North Fork, California Short-Term Rental Market
The North Fork, CA area STR market averaged $358/night at 65.3% occupancy in June 2026, up 7.1% in revenue.
Quick Answer: North Fork, California is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Southern Sierra Mtns market area is 65%. average monthly revenue in the Southern Sierra Mtns market area is $6,360. average daily rate in the Southern Sierra Mtns market area is $358. the top operator in the Southern Sierra Mtns market area is Vacasa with 143 listings. market score is 79/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the Southern Sierra Mtns regional market, which includes North Fork. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to North Fork.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
North Fork is a small Sierra Nevada foothill community in Madera County, California, at roughly 2,638 feet elevation and billed as the community closest to the exact geographic center of the state, with a population of 3,250. The area draws heritage and outdoor-recreation travelers rather than mass tourism, anchored by the Sierra Mono Museum, the 100-mile Sierra Vista Scenic Byway, and its role as a quieter gateway to Sierra National Forest, Bass Lake, and the greater Yosemite/Oakhurst region about 17 road miles away. The StaySTRA STR series for this area is tracked at a shared submarket level covering North Fork and nearby Sierra foothill communities rather than uniquely for this town, so the figures below describe the North Fork, CA area STR market.
The North Fork, CA area STR market posted an average daily rate of $358.01 and 65.30% occupancy in June 2026, with a trailing average revenue per listing of about $6,359.59. Year over year, revenue is up 7.08% and occupancy is up 3.63%, even as ADR is down modestly (2.75%). Average booking lead time is 62.44 days and average length of stay is 2.91 nights, one of the shorter average stays in this dataset.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 35% |
| Feb | 40% |
| Mar | 41% |
| Apr | 49% |
| May | 56% |
| Jun | 66% |
| Jul | 70% |
| Aug | 58% |
| Sep | 46% |
| Oct | 46% |
| Nov | 44% |
| Dec | 45% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for North Fork are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Southern Sierra Mtns market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Southern Sierra Mtns market as a whole, which includes North Fork, so these counts are not North Fork-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 143 | 7,895 | ★ 4.45 |
| 2 | Evolve | 68 | 2,972 | ★ 4.64 |
| 3 | Acorn Vacation Properties | 57 | 9,811 | ★ 4.79 |
| 4 | The Cabin Host | 55 | 2,950 | ★ 4.96 |
| 5 | www loveyosemitepm com | 52 | 5,416 | ★ 4.89 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in North Fork?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for North Fork 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 | 44.4% |
| vrbo | 4.9% |
| both | 50.7% |
Home Value Trends (North Fork)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for North Fork 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 North Fork — 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
North Fork is an unincorporated community, so short-term rentals are governed by Madera County rather than a city government, and STRs are currently legal. To operate a rental of 30 days or fewer, an owner must register for a Transient Occupancy Tax certificate and hold a county business license, then collect and remit the county’s 9.0% transient occupancy tax on stays of 30 days or fewer, plus any applicable Tourism Business Improvement District assessment. All new TOT short-term-rental applicants must pass a paid fire inspection before a permit is processed, with the fee set at $196 for 2026 and rising each July 1; renewals also require a passing fire inspection.
Madera County has been developing a dedicated Short-Term Vacation Rental ordinance that would require a separate, non-transferable STVR permit on top of the business license and TOT certificate, adding occupancy limits, on-site parking requirements, noise and trash restrictions, and fire-safety rules with administrative enforcement. As of mid-2025 that ordinance remained in draft and had drawn strong opposition from mountain-area owners, so the Board of Supervisors had not yet adopted it. Investors should assume today’s compliance path (TOT registration, business license, fire inspection) while budgeting for stricter rules once the STVR ordinance is finalized. Enforcement under the current framework is rated moderate.
Market Comparison
The North Fork, CA area’s $358.01 ADR runs well above the roughly $220 national median ADR, about 63% higher, and its 65.30% occupancy runs above the commonly cited US short-term rental median of about 55%. That combination places North Fork among the stronger-performing markets in this batch on both rate and fill, consistent with its position as a Sierra Nevada foothill gateway to Yosemite and Bass Lake.
Property-manager-level data for this market is tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for North Fork, so this profile omits it.
Frequently Asked Questions About North Fork, California
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Are short-term rentals legal in North Fork, California?
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