Wheat Ridge, Colorado Short-Term Rental Market
Wheat Ridge caps whole-home STRs by district; Denver metro averaged $194.50 ADR, 72.0% occupancy, $4,045 monthly revenue in August 2026.
Quick Answer: Wheat Ridge, Colorado is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Denver market area is 70%. average monthly revenue in the Denver market area is $3,661. average daily rate in the Denver market area is $186. the top operator in the Denver market area is Evolve with 276 listings. market score is 55/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Denver regional market, which includes Wheat Ridge. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Wheat Ridge.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Wheat Ridge limits non-owner-occupied whole-home short-term rentals with a cap in each City Council district, so the license is the first thing to check. Performance data for this page comes from the Denver metro STR market. Apivex reports Wheat Ridge, Denver, Aurora, Arvada, Broomfield, Littleton, Englewood, Parker, Brighton and Commerce City as one shared series, so the numbers below describe the metro and not Wheat Ridge alone.
In August 2026 the Denver metro series averaged $194.50 per night at 72.0% occupancy, with average monthly revenue of $4,045 per listing. Year over year, ADR rose 0.8%, occupancy rose 0.6%, and revenue rose 3.5%. Annual averages have been steady. Occupancy averaged 67.9% in 2025 and 67.8% in 2024, and ADR averaged $167 in 2025 against $122 in 2017.
Wheat Ridge is a first-ring Denver suburb in Jefferson County with a population of 32,070. It is not a standalone tourist destination. The profile describes it as a value-priced lodging base about 10 minutes from downtown Denver, with access to Golden and the mountains via I-70. Draws include the Wheat Ridge Greenbelt, Prospect Park, the 44th Avenue antique district and the nearby Colorado Mills outlet mall. No city-specific annual visitor count is published.
Listing counts, bedroom mix, channel mix and top operator rankings are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Wheat Ridge, so this profile omits them.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 58% |
| Feb | 65% |
| Mar | 68% |
| Apr | 67% |
| May | 71% |
| Jun | 81% |
| Jul | 80% |
| Aug | 75% |
| Sep | 73% |
| Oct | 69% |
| Nov | 61% |
| Dec | 62% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Wheat Ridge 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 Wheat Ridge, so these counts are not Wheat Ridge-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 276 | 10,485 | ★ 4.65 |
| 2 | Atomic Vacation Rentals | 142 | 9,929 | ★ 4.84 |
| 3 | Effortless Rental Group | 137 | 10,713 | ★ 4.77 |
| 4 | VacayPlay | 83 | 5,410 | ★ 4.39 |
| 5 | Homes with Hospitality LLC | 81 | 853 | ★ 4.94 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Wheat Ridge?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Wheat Ridge 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 | 58.8% |
| vrbo | 4.3% |
| both | 36.9% |
Home Value Trends (Wheat Ridge)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Wheat Ridge 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 Wheat Ridge — 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
Wheat Ridge requires every short-term rental to hold a city Short-Term Rental Business License before it operates, advertises or is listed. The ordinance took effect May 1, 2021. Operating without a license is unlawful.
Licenses cost $200 per year and are non-transferable. Only the legal property owner may apply, and a deed copy is required for newly purchased properties. There are two license types, whole-home for non-owner-occupied rentals and partial-home for owner-occupied rentals.
Whole-home licenses are capped in each City Council district at 2% of single- and two-unit dwellings. Districts I, II and IV have been at capacity, and District III has had limited availability. The cap does not apply to owner-occupied partial-home rentals or to rentals in Mixed Use and Commercial zones. Accessory dwelling units may operate only as partial-home rentals, so the owner must live on the property. In May 2025 the City Council clarified that it can require owner occupancy for these units, enforced through an annual license attestation.
Hosts must collect and remit a 10% city lodgers tax on completed reservations. Filing is monthly and due on the 20th. Operators must post the license inside the unit, include the license number in every online listing, and notify property owners within 100 feet by mail within seven days of issuance. There is no nightly cap and no blanket primary-residence rule for whole-home rentals. Enforcement is rated moderate.
Market Comparison
Against the US reference figures of about 55% median occupancy and about $220 median ADR, the Denver metro series ran well above on occupancy and below on rate in August 2026. Occupancy of 72.0% is about 17 points above the 55% reference. The $194.50 rate is about 12% below $220. Annual 2025 figures show the same pattern, with 67.9% occupancy at a $167 ADR.
The profile describes Wheat Ridge as a value-priced base rather than a destination, which fits a lower rate with strong occupancy. Because the series is shared across ten Denver-area cities, Wheat Ridge cannot be separated from Denver, Aurora or Arvada in this data.
Top property manager rankings are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Wheat Ridge, so this profile omits operator shares.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wheat Ridge, Colorado
Are short-term rentals legal in Wheat Ridge?
Which districts are at the license cap?
What is the average daily rate?
What is the average occupancy rate?
What taxes must hosts collect?
How much does a home cost in Wheat Ridge?
How far ahead do guests book and how long do they stay?
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