 4.66 |
| 5 | Sky High Cabins | 189 | 9,267 | ★ 4.91 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Big Bear Lake?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Big Bear 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 | 34.2% |
| vrbo | 4.7% |
| both | 61.1% |
Home Value Trends (Big Bear Lake)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Big Bear 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 Big Bear 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
Big Bear Lake (city jurisdiction, zip 92315) requires an annual Vacation Rental License under Ordinance No. 2023-518. The registration fee is $605 per year with annual renewal. Owners and agents must pass a 25-question annual certification exam (100% score required) and carry at least $500,000 in premises liability insurance.
A 24/7 on-call local contact, reachable within 30 minutes and residing within 30 miles of the property, is mandatory. The license must be posted inside the unit and included in all advertisements. Occupancy is formula-based: one person per 200 square feet of living space, capped at 16 guests. No owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement applies. There is no annual cap on rental nights.
The combined tax rate is 13% of gross receipts: 10% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT, raised from 9% to 10% on January 1, 2025, per voter-approved Measure P) plus a 3% Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) assessment. Taxes are remitted monthly regardless of bookings.
Violations carry fines from $500 for a first operational violation up to $10,000 for repeated issues; unlicensed operation runs $1,500 to $5,000 per occurrence. Enforcement is strict with both complaint-based and proactive compliance monitoring.
Note: Properties in San Bernardino County areas (zip 92314, outside city limits) operate under separate county rules: a 2-year permit costs $599 and county TOT is 7%.
Market Comparison
Big Bear Lake’s April 2026 ADR of $253.93 is above the US national STR median of approximately $220, driven by a high-quality cabin inventory in a supply-constrained mountain market. Its April 2026 occupancy of 26.4% reflects the off-peak shoulder season and should not be compared directly to national averages without context; the market’s peak winter occupancy of 52.7% (December) is more representative of its demand ceiling.
The operator landscape is dominated by local specialists rather than national platforms. Destination Big Bear leads with 486 listings and a 4.72 average rating across 27,786 reviews, the strongest combined volume and quality signal among the top five. Big Bear Vacations (439 listings, rated 4.35) and Big Bear Cool Cabins (429 listings, rated 4.49, 7,943 reviews) are the next largest local operators. Evolve manages 268 listings with a 4.66 rating (11,254 reviews), and Sky High Cabins rounds out the top five with 189 listings and the highest average rating at 4.91 (9,267 reviews).
The top three operators are all local specialists, not national chains, which is uncommon in large STR markets. This reflects the specialized knowledge required to manage mountain and ski-season inventory effectively. Sky High Cabins’ 4.91 rating across a meaningful review pool is notable.
Frequently Asked Questions About Big Bear Lake, California
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