Investor market data · California

San Diego, CA Rental Market for Investors

An estimated 18% of San Diego's active listings could cash-flow as a short-term rental — here's what the numbers say for investors, as of August 2026.

See what pencils →Run a DSCR

$859,450Median list price2,468 active listings

$63,945Median STR revenue / yrprojected, gross

Homes in San Diego that pencil right now

A sample of active San Diego listings whose DSCR clears 1.25 using short-term rental income projections we accept as a direct lender. These are spread across the price range, not ranked, and current as of August 2026.

$369,950DSCR 1.56
2 bed · 1 bath · 484 sqft
Condo in 92102 · built 1981
STR revenue
$59,316/yr
Est. interest-only payment
$2,531/mo
On the market 171 days · Listed by Core Real Estate Services
Scout this home & market: 2-bed condo in San Diego
$478,000DSCR 1.29
2 bed · 1 bath · 782 sqft
Condo in 92104 · built 1980
STR revenue
$65,631/yr
Est. interest-only payment
$3,387/mo
On the market 86 days · Listed by COMPASS
Scout this home & market: 2-bed condo in San Diego
$489,999DSCR 1.27
2 bed · 2 bath · 840 sqft
Condo in 92104 · built 1990
STR revenue
$69,987/yr
Est. interest-only payment
$3,666/mo
On the market 13 days · Listed by ShoppingSDHouses
Scout this home & market: 2-bed condo in San Diego
$699,900DSCR 1.27
3 bed · 2 bath · 1,362 sqft
Condo in 92110 · built 1982
STR revenue
$94,578/yr
Est. interest-only payment
$4,981/mo
On the market 40 days · Listed by Exp Realty Of California, Inc.
Scout this home & market: 3-bed condo in San Diego
$799,000DSCR 1.28
5 bed · 3 bath · 1,841 sqft
House in 92115 · built 1946
STR revenue
$96,049/yr
Est. interest-only payment
$5,000/mo
On the market 12 days · Listed by ShoppingSDHouses
Scout this home & market: 5-bed house in San Diego

Ask about San Diego deals →Run any address yourself

As of August 2026, we analyzed 2,468 active for-sale homes in San Diego, California. The typical listing is priced at $859,450 and is projected to generate about $63,945 a year as a short-term rental.

After setting aside an estimated 20% for operating costs, an estimated 18.3% of those homes could still cover an investor mortgage payment on short-term-rental income — below the 52.5% median across the 200 major metros we track, ranking San Diego #186 of 200 for cash-flow potential.

On market momentum: homes in San Diego sit a median of 39 days on the market, and 39% of active listings came on in just the last 30 days — a fast-moving market, which shapes how much room there is to negotiate.

For a DSCR loan — which qualifies on the property's rental income rather than your personal income — San Diego runs tighter once operating costs are accounted for: many listings need a below-median price, a stronger short-term-rental setup, or more money down before the income covers the payment. It's a market where running the numbers property-by-property matters.

What actually works in San Diego

Cash-flow is the exception rather than the rule in San Diego right now: 56 of the 1,754 San Diego homes, condos and townhomes we can price confidently clear a DSCR of 1.25. Nine in ten of them are priced under $785,000.

Share of those listings clearing an DSCR of 1.25, by price and bedroom count. The smaller figure is the median DSCR for that group.
Price	1 bed	2 bed	3 bed	4 bed	5 bed
$150k–$250k	30%1.09	—	—	—	—
$250k–$350k	0%0.91	—	—	—	—
$350k–$500k	0%0.78	11%1.02	—	—	—
$500k+	0%0.59	2%0.65	2%0.75	6%0.72	7%0.63

Darker means a larger share of that group cash-flows. “—” means fewer than 8 active listings — too few to draw a conclusion from.

San Diego in full

Active for-sale homes analyzed	2,468
Median list price	$859,450
Median projected STR revenue (annual, gross)	$63,945
Median average daily rate (ADR)	$259
Median occupancy	68%
Median beds	2
Median size	1,278 sqft
Estimated cash-flow-positive share	18.3%
Median days on market	39 days
New listings (last 30 days)	39.4% of active