Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 11,431, settled in 1928.
Big Bear City grades D overall, ranked 601st of 841 in California, mostly because of incomes. The median household income is $72K, and 16% of residents live below the poverty line. One bright spot: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 92% of U.S. towns. Big Bear City’s violent crime rate is 7.7 per 1,000 residents, above both California’s towns (2.9) and U.S. towns (1.6). On hazard risk, just 81 of California’s 1,064 towns do worse. The biggest place to walk is San Bernardino National Forest, 20,408 acres with 124.5 miles of trail.
Where Big Bear City beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
60.2% of the town is conserved land, across 6 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Big Bear City is from typical.
Its grades run from A for walkability (better than 92% of comparable towns) to D− for hazard risk (better than 1%), so the D overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,434 in 1950, a low of 1,434 in 1950, 12,738 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1947 on.
Big Bear City is unincorporated, so San Bernardino 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 Big Bear City.
Big Bear City is a second-home town, keeps more of its land conserved than most of California and has fewer 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns.
Its 12,276 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 99% of California towns.
125 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. Big Bear City’s trail density is 3.9 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. San Bernardino National Forest | 124.5 mi | 20,408 |
| 2. Ranch Park | — | 10 |
| 3. Sugarloaf Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Bear Valley Unified school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Big Bear High, with 630 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin Lane ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 445 | B− |
| Big Bear HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 630 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 99% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Big Bear City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical value, about $381K, is 18% below its July 2022 peak. At about $381K, home values are down 4% in five years, against a rise of 13% across California.
The typical Big Bear City home is worth about $381,000, down 4.2% in a year, 50% below the California typical home. The median rent in Big Bear City is $1,854 a month.
| Big Bear City | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,854 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Big Bear City has 992 jobs for its 6,832 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here grew from 742 in 2013 to 992.
Most working residents leave Big Bear City for work: only 7% work in town. Since 2013, Big Bear City has added 250 jobs, to 992 in 2023. 19% of Big Bear City workers work from home.
| Big Bear City | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 19% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $72,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Big Bear Lake weather station, 7 miles away, records that about 1 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 96% of U.S. towns. January nights average 26.8°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 92% of California places with climate records; July afternoons average 81°.
Big Bear City has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. About 59 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Big Bear City | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 81°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 27°F | 41°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
55.1% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, against 2.4% statewide, which helps explain the older median age.
People 65 and older are 24% of residents (16% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (24% statewide). 19% of residents are under 18 in Big Bear City. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across California.
| Big Bear City | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.2 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 24% | 16% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 19% | 22% | 22% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Big Bear City | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.7% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.7% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.6% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.6% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.7% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.1% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.9% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.6% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.7% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.1% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.5% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.3% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Big Bear City's reported crime rate is close to California's. 39 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Big Bear City beats the California average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
| Big Bear City | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 31% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 72% | 79% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 22% | 19% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 29% | 35% |
| What stands out | Big Bear City | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.1% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 12% | 14.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.9% | 5.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Big Bear City. Close and well known come first.
Big draw23 mi National ParkJoshua Tree National Park2.9M visitors a year
11 mi MountainSan Gorgonio Mountain
10 mi LakeBig Bear Lake
31 mi MountainSan Jacinto Peak36 mi LandmarkForest Lawn Cemetery
38 mi LandmarkRiverside National CemeteryJoshua Tree National Park: Sergiy Galyonkin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · San Gorgonio Mountain: Doc Searls, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Big Bear Lake: H.G. Judd, CC BY-SA 3.0 · San Jacinto Peak: Wattewyl, CC BY 3.0 · Riverside National Cemetery: Sigris Lopez, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of Big Bear City; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Big Bear City residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where Big Bear City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place in California, United States
Big Bear City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California, United States along the east shore of Big Bear Lake and surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest. It is 27 miles (43 km) northeast of the city of San Bernardino, and immediately east of the incorporated city of Big Bear Lake. Its population was 12,738 at the 2020 census, up from 12,304 at the 2010 census. Big Bear City is mostly residential, with smaller houses and cabins laid out in typical square block fashion. Big Bear is on the Pacific Crest Trail. Standard Air Lines of Los Angeles began a regular airline service to the community in the summer of 1929. Its post office w…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Big Bear City.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bear City | #601 | D | D | — | B | B− |
| Big Bear Lake | #436 | C | D | — | B | B |
Big Bear City and Big Bear Lake report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Big Bear City with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Big Bear City grades D overall, better than 11% of U.S. towns and #601 of 841 in California. It grades B− for health and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. That is 4.3 years of the area's median household income ($89,662 across the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
