Photo: BigBearCabins · CC BY-SA 4.0412 homes sold in Big Bear Lake in the last year, at a typical $602K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Big Bear Lake homes are listed.
Every place Big Bear Lake homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Big Bear Lake.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
8% of Big Bear Lake’s sales are condos, at $150K less than a house
380 houses and 31 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 380 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $397CA $494
- Days to sell
- 101
- Sold over asking
- 16%
- Listings with a price cut
- 23%
typical sale · 31 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $382CA $561
- Days to sell
- 143
- Sold over asking
- 3%
- Listings with a price cut
- 26%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 1 sold, typical $750K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at twice the 2016 price
412 sales in the last year, against 883 in 2021 and a low of 417 in 2024. The typical sale went from $308K in 2016 to $602K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $600K buys in Big Bear Lake
Check a listing against what Big Bear Lake homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Big Bear Lake are back to pre-pandemic levels, and more homes are for sale
We read every month of Big Bear Lake’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 412 sales.
If you’re buying in Big Bear Lake
- Shop in June. It brings about 85 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (23% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 22% of listings have cut their price, against 13% before the pandemic.
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 96.7% of the list price on average; 15% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 18% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 104 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 100 a month), but April is the most competitive: 33% of April sales close over asking. June offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (23%). June has the least competition (23%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than California
| Big Bear Lake now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 15% | 16% | 58% | 36% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 18% | 9% | 26% | 31% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 22% | 13% | 10% | 24% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 96.7% | 97.3% | 102.2% | 99.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 104 | 76 | 43 | 44 |
313 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 2.3 times the 2021 low (138) and 25% more than in 2017–19.
1 in 5 listings has cut its price
22% in the last year, against 13% in 2017–19 and 24% across California. More sellers are pricing high and coming down.
Since 2019, houses are up 62%, condos 66%
A house typically sold for $620K in the last year (380 sales), a condo for $470K (31).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Big Bear Lake ranks 517th of 555 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Big Bear Lake is one of the state’s calmer markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Big Bear Lake home costs about $3,510 a month
Price: Big Bear Lake’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Big Bear Lake’s 0.7% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Big Bear Lake is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 33.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $602K home, about $4,430 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Big Bear Lake, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Big Bear LakeTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Big Bear Lake.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Big Bear City, Running Springs, Lucerne Valley, Lake Arrowhead, Yucaipa and Mentone sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Big Bear Lake, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Arrowhead | 565 | $606K | $341 | 14% | 103 |
| Big Bear City | 494 | $393K | $341 | 17% | 96 |
| Yucaipa | 433 | $581K | $331 | 43% | 48 |
| Big Bear Lake | 412 | $602K | $394 | 15% | 104 |
| Running Springs | 183 | $351K | $285 | 22% | 86 |
| Lucerne Valley | 65 | $310K | $200 | 35% | 93 |
| Mentone | 52 | $511K | $336 | 44% | 57 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Big Bear Lake, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Big Bear Lake. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Big Bear Lake with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Big Bear Lake
What do homes sell for in Big Bear Lake, CA?
412 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $602K, $394 a square foot. Houses sold for about $620K, condos for about $470K.
Is Big Bear Lake a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A buyer’s market: 345 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 20 sold, about 17.3 months of supply. Buyers paid 96.7% of asking on average, and 22% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Big Bear Lake?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Big Bear Lake?
About 0.7% of a home’s value a year. On a $602K home that’s near $4,430.
Where can I see homes for sale in Big Bear Lake?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Big Bear Lake’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Big Bear Lake.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).