La Mesa, California Short-Term Rental Market
San Diego County STR market averaged $303 ADR, 62.8% occupancy and $5,181 monthly revenue in September 2026.
Quick Answer: La Mesa, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the San Diego market area is 63%. average monthly revenue in the San Diego market area is $5,181. average daily rate in the San Diego market area is $303. the top operator in the San Diego market area is Evolve with 266 listings. market score is 65/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the San Diego regional market, which includes La Mesa. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to La Mesa.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
La Mesa is a city of 60,797 residents in San Diego County’s East County, about 10 miles east of downtown San Diego. The short term rental performance figures on this page describe the San Diego County STR market. Read every performance number below as a county level reading, not a count of La Mesa listings.
In September 2026, the San Diego County STR market averaged an ADR of $303 at 62.8% occupancy, producing average monthly revenue of $5,181 per listing. Compared with September 2025, occupancy is up 10.8%, ADR is up 3.3%, and revenue is up 10.2%. Entire place listings earned an ADR of $327, above the all listings average. The year to date picture is stronger still: the nine months of 2026 on record average 68.0% occupancy, a $321 ADR and $5,970 in monthly revenue, compared with 62.7%, $305 and $5,256 for full year 2025.
Market size, bedroom mix, channel split and listing type counts are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for La Mesa, so this profile omits them.
La Mesa itself works largely as a day trip and regional events destination rather than a major overnight lodging hub. The Historic Downtown Village along La Mesa Boulevard, Mt. Helix Park and Lake Murray draw visitors, and La Mesa Oktoberfest, held since 1973, attracts roughly 100,000 visitors over three days each fall. No official citywide annual visitor count has been published. Regulation is light: the city states that no business license is required for short term rentals and has no dedicated STR permit program, which is covered in the regulatory section below.
Historically the region has moved from a $192 ADR and 55.3% occupancy in 2017 to the levels above, with the largest single step up in 2021, when ADR reached $248 and occupancy 71.3%.
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 Mesa 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 Mesa, so these counts are not La Mesa-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 266 | 10,486 | ★ 4.73 |
| 2 | Surf Style Vacation Homes | 225 | 10,113 | ★ 4.77 |
| 3 | Vacasa | 179 | 8,447 | ★ 4.62 |
| 4 | Nxt Vacation Rental Management | 165 | 3,059 | ★ 4.90 |
| 5 | San Diego Rentals | 162 | 153 | ★ 4.40 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in La Mesa?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for La Mesa 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 | 44.3% |
Home Value Trends (La Mesa)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for La Mesa 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 Mesa — 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 Mesa is one of the more permissive short term rental markets in San Diego County. STRs are permitted. The city’s official Short-Term Rentals page states that a business license is not required, and there is no dedicated STR permit, registration or licensing program, so there is no permit cost or renewal period.
On taxes, La Mesa’s Transient Occupancy Tax under Municipal Code Chapter 6.09 is written for hotel uses. The city explains that a short term vacation rental is not identified in that chapter as a land use subject to TOT, so STR operators are not currently directed to collect or remit city TOT. The hotel TOT rate was not confirmed from the sources reviewed, and no STR occupancy tax rate is published.
There is no owner occupancy requirement, no primary residence requirement, and no cap on nights per year. The city publishes no STR specific zoning overlay, cap or buffer rule, and STRs are generally treated as a permitted residential use. Because there is no registration framework, active enforcement of STRs is minimal, although operators remain subject to general nuisance, noise and residential use rules.
No new La Mesa STR ordinance or city council action was found through mid 2026. This is an unusually light touch regime that the city could change. Investors should verify the current status directly with the city’s Business License office before relying on the no license, no TOT position.
Market Comparison
The San Diego County STR market posted 62.8% occupancy and a $303 ADR in September 2026, and the peak month of July reaches 77.0% occupancy.
The trend is positive. Occupancy is up 10.8% and revenue is up 10.2% year over year, so the market is not simply holding a high price while losing guests. Even the weakest month, January, runs at 55.5% occupancy.
The tradeoff is entry cost. With a typical home value of $885,051 in La Mesa, buyers pay a premium to access these rates, and the revenue is measured across the wider county rather than for La Mesa alone. Local demand is driven by regional visitors, events such as Oktoberfest, and outdoor attractions rather than by a large overnight tourism base.
Operator concentration data is tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for La Mesa, so this profile omits the top operator names. Regulation is lighter than in many large markets, since no city license or permit is required, which keeps compliance costs low, though investors should confirm that status with the city.
Frequently Asked Questions About La Mesa, California
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