Joshua Tree, California Short-Term Rental Market
Joshua Tree STRs averaged $341 per night at 63.1% occupancy in April 2026 across approximately 3,990 active listings.
Quick Answer: Joshua Tree, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Joshua Tree market area is 46%. average monthly revenue in the Joshua Tree market area is $3,853. average daily rate in the Joshua Tree market area is $281. the top operator in the Joshua Tree market area is The Cohost Company with 176 listings. market score is 91/100 (grade A).
Market data reflects the wider Joshua Tree market, which covers 6 areas. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Joshua Tree.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Joshua Tree is a high-performing desert destination STR market driven almost entirely by proximity to Joshua Tree National Park, which recorded 2,991,874 visitors in 2024. The permanent population of the town is approximately 6,489, making the visitor-to-resident ratio exceptionally high. The STR market has approximately 3,987 active listings in the latest snapshot, with 3,885 (97.4%) being entire-place units. Private rooms account for just 105 listings.
Bedroom distribution skews toward 1- and 2-bedroom properties, consistent with the desert cabin and retreat aesthetic: 1-bedroom units lead at 907 listings, followed by 2-bedroom at 1,311, 3-bedroom at 1,173, 4-bedroom at 441, and 5-bedroom at 155.
In April 2026, which falls in the market’s spring peak season, occupancy was 63.1%, the average daily rate was $340.96, and average monthly revenue was $5,826. RevPAR stood at $215.18. Year-over-year, occupancy was essentially flat (+0.19 percentage points) and revenue increased 0.5%, while ADR declined 3.5%. Channel distribution shows Airbnb dominance: 1,723 listings are Airbnb-only, 2,053 appear on both platforms, and 217 are Vrbo-only. The market’s overall score is 91.1 out of 100, with an investability sub-score of 96.3.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 52% |
| Feb | 59% |
| Mar | 66% |
| Apr | 66% |
| May | 51% |
| Jun | 48% |
| Jul | 48% |
| Aug | 50% |
| Sep | 47% |
| Oct | 52% |
| Nov | 57% |
| Dec | 56% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Joshua Tree are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Joshua Tree market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Joshua Tree market as a whole, which includes Joshua Tree, so these counts are not Joshua Tree-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Cohost Company | 176 | 22,718 | ★ 4.88 |
| 2 | Homestead Modern | 80 | 10,926 | ★ 4.87 |
| 3 | Hi-Desert Dwellings | 78 | 16,355 | ★ 4.89 |
| 4 | Fieldtrip | 63 | 5,323 | ★ 4.90 |
| 5 | Cocoon | 50 | 10,107 | ★ 4.93 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Joshua Tree?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Joshua Tree 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 | 43.2% |
| vrbo | 5.4% |
| both | 51.4% |
Home Value Trends (Joshua Tree)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Joshua Tree 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 Joshua Tree — 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
Joshua Tree is an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County. All STR regulation flows from county ordinance rather than a city government. STRs are legal and require a mandatory county Short-Term Rental Permit before advertising or operating.
As of July 1, 2025, the new application fee is $1,144 (application $600, permit $285, neighbor notification $259). Annual renewal without changes costs $550. Processing typically takes 6 to 12 weeks, including a physical property inspection. Permits are valid for one year, must be renewed annually with re-inspection, and are non-transferable when a property sells.
Guests pay a combined 9% in local taxes: 7% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) plus a 2% Tourism Business Improvement District assessment, both remitted to the county. Note: Measure K, which would have raised the TOT from 7% to 11%, was defeated by voters in November 2024 (56.8% no). No owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement applies.
Occupancy limits: 4 guests for a studio or 1-bedroom, plus 2 per additional bedroom, capped at 12 total. Quiet hours run 10 PM to 7 AM; on-street parking is prohibited. Operators must post the permit and a Good Neighbor brochure visibly inside the unit and display the permit number on listing platforms. Liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence is required.
Parcel density cap: maximum 1 STR permit on parcels under 2 acres, maximum 2 on parcels 2 acres or larger. Per-owner cap: maximum 2 permits per individual, corporation, trust, LLC, or LLP. Enforcement is strict; fines escalate from $1,000 (first violation), $2,000 (second), to $5,000 (third), with possible permit revocation.
Market Comparison
Joshua Tree’s April 2026 ADR of $340.96 is well above the US national STR median of approximately $220, and its 63.1% occupancy during the spring peak significantly exceeds the national median of roughly 55%. The market’s 96.3 investability score places it among the highest-ranked STR markets nationally.
The operator landscape is dominated entirely by boutique specialists rather than national chains, with notably high guest-satisfaction ratings across all five top operators. The Cohost Company leads with 176 listings and a 4.88 average rating (22,718 reviews). Hi-Desert Dwellings manages 78 listings at 4.89 (16,355 reviews). Homestead Modern has 80 listings at 4.87 (10,926 reviews). Fieldtrip manages 63 listings at 4.90 (5,323 reviews), and Cocoon rounds out the top five with 50 listings at 4.93 (10,107 reviews).
All five top operators maintain average ratings above 4.86, which is unusually high at scale. The largest operator (Cohost Company) holds only 4.4% of the market’s estimated 3,987 listings, indicating a highly decentralized professional market. The high PM ADR premium (36.7% above market average) further signals that specialized local curation is rewarded in this market.
Frequently Asked Questions About Joshua Tree, California
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