Housing data for Big Bear Lake, CA
Big Bear Lake, CA has an estimated 5,041 residents and 9,722 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in San Bernardino County.
35.1% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,454 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−3.8%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 5,041 (±20)
- Housing units
- 9,722 (±296)
- Households that rent
- 35.1%
- Median gross rent
- $1,454
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −3.8%
What stands out in Big Bear Lake
Working from home: 20.8% (±6.0 points) in Big Bear Lake, higher than in San Bernardino County (11.0%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 3.9% (±1.2 points) in Big Bear Lake, lower than in San Bernardino County (13.5%).
Homes built before 1980: 59.6% (±4.1 points) in Big Bear Lake, higher than in San Bernardino County (42.9%).
Households that moved in since 2020: 29.5% (±7.1 points) in Big Bear Lake, higher than in San Bernardino County (22.1%).
- Commute and cars in Big Bear Lake
- Types of homes in Big Bear Lake
- Age of homes in Big Bear Lake
- How long people stay in Big Bear Lake
Housing in Big Bear Lake at a glance
- Median rent: $1,454 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,437 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 62.4% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 35.1% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $76,250 median household income
- Home values: $576,700 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,148 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $4,239 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 3.9% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 54.9% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 59.6% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 3.0% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 88.4% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 24.7 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 773 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −3.8% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 29.5% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 4.7% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Big Bear Lake against San Bernardino County, its state and the nation
| Big Bear Lake | San Bernardino County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 5,041 (±20) | 2,197,104 (exact) | 39,287,377 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 9,722 (±296) | 743,886 (±278) | 14,644,735 (±1,665) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 35.1% (±6.7 points) | 37.9% (±0.5 points) | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,454 (±$200) | $1,801 (±$15) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $76,250 (±$5,405) | $85,478 (±$924) | $99,122 (±$310) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $576,700 (±$86,760) | $505,000 (±$4,319) | $734,700 (±$1,307) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $4,239 (±$488) | $3,538 (±$36) | $5,124 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 59.6% (±4.1 points) | 42.9% (±0.6 points) | 56.0% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 24.7 minutes (±6.0) | 32.6 minutes (±0.3) | 28.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 96.3% (±2.4 points) | 93.3% (±0.2 points) | 93.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 46.6 years (±7.2) | 34.7 years (±0.1) | 37.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Big Bear Lake covers 6.3 square miles of land, about 806 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Big Bear Lake has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 5,241 (±34) | 5,041 (±20) | −3.8% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 9,864 (±201) | 9,722 (±296) | −1.4% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $957 (±$142) | $1,454 (±$200) | +51.9% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $391,000 (±$34,897) | $576,700 (±$86,760) | +47.5% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $51,060 (±$6,541) | $76,250 (±$5,405) | +49.3% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,713 (±$145) | $2,148 (±$244) | +25.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $3,334 (±$341) | $4,239 (±$488) | +27.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 46.8% (±5.2 points) | 35.1% (±6.7 points) | −11.7 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
| Rental vacancy rate | 7.8% (±3.8 points) | 3.0% (±2.9 points) | −4.8 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Big Bear Lake
In 2025, the Big Bear Lake Police Department reported 773 violent and 1,566 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across San Bernardino County, the departments that report recorded 446 violent and 1,523 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Big Bear Lake
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92315 | 21% | 5,215 | $1,454 | $590,000 | $77,436 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Big Bear Lake
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bear City | 5.6 mi | $1,854 | $463,500 | 29.2% |
| Running Springs | 12 mi | $1,804 | $385,000 | 26.0% |
| Lucerne Valley | 14 mi | $1,181 | $269,100 | 24.5% |
| Lake Arrowhead | 16 mi | $1,875 | $596,500 | 16.4% |
| Yucaipa | 17 mi | $1,711 | $502,100 | 26.6% |
| Mentone | 18 mi | $1,472 | $436,700 | 31.9% |
| Highland | 18 mi | $1,629 | $485,600 | 35.9% |
| Cherry Valley | 19 mi | $1,399 | $408,000 | 16.9% |
Places in California most like Big Bear Lake
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oceano | $1,584 | $556,100 | $71,598 | 38.9% |
| Idyllwild-Pine Cove | $1,554 | $532,400 | $73,678 | 30.0% |
| North Auburn | $1,742 | $530,400 | $71,056 | 35.8% |
| Big Bear City | $1,854 | $463,500 | $71,511 | 29.2% |
| Pine Hills | $1,633 | $487,800 | $78,393 | 30.1% |
| Mentone | $1,472 | $436,700 | $74,708 | 31.9% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across California.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Big Bear Lake, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,605 | $1,705 | $2,103 | $2,771 | $3,336 |
HUD income limits for Big Bear Lake, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $25,850 | $43,050 | $68,900 |
| 2 people | $29,550 | $49,200 | $78,750 |
| 3 people | $33,250 | $55,350 | $88,600 |
| 4 people | $36,900 | $61,500 | $98,400 |
| 5 people | $39,900 | $66,450 | $106,300 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $71,350 | $114,150 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $76,300 | $122,050 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $81,200 | $129,900 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $106,500.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Big Bear Lake
What is the average rent in Big Bear Lake, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Big Bear Lake is $1,454 (±$200) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Big Bear Lake?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Big Bear Lake, CA is $1,028 (±$377) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Big Bear Lake rent-burdened?
62.4% of renting households in Big Bear Lake pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Big Bear Lake?
Big Bear Lake has an estimated 809 (±180) renting households, 35.1% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Big Bear Lake?
The median household income in Big Bear Lake is $76,250 (±$5,405) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Big Bear Lake, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $576,700 (±$86,760) for owner-occupied homes in Big Bear Lake (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Big Bear Lake growing?
In Big Bear Lake, the number of residents went from 5,241 in 2015–2019 to 5,041 in 2020–2024 (−3.8%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in Big Bear Lake?
The ZIP code that covers Big Bear Lake is 92315.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 92315?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 92315 is $1,454 (±$200) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Big Bear Lake city, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Big Bear Lake city, California
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Big Bear Lake city, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Big Bear Lake city, California
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Big Bear Lake city, California
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Big Bear Lake city, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Big Bear Lake city, California
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Big Bear Lake Police Department (ORI CA036200X)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Big Bear Lake city, California (place:06434, in state:06).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .