Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 120.
81% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Bear Valley, above both the California town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Among 847 California towns, just 10 have a lower January low than Bear Valley. 84% of the land in Bear Valley is conserved, where California’s towns sit at 4.3% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Bear Valley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 133 in 2000, 128 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1956 on.
Explore the history →Bear Valley is unincorporated, so Alpine County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Bear Valley.
15 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. Bear Valley’s trail density is 2.9 miles per square mile.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Alpine County Unified school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Valley ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 6 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 88% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Bear Valley home is worth about $449,000, about the same as a year ago, 41% below the California typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Bear Valley for work: only 2% work in town. The top destinations are South Lake Tahoe (8%), Carson City (5%) and Sacramento (4%). Half commute less than 73 miles.
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Bear Valley has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Bear Valley is 77°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Bear Valley beats the California average on 15 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 30% of Bear Valley adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Bear Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 24% | 25% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 36% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 29% | 35% |
| What stands out | Bear Valley | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.4% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.8% | 14.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.8% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bear Valley. Close and well known come first.
Big draw29 mi National ParkYosemite National Park4.3M visitors a year
39 mi LakeHetch Hetchy
in town Ski areaBear Valley61 runs · 1,843 ft vertical
19 mi State parkCalaveras Big Trees State Park
16 mi National forestStanislaus National Forest
14 mi Ski areaKirkwood Mountain Resort58 runs · 1,650 ft verticalYosemite National Park: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hetch Hetchy: Vulpinus2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bear Valley: Shayan Sanyal, CC BY 2.0 · Calaveras Big Trees State Park: John J. O'Brien (talk · contribs), Public domain · Stanislaus National Forest: U.S. National Park Service, Public domain · Kirkwood Mountain Resort: Gabeguss, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Bear Valley; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Bear Valley residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where Bear Valley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Place in California, United States
Bear Valley is a census-designated place in Alpine County, California, United States, best known as the location of the Bear Valley ski area. The population was 128 at the 2020 census, up from 121 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Bear Valley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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