Oakhurst, California Short-Term Rental Market
The Oakhurst, CA area STR market averaged $358/night at 65.3% occupancy in June 2026, up 7.1% in revenue.
Quick Answer: Oakhurst, 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 Oakhurst. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Oakhurst.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Oakhurst is an unincorporated community in Madera County, California, and the primary southern gateway to Yosemite National Park, about 16 miles from the park’s South Entrance on Highway 41, with a population of 6,091. Yosemite drew roughly 4.1 million recreation visits in 2024, and Oakhurst functions as a lodging and supply base for park visitors, road-trippers, and international sightseers, alongside nearby Bass Lake, the Sierra National Forest, and Mariposa Grove’s giant sequoias. Peak demand runs May through October, roughly three-quarters of annual Yosemite visitation, making STR occupancy highly seasonal. The StaySTRA STR series for this area is tracked at a shared submarket level covering Oakhurst and nearby Madera County mountain communities, including North Fork, rather than uniquely for this town, so the figures below describe the Oakhurst, CA area STR market.
The Oakhurst, 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 Oakhurst 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 Oakhurst, so these counts are not Oakhurst-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 143 | 7,885 | ★ 4.45 |
| 2 | Evolve | 68 | 2,967 | ★ 4.63 |
| 3 | Acorn Vacation Properties | 57 | 9,776 | ★ 4.79 |
| 4 | The Cabin Host | 55 | 2,942 | ★ 4.96 |
| 5 | www loveyosemitepm com | 52 | 5,387 | ★ 4.89 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Oakhurst?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Oakhurst 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 | 44.6% |
| vrbo | 4.8% |
| both | 50.6% |
Home Value Trends (Oakhurst)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Oakhurst 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 Oakhurst — 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
Oakhurst is unincorporated and regulated by Madera County, which today has few STR-specific rules, and short-term rentals are legal and operating. Current obligations are tax- and license-based: operators must register for an annual Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate, hold a county business license, and collect a 9.0% Transient Occupancy Tax plus a 2.5% Tourism Business Improvement District assessment, for a combined 11.5% guest levy on stays of 30 days or fewer. There is currently no owner-occupancy requirement, no primary-residence rule, and no annual night cap.
A new Short-Term Vacation Rental ordinance is in draft as of 2026, with a Planning Commission hearing held February 4, 2026 and a public hearing held April 29, 2026, but it had not yet been adopted by the Board of Supervisors as of mid-2026. If adopted, it would require a separate non-transferable STVR permit that does not carry over on sale, a passed fire inspection (the 2026 fee is $196, rising each July 1), and enforceable standards for occupancy tied to unit size, parking, quiet hours and noise, and trash management. The draft has drawn significant opposition from mountain-area owners. Investors should treat the regulatory environment as light today but tightening, and budget for a permit process and inspection once the ordinance takes effect. Enforcement under the current framework is rated minimal.
Market Comparison
The Oakhurst, 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 Oakhurst among the stronger-performing markets in this batch on both rate and fill, consistent with its position as the primary southern gateway to Yosemite National Park.
Property-manager-level data for this market is tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Oakhurst, so this profile omits it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Oakhurst, California
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Are short-term rentals legal in Oakhurst, California?
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