Gualala, California Short-Term Rental Market
Gualala, CA area STRs averaged $233/night at 52.3% occupancy in April 2026 across 9,339 active listings.
Quick Answer: Gualala, 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 383 listings. market score is 69/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the California North Area regional market, which includes Gualala. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Gualala.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Gualala, California STR market as measured in this dataset covers the broader Mendonoma coastal corridor along Highway 1 in southern Mendocino and northern Sonoma counties, with 9,339 active listings as of April 2026. The market is overwhelmingly entire-place listings (8,508 of 9,339, or 91.1%), with 829 private rooms and 2 shared rooms, consistent with the region’s character as a coastal second-home and vacation retreat destination.
The average daily rate in April 2026 was $232.74, with an occupancy rate of 52.3%, generating average monthly revenue of $3,229 per listing. RevPAR was $121.70. Year-over-year trends are positive across all three metrics: occupancy grew 0.27 percentage points, ADR rose 2.89%, and revenue increased 5.22%.
By bedroom count, one-bedroom units lead at 3,775 listings, followed by two-bedroom (2,233) and three-bedroom (2,104). Four-bedroom properties account for 853 listings and five-bedroom or larger units number 360. Channel distribution shows Airbnb dominance: 4,873 Airbnb-only listings, 628 VRBO-only, and 3,838 listed on both platforms.
The composite market score of 68.56 reflects a mid-tier market with rental demand at 75.89, seasonality at 73.77, and regulation at 68.02, with investability at 66.23 and revenue growth at 67.25.
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 Gualala 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 Gualala, so these counts are not Gualala-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 383 | 38,837 | ★ 4.67 |
| 2 | Evolve | 221 | 9,277 | ★ 4.68 |
| 3 | Casago | 123 | 6,561 | ★ 4.74 |
| 4 | Humboldt Retreats | 71 | 4,291 | ★ 4.88 |
| 5 | Grand Welcome | 55 | 4,143 | ★ 4.68 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Gualala?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Gualala 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 | 52.2% |
| vrbo | 6.7% |
| both | 41.1% |
Home Value Trends (Gualala)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Gualala 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 Gualala — 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
Gualala is an unincorporated community in Mendocino County with no city government of its own. Short-term rentals are regulated by the county, and because Gualala sits entirely within the California Coastal Zone, the applicable rules come from the Mendocino County Coastal Zoning Code (Division II), specifically the Vacation Home Rental provisions around Section 20.316.015, not the inland or Mendocino Town codes.
Operators must obtain a Coastal Vacation Home Rental use permit (which may trigger a Coastal Development Permit in sensitive areas), register for and remit the County Transient Occupancy Tax of 10% on stays under 30 days to the Treasurer-Tax Collector, and hold a county business license renewed annually. No published permit fee was found in the data; investors should contact Mendocino County Planning and Building Services at 707-234-6650 for current costs.
There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement and no countywide cap on nights per year. However, the coastal permitting process is more restrictive than typical inland STR rules: a new Vacation Home Rental is intended for parcels whose only use is an existing single-family dwelling, and siting in residential coastal-zone districts is limited. Coastal permitting can be slow and discretionary.
California’s July 1, 2024 price-transparency law requires all mandatory fees to be shown up front at booking, applicable statewide. Enforcement is rated moderate. Investors should treat coastal permitting and California Coastal Commission compliance as the primary regulatory hurdle.
Market Comparison
Gualala’s 52.3% occupancy in April 2026 sits just below the US STR median of approximately 55%. The $232.74 ADR modestly exceeds the US median of roughly $220, positioning this as a slightly above-average rate market for a coastal California destination at a smaller scale than the Sonoma or Marin county resort markets to the south.
Year-over-year revenue growth of 5.22% in April 2026 outpaces national STR revenue growth trends, reflecting continuing demand recovery for Northern California coastal markets after 2022 to 2023 softness. The market’s rental demand score of 75.89 and revenue growth score of 67.25 confirm sustained but not exceptional demand fundamentals.
Among professional operators, Vacasa leads by a substantial margin with 383 listings, 38,837 reviews, and a 4.67 average rating, making it the dominant force in the region. Evolve manages 221 listings with 9,277 reviews at a 4.68 rating. Casago holds 123 listings with a 4.74 rating. Together the top three operators account for 727 listings, or 7.8% of the 9,339-listing market. The presence of large national operators (Vacasa, Evolve) alongside regional specialists (Humboldt Retreats, Casago) indicates a professionally mature market with a range of management options.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gualala, California
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