Photo: Magi Media (originally uploaded on en.wikipedia.org by Magi Media; transferred to Commons by JaumeBG). · Public domainLiving in Big Bear City, CA: what to set up and who to call
Big Bear City has no town government of its own, so San Bernardino County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Bear Valley Unified School District. The closest public drop-off to Big Bear City is Big Bear Transfer Station, 4 miles out; the town decides whether residents may use it.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Big Bear City, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Big Bear City.
Power comes from Bear Valley Electric Service
Bear Valley Electric Service (Bear Valley Electric Service), an investor-owned utility, serves 92.2% of Big Bear City residents. Its homes paid an average of 41.1¢ per kWh in 2025, about $122 a month (its average across California).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Big Bear City Csd water system
The Big Bear City Csd water system supplies Big Bear City: about 82% of residents live in its service area. About 17% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water and serves 12,738 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 83% of the 3,525 systems serving 10,001–50,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. CA3610008.
5 home internet providers serve Big Bear City
99% of 12,576 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 82% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 99% | 1,000/35 |
| Frontier | Fiber, DSL | 89% | 5,000/5,000 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 53% | 25/3 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 35% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 34% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
The nearest public drop-off is 4 miles away
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Big Bear City.
Big Bear Transfer Station
38550 Holcomb Valley Road · run by County of San Bernardino
This isn’t Big Bear City’s own facility. Whether Big Bear City residents may use it is the town’s rule: check the town’s office.
OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Big Bear City is in Bear Valley Unified School District.
BSchool gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
No town hall: the county runs things
Big Bear City is unincorporated, so San Bernardino County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Big Bear City spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Big Bear City residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Big Bear City | ZIP’s residents in Big Bear City |
|---|---|---|---|
| 92314 | Big Bear City, CA | 80% | 98% |
| 92386 | Sugarloaf, CA | 19% | 100% |
A few homes fall in 92315.
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Big Bear City
Who supplies Big Bear City’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Big Bear City Csd water system (EPA ID CA3610008). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 83% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Big Bear City?
Bear Valley Electric Service (Bear Valley Electric Service), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 41.1¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Big Bear City?
Spectrum, Frontier, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Big Bear City?
92314 (80%), 92386 (19%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Big Bear City in?
Bear Valley Unified School District.
How do I register to vote in Big Bear City?
In California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before). Elections here are run by the San Bernardino Registrar of Voters. Check your registration at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.