Golden, Colorado Short-Term Rental Market
Golden, CO STRs averaged $156/night at 66.8% occupancy in April 2026, anchored by 2.5 million annual visitors and Coors Brewery tourism.
Quick Answer: Golden, Colorado is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Denver market area is 78%. average monthly revenue in the Denver market area is $4,298. average daily rate in the Denver market area is $202. the top operator in the Denver market area is Evolve with 279 listings. market score is 55/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Denver regional market, which includes Golden. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Golden.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Golden, Colorado sits at the edge of the Rocky Mountains just west of Denver, drawing an estimated 2.5 million visitors per year. The Coors Brewery (the world’s largest single-site brewery), Colorado Railroad Museum, Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave on Lookout Mountain, Clear Creek outdoor recreation, and the Colorado School of Mines form the primary visitor base. Golden attracts day-trippers, beer tourists, outdoor enthusiasts, and Denver-metro residents seeking a mountain-gateway experience.
As of April 2026, the market posted an average daily rate of $155.59 and occupancy of 66.75%, yielding a RevPAR of $103.86. This is a high-occupancy market: all 12 calendar months historically average above 58%, with a narrow trough by national standards. Year-over-year comparisons as of April 2026 showed modest softening: occupancy down 1.0%, ADR down 2.2%, and revenue down 0.4%. The 2025 annual average was 67.9% occupancy, $167/night, and $3,203/month, essentially flat compared to 2024.
Listing type leans toward entire-place rentals: approximately 10,939 entire-place listings, 2,148 private-room listings, and 87 shared-room listings. The bedroom mix is skewed toward smaller units, with 1-bedroom (5,670 listings) and 2-bedroom (3,276) making up the plurality of supply. Larger units include 3-bedroom (2,034), 4-bedroom (1,294), and 5-bedroom (874) configurations. Channel distribution shows Airbnb dominance: 7,762 listings on Airbnb only, 4,843 on both Airbnb and Vrbo, and only 569 on Vrbo alone.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 58% |
| Feb | 65% |
| Mar | 68% |
| Apr | 67% |
| May | 71% |
| Jun | 81% |
| Jul | 80% |
| Aug | 76% |
| Sep | 73% |
| Oct | 69% |
| Nov | 61% |
| Dec | 62% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Golden are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Denver market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Denver market as a whole, which includes Golden, so these counts are not Golden-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 279 | 10,450 | ★ 4.65 |
| 2 | Effortless Rental Group | 141 | 10,652 | ★ 4.74 |
| 3 | Atomic Vacation Rentals | 140 | 9,862 | ★ 4.84 |
| 4 | VacayPlay | 83 | 5,503 | ★ 4.42 |
| 5 | Homes with Hospitality LLC | 81 | 850 | ★ 4.94 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Golden?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Golden 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 | 58.9% |
| vrbo | 4.3% |
| both | 36.8% |
Home Value Trends (Golden)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Golden 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 Golden — 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
Golden permits STRs in both residential and commercial zones, but with meaningfully different requirements by zone. Residential zones (including RE, R-1, R1-A, R-2, R-3, and residential planned-unit developments) require a Short-Term Rental License and owner occupancy of at least 10 months per year, effectively restricting residential-zone STRs to primary residences. Commercial zones (C-1, C-2, RC, CMU, and commercial PUDs) allow a Tourist Home License with no primary-residence requirement, making dedicated investor STRs viable in those zones.
The license fee is $200 for a two-year term, non-refundable and non-transferable. Applications require proof of ownership, primary-residence documentation where applicable, fire and liability insurance, a signed life-and-safety certification, and an STR affidavit. Only one dwelling unit per lot may be licensed. Occupancy is capped at four adults plus dependents. All listings must display the city STR license number and the required occupancy statement.
Golden applies a 6% lodging tax on stays under 30 days, in addition to the city’s regular sales tax. Enforcement is strict: the city conducts proactive enforcement, and unlicensed operation draws escalating citations starting at $150 per incident. Colorado-wide lodging-tax measures approved in November 2025 also affect STR operators statewide. Investors targeting commercial-zoned properties for non-owner-occupied STR use should verify individual parcel zoning before purchase.
Market Comparison
Golden’s April 2026 occupancy of 66.75% significantly exceeds the US STR median of approximately 55%, placing it among the higher-occupancy markets in the Rocky Mountain Front Range. Its ADR of $155.59 is below the US median of roughly $220, reflecting the urban-adjacent nature of the market, where competitive lodging alternatives (Denver hotels, mountain resorts) constrain pricing power relative to remote or trophy destinations.
The management landscape features a competitive mid-tier. Evolve leads with 279 listings and 10,450 reviews at a 4.65 rating. Effortless Rental Group holds 141 listings with a 4.74 rating across 10,652 reviews. Atomic Vacation Rentals manages 140 listings at a 4.84 rating. VacayPlay operates 83 listings (4.42 rating), and Homes with Hospitality LLC rounds out the top five with 81 listings and a 4.94 rating across 850 reviews, the highest satisfaction score in the group. Airbnb channel dominance is particularly pronounced in Golden: 7,762 listings on Airbnb only versus 569 on Vrbo only, a roughly 14-to-1 ratio, compared to more balanced splits in most comparable markets.
Frequently Asked Questions About Golden, Colorado
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