Grass Valley, California Short-Term Rental Market
Grass Valley, CA STRs averaged $233/night at 52.3% occupancy in April 2026, with strong summer peaks above 69%.
Quick Answer: Grass Valley, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 65%. average monthly revenue is $4,715. average daily rate is $273. the top operator is Vacasa with 373 listings. market score is 72/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the California North Area regional market, which includes Grass Valley. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Grass Valley.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Grass Valley, California is a Sierra Nevada foothills Gold Country market in Nevada County, about 60 miles northeast of Sacramento. The city’s 14,085 residents share their home with visitors drawn to Empire Mine State Historic Park (approximately 100,000 visitors annually), the historic Mill Street downtown, winery touring, and outdoor recreation along Highway 49.
As of April 2026, the market includes approximately 9,320 active listings. Entire-place rentals dominate at 8,490 units (91% of listings), with 828 private-room and 2 shared-room listings. By bedroom count, 1-bedroom listings are the largest segment (3,774), followed by 2-bedroom (2,224), 3-bedroom (2,095), 4-bedroom (853), and 5-bedroom or larger (360). Airbnb-only listings total 4,871, VRBO-only 630, and cross-platform 3,819.
April 2026 metrics: ADR $233, occupancy 52.3%, RevPAR $121.70. Year-over-year, occupancy was essentially flat (+0.29 percentage points), ADR rose 2.9%, and revenue grew 5.2%. The market total score is 72.3, with rental demand at 77.1 and regulation at 71.9 reflecting California’s generally permissive-but-taxed STR framework at the city level.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42% | $180 | $2,217 |
| Feb | 49% | $183 | $2,216 |
| Mar | 52% | $187 | $2,624 |
| Apr | 55% | $194 | $2,811 |
| May | 58% | $206 | $2,976 |
| Jun | 66% | $226 | $3,857 |
| Jul | 70% | $222 | $4,174 |
| Aug | 65% | $217 | $3,818 |
| Sep | 56% | $205 | $3,077 |
| Oct | 53% | $195 | $2,830 |
| Nov | 51% | $195 | $2,521 |
| Dec | 49% | $193 | $2,591 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Grass Valley
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 373 | 38,306 | ★ 4.67 |
| 2 | Evolve | 221 | 9,242 | ★ 4.68 |
| 3 | Casago | 123 | 6,490 | ★ 4.74 |
| 4 | Humboldt Retreats | 71 | 4,258 | ★ 4.89 |
| 5 | Grand Welcome | 56 | 4,140 | ★ 4.69 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Grass Valley?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 3,774 |
| 2 bed | 2,224 |
| 3 bed | 2,095 |
| 4 bed | 853 |
| 5 bed | 360 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $285 |
| Luxury | $474 |
| Professionally Managed | $358 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $3,111 |
| Entire Place | $4,969 |
| House | $5,149 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 52.3% |
| vrbo | 6.8% |
| both | 41% |
Investment Analysis
Grass Valley delivers some of the stronger yield figures among Sierra foothills markets. April 2026 average monthly revenue of $3,229 annualizes to approximately $38,740. At a Zillow typical home value of $510,491 (April 2026 snapshot), that implies a gross annual yield of roughly 7.6%, which is above the threshold many STR investors target.
Tier comparisons show meaningful upside for premium positioning. The overall market ADR of $233 compares to $244 for entire-home listings, $308 for professionally managed properties, and $427 for luxury-tier listings. Professionally managed and luxury-tier properties command rates 32% to 83% above the market average.
By property type, house listings averaged $3,498/month and entire-place listings $3,384/month in April, both well above the apartment-type average of $2,054/month. Apartment-type listings underperform by approximately 36% relative to the overall market average.
Housing market data: the median sale price was $522,000 and the median list price was $597,967, with 161 homes for sale and 12 median days to pending. The sale-to-list ratio of 0.873 suggests buyers have some negotiating room. Revenue growth of 5.2% year-over-year and the ADR trajectory (rising from $204 in 2021 to $231 in 2025 annually) support a positive outlook for operators who entered before the current rate levels.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Grass Valley guests book an average of 44.6 days in advance as of April 2026, the longest lead time among the five markets in this batch. The roughly 6-week advance booking window reflects the market’s draw as a planned leisure destination (Gold Country touring, summer recreation, arts events) rather than an impulse or business-travel market.
Operators should ensure peak-season availability and pricing is set at least 8 weeks before June through August to capture early demand. Dynamic pricing strategies that open summer inventory early at rate floors, then move up as occupancy builds, are well-suited to this lead-time profile.
Average length of stay is 3.6 nights, consistent with a mid-range weekend-to-extended-weekend leisure market. At April occupancy (52.3%), a typical listing is occupied roughly 16 nights per month across approximately 4 to 5 distinct guest stays.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Grass Valley permits short-term rentals (any rental under 30 days) subject to zoning and a Minor Use Permit (MUP) process administered by the Community Development and Planning Division. A property must be in a zone that allows bed-and-breakfast, short-term, or vacation home rental use. Vacation home rentals require a Minor Use Permit; hosted and vacation home rentals (not bed-and-breakfasts) must also submit a compliance agreement. The specific MUP fee was not published in the sources reviewed.
Every STR must register with the city and remit a 10% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) on all lodging charges. The city collected approximately $1.13 million in combined TOT (hotels plus STRs) in FY2024-25, with roughly 37 active STRs identified via TOT registration data at the time of that reporting.
Key points: owner-occupancy and primary-residence requirements do NOT apply. There is no city cap on the number of STR permits. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) may NOT be rented for periods under 30 days. Parking minimums apply (approximately one off-street space per guest room).
Enforcement is characterized as moderate. City staff have noted that booking platforms have been limited in cooperating to identify unlicensed operators, so enforcement relies primarily on TOT compliance and complaint-based response. Prospective operators should confirm parcel zoning and current MUP requirements directly with the Planning Division before acquiring a property.
Market Comparison
Grass Valley’s April 2026 occupancy of 52.3% is slightly below the U.S. STR median of approximately 55%, though the market’s summer peak of 69.7% in July is competitive with strong recreation and tourism markets nationally. The ADR of $233 is above the U.S. STR median of approximately $220, reflecting the Sierra foothills’ premium positioning relative to inland California alternatives.
The professional management landscape is led by Vacasa with 373 listings and a 4.67 average rating across 38,306 reviews, representing approximately 4.0% of total market supply. Evolve holds 221 listings (4.68 rating), Casago operates 123 listings (4.74 rating), Humboldt Retreats manages 71 listings with the highest rating in the top five (4.89 across 4,258 reviews), and Grand Welcome holds 56 listings (4.69 rating).
The top five operators account for 844 listings combined, or roughly 9.1% of the 9,320-listing market, indicating a low level of professional management concentration. Independent hosts control approximately 90% of supply, which creates both pricing inconsistency and opportunity for well-operated professional listings to stand out on quality metrics.
Frequently Asked Questions About Grass Valley, California
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