Curious about the performance of short-term rentals in The Sea Ranch, United States? Over the last year, the average occupancy rate was 53% with an ADR (Average Daily Rate) of 205€. Hosts earned on average 2979€ per month.

90-day occupancy forecast for The Sea Ranch so you can update rates and stay ahead of competitors.
Key metrics to optimize your pricing strategy
Avg. Monthly Revenue
2979€
$2711 USD
YoY Revenue Change
-1%
vs. previous year
Occupancy Rate
53%
~16 days/month
Average Daily Rate
205€
$187 USD
Seasonality Index
80%
demand variation
Best Months
July, June
peak season
Worst Months
February, January
low season
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The Sea Ranch ran 53% average occupancy across about 189 booked nights over the trailing year, three points below the 56% U.S. national average but strong in context given how rural and supply-constrained it is. The standout figure is the 204 euro ADR, well above the national average and among the highest in the 42-city California sample, reflecting the design cachet and limited supply of these architecturally distinctive homes. That premium rate, not raw occupancy, is the engine of returns here.
Average monthly revenue of 2,966 euros per listing is healthy and confirms the high-rate, moderate-occupancy profile, while a slight 2% year-on-year revenue decline signals an essentially stable market rather than a downturn. The relatively mild 80% seasonality index ties it together: demand is spread across the calendar, so a Sea Ranch home earns through long shoulders rather than living or dying on a short summer window. The investment logic is premium nightly rate and consistent year-round usability, not high-volume turnover.
Average occupancy rate by month in The Sea Ranch, compared with the same month a year earlier.
| Month | Occupancy | Prior year |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 2025 | 70.6% | 71.1% |
| Aug 2025 | 67.1% | 63.5% |
| Sep 2025 | 52.8% | 53% |
| Oct 2025 | 51.2% | 48.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 48.3% | 47.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 44% | 44.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 39.2% | 38.7% |
| Feb 2026 | 45.2% | 44.9% |
| Mar 2026 | 51.2% | 49.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 53.3% | 53.8% |
| May 2026 | 57.3% | 55.1% |
| Jun 2026 | 67.6% | 65.7% |
📌 Historical trends reveal seasonal highs – plan accordingly.
These figures reflect real-time demand in The Sea Ranch, helping you plan and price strategically.
The Sea Ranch is a planned coastal community spread along ten miles of the Sonoma County coast in Northern California, roughly between Gualala and Stewarts Point on Highway 1. Its short-term rental demand is built almost entirely on the property itself: the community is famous for its 1960s architecture, the weathered-redwood, shed-roof aesthetic pioneered by Charles Moore, Joseph Esherick, MLTW and landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, which has made staying in a Sea Ranch home a destination in its own right. Guests come for design pilgrimage, rugged bluff-top scenery, the iconic Sea Ranch Chapel and quiet, unplugged weekends rather than nightlife.
The traveller mix skews to couples and small groups from the San Francisco Bay Area on two-to-four-night drive escapes, plus design enthusiasts and nature lovers drawn to the Pacific bluffs, hiking trails and the nearby Gualala Point Regional Park. With only 82 active listings tracked and a strict community framework, supply is deliberately limited, which helps sustain a premium 204 euro average daily rate, among the higher in the California sample.
The Sea Ranch shows a moderate, well-spread seasonal curve rather than a sharp single peak, which is unusual and valuable for a coastal market. The best months are July and August, when Northern California's coast enjoys its clearest, busiest summer weather: July 2025 occupancy reached 71% and August 2025 67%. Late spring and early autumn hold up well too, with May, June and September all comfortably in the 50s to mid-60s, reflecting a long, usable shoulder season for hiking, whale-watching and weekend getaways.
The weakest months are February and January, the wet, cool heart of winter, when January 2026 dipped to 39% and February 2026 to 45%. December is similarly soft. Even so, the troughs stay in the high 30s to mid 40s rather than collapsing, which is why the seasonality index is a relatively gentle 80%, below the national norm. That balance means operators can keep a Sea Ranch home productive much of the year, leaning on summer for peak rate while still filling shoulder and even winter weekends with Bay Area regulars.
The Sea Ranch is one community rather than a city of districts, but it stretches across distinct zones along Highway 1 that shape a listing's appeal. The northern reaches near Gualala put guests closest to the town's shops, restaurants and the Gualala River, useful for stays that want some amenities. The central and southern bluff areas around the Del Mar and Black Point environs hold many of the most coveted oceanfront and bluff-top homes, where direct surf views and trail access drive the highest rates.
Meadow and forest lots set back from Highway 1, toward the Sea Ranch Lodge and the community's recreation centers and pools, trade ocean immediacy for privacy, redwood settings and access to the shared amenities and the Sea Ranch Golf Links. Just outside the community, Gualala and Anchor Bay to the north and Stewarts Point to the south extend the same coastal market. Across all of them, architectural character and proximity to a bluff trail or ocean view matter more than a neighbourhood name.
The Sea Ranch is in unincorporated Sonoma County and within the California Coastal Zone, so short-term rentals answer to two layers. Sonoma County requires a Transient Vacation Rental (TVR) permit and a business license, administered by Permit Sonoma, with the owner or operator certified as a vacation-rental property manager and transient occupancy tax collected and remitted. In the Coastal Zone, county rules have recognised legally established prior operation (broadly, units operating between October 2018 and October 2023 with documented TOT) when applying permit requirements.
Layered on top, The Sea Ranch Association enforces its own STR rules and registration through its CC&Rs, with priority and grandfathering for owners who rented and paid county TOT before May 2021 and have maintained registration. Coastal Commission oversight further constrains how the county can cap or restrict rentals. Because these county, Coastal Zone and Association rules interact and have changed over time, operators should verify current requirements directly with Permit Sonoma and The Sea Ranch Association before listing.
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* Calculations based on 30 days/month. Actual results may vary depending on market, season, property type, and implemented strategy.
The Sea Ranch averaged about 53% occupancy over the trailing year, roughly 189 booked nights, three points below the 56% U.S. national average. That is solid for a rural, supply-limited coastal community, and the real story is the premium nightly rate rather than volume: demand is spread fairly evenly across the year.
July and August are strongest, with summer occupancy near 70% for clear coastal weather, and the long shoulder of May, June and September holds in the 50s to mid-60s. February and January are weakest but still reach the high 30s to mid 40s. The mild 80% seasonality means a Sea Ranch home stays productive much of the year.
Yes, at two levels. Sonoma County requires a Transient Vacation Rental permit, a business license, a certified property manager and transient occupancy tax via Permit Sonoma, with Coastal Zone provisions recognising prior legal operation. The Sea Ranch Association also enforces its own registration and rules. Verify current requirements with both Permit Sonoma and the Association before listing.
Bluff-top and oceanfront homes in the central and southern Del Mar and Black Point areas command the highest rates for surf views and trail access. Northern lots near Gualala add shops and dining, while meadow and forest homes near the Lodge and recreation centers trade ocean views for privacy and shared amenities. Architectural character and an ocean view drive rate more than the zone.