Big RiverCA
A town of 1,140.
Is Big River a good place to live?
The best of Big River’s subject grades is an A+ for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for hazard risk. 37% of residents are 65 or older in Big River, above both the California town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). No town in California scores higher than Big River on cost of living. The median household income is $40K, and 20% of residents live below the poverty line. On history, just 59 of California’s 1,063 towns do worse. The biggest park or preserve is Ahakhav Tribal Preserve, at 22 acres. Big River has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Big River has shrunk 18% from 2010 to 2020
1,327 counted in 2010 and 1,084 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Big River grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Big River is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Big River: who provides what
Big River 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Big River.
Very high risk in Big River, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 99% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Big River stands out in California and nationally, with more of its adults who have high blood pressure
48% of Big River adults have high blood pressure, against 31% in California’s towns and 35% across U.S. towns. 12% of Big River adults binge drink. Big River beats the California average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16.
| Big River | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 31% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 16% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 22% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Big River | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.6% | 15.3% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 12.1% | 14.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.2% | 5.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Compared with most of California and the rest of the country, the median household income in Big River is lower
Big River’s average trip to work is 13 minutes. Most working residents leave Big River for work: only 1% work in town. The top destinations are Los Angeles (5%), Lake Havasu City (5%) and San Diego (3%).
| Big River | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $40,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.3% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Big River, expect mild winters and hot summers
Big River has warm winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. The July high in Big River is 109°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Big River | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.0 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ahakhav Tribal Preserve | — | 22 |
| 2. Big River Park | — | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The median home in Big River sells for about $165K
Among 834 California towns, just 3 have a lower median rent than Big River. 80% of households own their home in Big River.
| Big River | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $839 a month | $1,896 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 80% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Big River
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Big River; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Big River residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
1,140 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
About Big River
Census-designated place in California, United States
Big River is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 1,084 at the 2020 census, down from 1,327 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 11 sq mi
- Elevation
- 436 ft
- Area code
- 760
Questions about Big River
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Big River, CA expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $126,000, 83% below the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.