Costa Mesa, California Short-Term Rental Market
Costa Mesa STRs averaged $313/night at 67.8% occupancy in April 2026, with revenue up 12.8% year-over-year despite a citywide STR ban.
Quick Answer: Costa Mesa, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Anaheim market area is 78%. average monthly revenue in the Anaheim market area is $8,143. average daily rate in the Anaheim market area is $408. the top operator in the Anaheim market area is Tower 17 Properties & Mgmt, LLC with 244 listings. market score is 69/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Anaheim regional market, which includes Costa Mesa. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Costa Mesa.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Costa Mesa is an Orange County city with a population of approximately 110,330, bordered by Newport Beach and positioned within one of Southern California’s most active leisure and shopping corridors. The city welcomed 7.6 million visitors in 2023 who generated $883 million in spending, anchored by South Coast Plaza, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and the Orange County Museum of Art.
Critical regulatory notice: whole-home short-term rentals are prohibited in Costa Mesa under Ordinance 2021-17, adopted November 2, 2021. Renting any residential dwelling for fewer than 30 days is not permitted without the owner living on the property during the stay. The only legal exception is owner-occupied home-sharing. The market data below captures listing activity in the area and should not be interpreted as evidence that standalone STR operations are legally viable.
As of April 2026, the market area recorded an average daily rate of $313 and occupancy of 67.8%, producing RevPAR of $212.60 and average monthly revenue of $5,803. Year-over-year, occupancy grew 8.79 percentage points, ADR rose 2.76%, and revenue grew 12.77%, among the strongest growth rates in the dataset.
The listing base totals approximately 13,597 units: 11,242 entire-place (82.7%), 2,334 private rooms (17.2%), and 21 shared rooms. Bedroom distribution: 1-bedroom (4,822), 2-bedroom (3,315), 3-bedroom (2,686), 4-bedroom (1,785), and 5-bedroom (974). Platform distribution: 8,117 Airbnb-only, 716 VRBO-only, and 4,764 on both.
The 2025 annual average occupancy was 67.2% at an average ADR of $306, with mean monthly revenue of $5,632, the highest of the five areas in this batch.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 58% |
| Feb | 65% |
| Mar | 69% |
| Apr | 62% |
| May | 66% |
| Jun | 75% |
| Jul | 78% |
| Aug | 68% |
| Sep | 63% |
| Oct | 65% |
| Nov | 60% |
| Dec | 62% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Costa Mesa are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Anaheim market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Anaheim market as a whole, which includes Costa Mesa, so these counts are not Costa Mesa-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tower 17 Properties & Mgmt, LLC | 244 | 11,217 | ★ 4.70 |
| 2 | Dream Resorts | 195 | 9,053 | ★ 4.68 |
| 3 | Newport Beach Vacation Properties | 137 | 5,374 | ★ 4.61 |
| 4 | Vacasa | 126 | 8,872 | ★ 4.49 |
| 5 | OC Rentals | 121 | 1,263 | ★ 3.85 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Costa Mesa?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Costa Mesa 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 | 59.7% |
| vrbo | 5.3% |
| both | 35% |
Home Value Trends (Costa Mesa)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Costa Mesa 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 Costa Mesa — 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 prohibited in Costa Mesa under Ordinance 2021-17, adopted November 2, 2021. The ordinance bans renting any residential dwelling for fewer than 30 days in all residential zones throughout the city. There is no STR permit or licensing program for standalone whole-home operations.
The only legal exception is owner-occupied home-sharing: an owner who lives on the property as a primary residence may rent out a portion of the home while physically present during guest stays. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) cannot be operated as short-term rentals; a land-use restriction limits ADU rentals to stays of 31 days or more.
Enforcement is strict. Verified violations carry fines of up to $1,000 per day. The city may also pursue criminal charges or nuisance-abatement actions against the responsible party.
Costa Mesa’s 8% Transient Occupancy Tax applies to hotel and motel stays but does not create a legal pathway for residential STR operations.
The City Council has indicated it may revisit STR regulation in the future, but as of mid-2026 no new permitting framework or timeline has been adopted. Investors interested in whole-home operations in this area should monitor city council proceedings closely. In the interim, 30-plus-day furnished medium-term rentals are not covered by the ban and represent a legally compliant strategy for capturing the extended-stay demand present in this market.
Market Comparison
Costa Mesa’s 67.8% occupancy in April 2026 is well above the US STR median of approximately 55%. Its $313 ADR is 42% above the US STR median of approximately $220, reflecting the Orange County coastal premium.
The 12.77% year-over-year revenue growth is among the strongest in this cohort and signals accelerating demand in the area. The 2025 annual average monthly revenue of $5,632 represents 5.4% growth over 2024 ($5,344), continuing a multi-year upward trend despite the STR prohibition.
The top five operators by listing count are Tower 17 Properties and Management (244 listings, 4.70 rating, 11,217 reviews), Dream Resorts (195 listings, 4.68 rating, 9,053 reviews), Newport Beach Vacation Properties (137 listings, 4.61 rating, 5,374 reviews), Vacasa (126 listings, 4.49 rating, 8,872 reviews), and OC Rentals (121 listings, 3.85 rating, 1,263 reviews). Combined, these five operators account for 823 listings. The high review counts and consistently strong ratings for the top four operators reflect an established professional management sector in the Orange County coastal corridor.
The market’s total score of 68.9 and revenue growth score of 97.4 indicate that the data model sees strong underlying momentum, though the investability score of 50.7 reflects the regulatory constraints on new entrants.
Frequently Asked Questions About Costa Mesa, California
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What is the occupancy rate in the Costa Mesa STR market?
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How many visitors does Costa Mesa attract each year?
What are the top short-term rental operators in Costa Mesa?
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