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 in the California North Area market area is 65%. average monthly revenue in the California North Area market area is $4,715. average daily rate in the California North Area market area is $273. the top operator in the California North Area market area 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 StaySTRA 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 |
|---|---|
| Jan | 42% |
| Feb | 49% |
| Mar | 52% |
| Apr | 55% |
| May | 58% |
| Jun | 66% |
| Jul | 70% |
| Aug | 65% |
| Sep | 56% |
| Oct | 53% |
| Nov | 51% |
| Dec | 49% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Grass Valley are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in California North Area market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the California North Area market as a whole, which includes Grass Valley, so these counts are not Grass Valley-only figures.
| # | 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 nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Grass Valley 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 | 52.3% |
| vrbo | 6.8% |
| both | 41% |
Home Value Trends (Grass Valley)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Grass Valley 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 Grass Valley — 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
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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