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 is 26%. average monthly revenue is $2,202. 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 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 | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44% | $420 | $5,258 |
| Feb | 43% | $404 | $4,566 |
| Mar | 32% | $314 | $3,166 |
| Apr | 30% | $255 | $2,196 |
| May | 33% | $267 | $2,001 |
| Jun | 41% | $289 | $2,798 |
| Jul | 47% | $306 | $3,731 |
| Aug | 40% | $289 | $3,129 |
| Sep | 28% | $274 | $2,147 |
| Oct | 34% | $273 | $2,438 |
| Nov | 40% | $325 | $3,102 |
| Dec | 53% | $460 | $6,143 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Big Bear Lake
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | 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 pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 907 |
| 2 bed | 2,527 |
| 3 bed | 2,942 |
| 4 bed | 1,388 |
| 5 bed | 702 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $256 |
| Luxury | $441 |
| Professionally Managed | $290 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,251 |
| Entire Place | $2,216 |
| House | $2,231 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 34.2% |
| vrbo | 4.7% |
| both | 61.1% |
Investment Analysis
Big Bear Lake’s investment case rests heavily on peak-season performance rather than year-round consistency. At a typical home value of $551,574 and using the 2025 annual average revenue of $3,393 per month (which captures both peak winter and summer months), the annualized revenue of $40,716 implies a gross yield of approximately 7.4%. That figure does not account for operating expenses, vacancy, or the annual license fee; actual net yields will be lower.
Using only the April 2026 shoulder-season figure of $2,202 per month, the annualized gross yield drops to approximately 4.8%, which illustrates the risk of underwriting based on off-peak data alone.
Listing-type revenue differences are narrow in this market. Houses averaged $2,231 per month in April 2026 and entire-place listings $2,216, while apartment-style units averaged $1,251. The apartment category is a small minority of supply. Luxury ADR reached $440.55 versus $253.93 for the market average, a premium of 73%. Professionally managed listings averaged $289.50, a 14% premium over the all-listings ADR.
The housing market shows a sale-to-list ratio of 0.936 and a median days-to-pending of 52, indicating buyers have negotiating room. Median sale price was $543,833 in April 2026 against a typical home value of $551,574. With only 403 homes for sale, inventory is tight, which supports price stability.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Big Bear Lake guests book an average of 26 days in advance (25.68-day lead time) and stay an average of 2.85 nights. Both figures reflect the dominant weekend-getaway pattern for Southern California visitors driving from Los Angeles and the Inland Empire.
The 26-day lead time is shorter than most beach markets, which is consistent with spontaneous weekend mountain trips. The 2.85-night average stay is among the shorter averages for a mountain resort market, implying high turnover intensity. Operators should expect 2-night minimum stays to dominate during the ski season, with a high ratio of Friday-to-Sunday bookings. Cleaning costs per stay are therefore a material factor in net profitability given the frequency of turnovers relative to revenue per stay.
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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