Santa Cruz, CA Airbnb revenue and occupancy data
What Airbnb listings in Santa Cruz earn, how often they're booked, and how that compares with the rest of Santa Cruz, CA.
Over the past 12 months, regularly available listings in Santa Cruz earned $60,339 on average, were booked for 52% of the nights they were open, and averaged $597 a night. The median gross yield, before expenses, is 5.7%.
Yearly revenue
$60,339
Occupancy
52%
Nightly rate
$597
Gross yield
5.7%
before expenses
Median of 168 listings
Active listings
183
My take on Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz has average trailing-year booking revenue of $60,339, close to the wider market's $59,388, but its median potential gross yield is 5.7% versus 6.8%. The same yield shortfall appears in the qualifying two-bedroom group, at 5.2%. Yields use a separate home-value-matched sample and are before expenses, financing and taxes. Similar area revenue does not mean a particular purchase will produce a similar return.
Commentary uses groups of at least 20 listings. Tables may include smaller groups.
How much do Airbnb hosts make in Santa Cruz?
Regularly available Airbnb listings in Santa Cruz earned an average of $60,339 over the past 12 months. That is 2% more than the Santa Cruz, CA average of $59,388. That is booking revenue including cleaning fees, before Airbnb fees, operating costs and taxes.
What is the Airbnb occupancy rate in Santa Cruz?
Listings in Santa Cruz were booked for an average of 52% of the nights they were open for booking over the past 12 months. That is 2 points lower than the Santa Cruz, CA average of 54%. Nights a host blocked off don't count.
How much does an Airbnb cost per night in Santa Cruz?
The average nightly rate in Santa Cruz was $597 over the past 12 months, including cleaning fees. That is 7% higher than the Santa Cruz, CA average of $559.
Is an Airbnb in Santa Cruz profitable?
For homes with a matched home value, the median room-revenue potential in Santa Cruz is $66,871 a year and the median gross yield is 5.7%. Gross yield is 1.1 points lower than the Santa Cruz, CA median. Gross yield is measured before expenses, financing and taxes, so profit depends on what you pay for a home and what it costs to run. Analyze the exact property before you buy.
Reveal any property's Airbnb profitabilityHow much do Airbnb hosts make in Santa Cruz by bedroom count?
One-bedroom homes have the highest gross yield in Santa Cruz, at 6.0%. The table shows average yearly revenue and median gross yield for each home size, with the Santa Cruz, CA figure for the same size under each one.
| Bedrooms | Yearly revenue | Gross yield |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom 48 listings | $34,987 Santa Cruz, CA: $35,721 | 6.0% Santa Cruz, CA: 6.6% |
| 2 bedrooms 42 listings | $47,286 Santa Cruz, CA: $52,632 | 5.2% Santa Cruz, CA: 6.9% |
| 3 bedrooms 53 listings | $67,929 Santa Cruz, CA: $70,476 | 5.8% Santa Cruz, CA: 6.7% |
| 4+ bedrooms 36 listings | $101,929 Santa Cruz, CA: $101,484 | 5.7% Santa Cruz, CA: 7.1% |
How does Santa Cruz compare with nearby areas?
Every row uses the same method and data date. Nearby areas link to their own pages.
| Area | Yearly revenue | Occupancy | Nightly rate | Gross yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz This area 183 listings | $60,339 | 52% | $597 | 5.7% |
| Santa Cruz, CA market 862 listings | $59,388 | 54% | $559 | 6.8% |
| Pleasure Point, Twin Lakes and Live Oak 240 listings | $67,616 | 53% | $631 | 6.7% |
| Capitola and Soquel 128 listings | $52,783 | 52% | $499 | 7.4% |
| San Lorenzo Valley, Scotts Valley and Bonny Doon 73 listings | $45,462 | 60% | $410 | 8.0% |
| Aptos, Rio del Mar and Seacliff 218 listings | $59,126 | 54% | $531 | 7.2% |
Where is Santa Cruz?
The Santa Cruz, CA market includes 5 areas based on local neighborhood and city boundaries. Each listing is counted in the area containing it.
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About these figures
How is yearly revenue measured?
It is the average booking revenue a regularly available listing earned over the past 12 months, including cleaning fees and before Airbnb fees, operating costs and taxes. It is an estimate, not verified host payouts.
How is occupancy measured?
For each listing, BNBCalc divides the nights booked by the nights it was open for booking over the past 12 months, then averages the results. Nights a host blocked off are left out.
How is the nightly rate measured?
It is the average price per booked night over the past 12 months, including cleaning fees.
What is room-revenue potential?
It estimates what a listing would earn in a year from its nightly rates if it were available all year at its expected occupancy, based on its last 12 months of bookings. It excludes cleaning fees. It is an estimate, not income a host received.
What is gross yield?
For each listing, BNBCalc divides its room-revenue potential by an estimated value for a home with the same ZIP code and bedroom count, then reports the median. It is measured before expenses, financing and taxes, so it is not profit or a full return on investment.
Which listings are included?
Yearly revenue, occupancy and nightly rate cover listings of every type and size that were open for booking at least 127 nights over the past year (183 in Santa Cruz). Room-revenue potential and gross yield cover entire homes with one to five bedrooms that were also booked for at least 30% of their open nights and have a matched home value. BNBCalc shows no figure for an area with fewer than 5 qualifying listings.
How current is this data?
Figures are current as of November 3, 2026 and refresh monthly.
Why are these figures different from the Santa Cruz, CA market page?
The market page summarizes all of Santa Cruz, CA from a separate monthly market dataset. This page averages the individual listings in each area, so the two can differ. Use this page to compare areas with each other.
What can't these figures tell me?
They don't include operating costs, financing, taxes, insurance or the price of a specific home, and they don't show whether short-term rentals are allowed. Check local rules and analyze the exact property before you buy.
Related guides
Go deeper on Santa Cruz
With BNBCalc Markets, compare Santa Cruz by bedroom count and performance level, see home prices, and browse its listings on the map.