Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Big Bear Lake's standout: it is more walkable than 95% of U.S. towns. Overall it grades C, ranked 436th of 841 in California. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 86% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. San Bernardino National Forest, at 4,098 acres with 6.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Homes are expensive, about $534K for a typical one and 6 times the Riverside metro’s $90K median household income. Only 6 of the 846 California towns we compare have a lower January low than Big Bear Lake.
Where Big Bear Lake beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Big Bear Lake is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 95% of comparable towns) to D for hazard risk (better than 8%), so the C overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 5,351 in 1990, 5,046 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 1912 and 4 maps from 1954 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Big Bear Lake, and how to reach them.
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 Lake.
Big Bear Lake is a second-home town, has fewer 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with Los Angeles and other neighbors.
Since 1993, 17 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Big Bear Lake.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Bear Valley Unified school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bear MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 489 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
6.4 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. Big Bear Lake’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile, against 1.0 in California’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns.
| Big Bear Lake | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.0 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.3% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. San Bernardino National Forest | 6.1 mi | 4,098 |
| 2. Meadow Park | — | 9 |
| 3. Boulder Bay Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical value, about $534K, is 21% below its June 2022 peak. At about $534K, home values are down 5% in five years, against a rise of 13% across California.
Big Bear Lake’s median rent is $1,454 a month, below California’s towns ($1,898 a month) but above U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 63% of Big Bear Lake renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent. The typical Big Bear Lake home is worth about $534,000, down 2.8% in a year, 30% below the California typical home.
| Big Bear Lake | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 63% | 55% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,454 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 65% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
73% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, against 2.4% statewide, which helps explain the older median age.
Adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (24% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 45% of residents (39% statewide). Big Bear Lake’s median age is 46.6 years. 34% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across California.
| Big Bear Lake | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.6 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 18% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 16% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 29% | 29% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Big Bear Lake | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.6% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.5% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.7% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.2% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.9% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.5% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.2% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.2% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.9% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.7% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.4% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.5% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.4% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The Big Bear Lake weather station records that about 1 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 96% of U.S. towns. January nights average 25.3°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 93% of California places with climate records; July afternoons average 79.6°.
Big Bear Lake has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Big Bear Lake is 80°F. About 59 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Big Bear Lake has about as many jobs (4,195) as working residents, but only 466 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Big Bear Lake for work: only 13% work in town. 21% of workers work from home in Big Bear Lake. Jobs based in Big Bear Lake grew to 4,195 in 2023, 715 more than in 2013.
| Big Bear Lake | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 21% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.2% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Median household income | $76,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Big Bear Lake beats the California average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8.
| Big Bear Lake | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 72% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Big Bear Lake | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.1% | 14.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.3% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.7% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Big Bear Lake. Close and well known come first.
Big draw28 mi National ParkJoshua Tree National Park2.9M visitors a year
5 mi LakeBig Bear Lake
11 mi MountainSan Gorgonio Mountain
32 mi MountainSan Jacinto Peak39 mi LandmarkForest Lawn Cemetery
8 mi Ski areaSnow Valley Mountain Resort42 runs · 1,109 ft verticalJoshua Tree National Park: Sergiy Galyonkin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Big Bear Lake: H.G. Judd, CC BY-SA 3.0 · San Gorgonio Mountain: Doc Searls, CC BY-SA 2.0 · San Jacinto Peak: Wattewyl, CC BY 3.0 · Snow Valley Mountain Resort: Me, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of Big Bear Lake; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Big Bear Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
City in California, United States
Big Bear Lake is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States, located in the San Bernardino Mountains along the south shore of Big Bear Lake, and surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest. The city is about 25 miles (40 km) northeast of the city of San Bernardino, and immediately west of the unincorporated town of Big Bear City. The population was approximately 5,046 at the 2020 census. However, as a popular year-round resort destination, the actual number of people staying in or visiting the greater Big Bear Valley area regularly surges to over 100,000 during many weekends of the year.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Big Bear Lake.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bear Lake | #436 | C | D | — | B | B |
| Big Bear City | #601 | D | D | — | B | B− |
Big Bear Lake and Big Bear City report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Big Bear Lake with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Big Bear Lake grades C overall, better than 26% of U.S. towns and #436 of 841 in California. It grades B for health and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
2 notable people were born here, including Itan Daniel Chavira and Janna Meyen.
