Photo: Clinton Steeds from Los Angeles, USA · CC BY 2.0Measured against area pay, Big Pine costs more to live in than 67% of U.S. towns
Up 2.1% in a year, 44% below the California typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Bishop, CA micro area ($74K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 3 sales in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across the Bishop-area micro earn ($74K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 4.2 years of area income, and 41% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $426Ktypical home, 44% below the California typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,530a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 4.2 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$74K, Bishop-area income
- 19%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 27%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What kind of housing town is Big Pine?
Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.
What’s behind Big Pine’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Big Pine is more affordable than 33% of U.S. towns. Home prices pull the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Home values since 2022
Typical home value by month.
Show as a table
| January | Big Pine | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $405,000 | $723,000 |
| 2024 | $405,000 | $754,000 |
| 2025 | $419,000 | $778,000 |
| 2026 | $418,000 | $763,000 |
| September 2026 | $426,000 | $762,000 |
A typical Big Pine home worth $391K in February 2022 is worth about $426K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 4.2 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Big Pine’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $133K short of a typical Big Pine home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,530 a month here, $980 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Big Pine’s typical property tax (0.79% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,530
Renters already here pay a median of $1,202, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Inyo County, CA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $2,429, under the California median of $5,124, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.79% a year, against 0.70% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Big Pine and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Pine | C | $426K | $308K | 0.79% | $1,530 |
Questions about the cost of living in Big Pine
Is Big Pine expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Big Pine costs more than 67% of U.S. towns: a C for cost of living. The typical home costs 4.2 years of the median household income of the Bishop, CA micro area ($74K).
How much does a house cost in Big Pine?
About $426K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 2.1% in a year. The California typical home is $762K.
What salary do you need to live in Big Pine?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $108,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,510 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $61,000.
How much is rent in Big Pine?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,530 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,202 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Big Pine?
The median bill is $2,429 a year, 0.79% of the median home value (California: $5,124, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Neighbors talk housing
What Big Pine buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.