City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Big Bear, CA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Big Bear - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

12,493
Residents
$72,457
Median income
$427,700
Median home
$2,201
Median rent (state)

Big Bear - the verdict

Big Bear ranks in the 53rd percentile for household income and the 9th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

53rd
percentile, household income
80th
percentile, home value
86th
percentile, median rent
9th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Big Bear, CA

12,493 people live in Big Bear, California - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Big Bear brings in $72,457 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 11.0%. Big Bear's housing stock carries a median value of $427,700, and the median resident age is 44.3 years. Educational attainment runs 28.4% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 50.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Big Bear's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 3704.4 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

California carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,201 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in California run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Big Bear report an average commute of 22.2 minutes, with 72.3% driving alone and 15.4% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 99.8 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

12,493 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$72,457 /yr

Poverty 11.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Big Bear compare to other US cities?

Here's how Big Bear stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 53% higher than other cities
Home value 80% pricier than other cities
Median rent 86% pricier than other cities
Safety 9% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to California alone, Big Bear ranks #401 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Big Bear's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in California, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

53rdIncome percentile
9thSafety percentile

53rd percentile nationally for median household income · 9th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Big Bear's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Big Bear's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 26 Avg. percentile National median
Big Bear's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Big Bear's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$427,700 20th percentile more affordable than 20% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). This entry sits in this band. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Big Bear $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Big Bear, CA Big Bear, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Big Bear, CA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Big Bear, CA median $72,457/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Big Bear, CA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Big Bear, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 28.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 11.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 50.9%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
12,493
Median Income
$72,457
Median Home Value
$427,700
Median Age
44.3
Poverty Rate
11.0%
Labor force participation
50.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
28.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
3704.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
1581.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2122.5
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
22.2 minutes
Drive Alone
72.3%
Carpool
7.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
3.9%
Work from Home
15.4%
Other
1.1%

Based on 5,096 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for California - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$150
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$70
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect California state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a California state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Big Bear sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,201/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
99.8 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Mendota
12,554 people
Lindsay
12,572 people
Fortuna
12,413 people
Kingsburg
12,589 people
Tehachapi
12,366 people
Diamond Springs
12,642 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Big Bear's 12,493 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Lake Norman of Iredell, NC
12,496 people
Fort Atkinson, WI
12,490 people
Cascades, VA
12,489 people
Gold Canyon, AZ
12,488 people
Annapolis Neck, MD
12,484 people
Grenada, MS
12,484 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Big Bear's $72,457 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

New Burlington, OH
$72,455 median income
Zillah, WA
$72,461 median income
Hermitage, PA
$72,464 median income
Manchester, VA
$72,465 median income
Cuba City, WI
$72,434 median income
Girard, PA
$72,481 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Big Bear, CA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Big Bear, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 80.7% 11.6% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 23.6% White 80.7% Black or African American 0.9% Asian 0.9% American Indian 1.9% Native Hawaiian 0.5% Some other race 3.5% Two or more races 11.6% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Big Bear compares to nearby California cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Big Bear (this city) 12,493 $72,457
Mendota 12,554 $46,458
Lindsay 12,572 $50,563
Fortuna 12,413 $61,603
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Big Bear, CA?

What is the population of Big Bear, CA? +

12,493 people live in Big Bear, CA according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Big Bear, CA? +

In Big Bear, the typical household earns $72,457 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Big Bear? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Big Bear; the closest available measure is the California state average, a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within California vary by metro area.

Is Big Bear, CA safe? +

Big Bear has a total crime rate of 3704.4 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Big Bear, CA? +

The median home value in Big Bear is $427,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.