La Jolla, California Short-Term Rental Market
La Jolla, CA STRs averaged $299/night at 65.3% occupancy in April 2026, with revenue up 9.8% year over year.
Quick Answer: La Jolla, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the San Diego market area is 76%. average monthly revenue in the San Diego market area is $7,597. average daily rate in the San Diego market area is $382. the top operator in the San Diego market area is Evolve with 265 listings. market score is 65/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the San Diego regional market, which includes La Jolla. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to La Jolla.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
La Jolla is a coastal neighborhood of the City of San Diego, California, known for its dramatic cliffs, beaches, and marine life. La Jolla Cove was ranked the number one U.S. beach by Tripadvisor in 2026. The broader San Diego region hosted approximately 32 million visitors in fiscal year 2024, generating a $22 billion economic impact. La Jolla draws affluent leisure travelers, divers, golfers at Torrey Pines, and visitors to the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Population stands at 46,781.
In April 2026, STRs averaged $299.44 per night (ADR) at 65.3% occupancy, generating average monthly revenue of $5,335 per listing. RevPAR came in at $195.55. Year over year, occupancy rose 8.43 percentage points and revenue climbed 9.75%, while ADR edged down 0.71%, indicating demand growth through higher occupancy rather than rate increases.
Entire-place rentals account for approximately 90.1% of all listings, with private rooms at 9.9% and shared rooms under 1%. One-bedroom units are the most common at 41.9%, followed by two-bedroom (25.7%), three-bedroom (17.0%), four-bedroom (9.1%), and five-bedroom-plus (6.2%). Channel distribution is Airbnb-heavy at 49.4% Airbnb-only, 44.4% dual-platform, and 6.2% VRBO-only.
Market scores reflect strong demand against constrained supply: rental demand at 79.3, revenue growth at 71.3, and seasonality at 77.9, with investability at 53.4 (reflecting the high acquisition cost) and total score at 65.1 out of 100.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 56% |
| Feb | 65% |
| Mar | 69% |
| Apr | 62% |
| May | 64% |
| Jun | 74% |
| Jul | 77% |
| Aug | 68% |
| Sep | 61% |
| Oct | 61% |
| Nov | 58% |
| Dec | 57% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for La Jolla are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in San Diego market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the San Diego market as a whole, which includes La Jolla, so these counts are not La Jolla-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 265 | 10,436 | ★ 4.74 |
| 2 | Surf Style Vacation Homes | 223 | 10,070 | ★ 4.77 |
| 3 | Vacasa | 176 | 8,268 | ★ 4.62 |
| 4 | Nxt Vacation Rental Management | 164 | 3,008 | ★ 4.90 |
| 5 | San Diego Rentals | 162 | 153 | ★ 4.40 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in La Jolla?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for La Jolla 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 | 49.4% |
| vrbo | 6.2% |
| both | 44.4% |
Home Value Trends (La Jolla)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for La Jolla 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 La Jolla — 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
La Jolla is governed by San Diego’s citywide Short-Term Residential Occupancy (STRO) program. Any rental under 31 consecutive nights requires an STRO license before accepting bookings. The program has four tiers:
Tier 1 covers part-time rentals of 20 days or fewer per year; the host need not live on-site. Tier 2 is home-sharing, requiring the host to occupy the dwelling as a primary residence for at least 275 days per year. Tier 3 is whole-home rental exceeding 20 days per year with the host absent, which is the primary investor-relevant tier; it requires a minimum of 90 days rented per year or the license may be revoked. Tier 4 applies only to Mission Beach and is not relevant to La Jolla.
Tier 3 whole-home licensing costs approximately $1,170 (about $41 application plus $1,129 license fee) and renews biennially. Critically, Tier 3 is capped at 1% of San Diego’s total housing units outside Mission Beach. As of June 2026, approximately 4,806 of the roughly 5,606 Tier 3 licenses had been issued, leaving approximately 800 remaining citywide. Licenses are not transferable on sale. No owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement applies to Tier 3.
The Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) in La Jolla is 11.75%, effective May 1, 2025, per Measure C’s zone-based rate structure. Enforcement is rated strict. Operators who lose or do not obtain a Tier 3 license cannot legally offer whole-home STRs on more than 20 days per year.
Market Comparison
La Jolla’s April 2026 occupancy of 65.3% runs approximately 10 percentage points above the US STR median of approximately 55%, which is consistent with a premier coastal destination. Its all-listings ADR of $299.44 is substantially above the US median of approximately $220. RevPAR of $195.55 reflects the combined impact of high rates and above-average occupancy.
Evolve leads the La Jolla operator landscape with 265 listings and 10,436 reviews at a 4.736 rating. Surf Style Vacation Homes follows with 223 listings and 10,070 reviews at 4.767. Vacasa manages 176 listings with 8,268 reviews at 4.615. Nxt Vacation Rental Management holds 164 listings with 3,008 reviews at the highest rating among the top five at 4.899. San Diego Rentals rounds out the top five at 162 listings (4.395 rating, 153 reviews).
Compared to other high-end California coastal STR markets, La Jolla occupies a mid-to-upper tier on ADR but is constrained on investability by median home values above $2.4 million. The combination of strong demand (rental demand score 79.3), above-median occupancy, and a dwindling Tier 3 license supply creates a market where existing permitted properties hold scarcity value alongside their STR income.
Frequently Asked Questions About La Jolla, California
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