Population 8,987 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Big Bear City: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Big Bear City
Household size in Big Bear City
| Period | Big Bear City | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.60 | 3.35 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.55 | 3.43 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.57 | 3.42 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.24 | 3.34 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.35 | −0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Big Bear City are small: just 2.24 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.60 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only 38 of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people have smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Big Bear City
| Period | Big Bear City | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.8 | 33.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.6 | 34.6 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.0 | 35.9 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 47.5 | 37.0 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.7 | +3.4 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 47.5, Big Bear City is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 42.8 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the northwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Big Bear City
| Period | Big Bear City | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.1% | 15.2% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.0% | 15.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.9% | 14.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.2% | 14.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Big Bear City as they are nationally: 11.2%, against 11.6%. Single parents are less common here than in the Riverside area as a whole (14.8%). Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged down 0.9 points, as it has nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Big Bear City
Renters in Big Bear City
| Period | Big Bear City | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.9% | 32.3% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 36.1% | 36.6% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.2% | 36.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.9% | 34.2% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Big Bear City own their homes; 28.9% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. More than a quarter of owners (27.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the north and least common in the southeast. The renter share is up 1.0 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Big Bear City
| Period | Big Bear City | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 55.2% | 11.8% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 50.7% | 10.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 48.8% | 9.4% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 51.1% | 7.8% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | −4.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 51.1% of the housing in Big Bear City, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 4.2 points, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Big Bear City
| Period | Big Bear City | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1983 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1984 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1984 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1986 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Big Bear City are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1979, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in the wider Riverside area, where the median home dates to 1986.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Big Bear City
| Period | Big Bear City | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,031 | $1,287 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,037 | $1,332 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,127 | $1,549 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,055 | $2,083 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,024 | +$796 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Big Bear City pays $2,055 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,024 a month from 2006–10, a 99% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 38.2% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the center; the most affordable are in the north.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Big Bear City
Bachelor's degrees in Big Bear City
| Period | Big Bear City | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.0% | 19.2% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.7% | 19.4% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.2% | 21.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.8% | 24.0% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +14.8 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Big Bear City than nationally: 28.8% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Still, the share is higher than in the wider Riverside area (24.0%). The share with a degree is up 14.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Big Bear City
| Period | Big Bear City | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.8% | 77.9% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.7% | 78.6% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.6% | 80.6% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.5% | 82.5% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +12.7 pts | +4.6 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Big Bear City have finished high school (92.5%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 12.7 points, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Big Bear City
| Period | Big Bear City | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 11.4% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 18.2% | 14.4% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.2% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.8% | 6.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | −4.6 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Big Bear City runs well above the national rate: 9.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Unemployment has risen 2.7 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Big Bear City compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bear City | 2.24 | 47.5 | 11.2% | 28.9% | 51.1% | 1979 | $2,055 | 28.8% | 92.5% | 9.8% |
| Big Bear | 2.06 | 54.4 | 15.6% | 30.2% | 61.8% | 1980 | $1,947 | 33.6% | 94.8% | 10.6% |
| Sugarloaf | 2.00 | 55.8 | 16.5% | 33.8% | 66.5% | 1979 | $1,900 | 36.0% | 95.7% | 9.4% |
| Big Bear Lake | 2.24 | 46.2 | 9.2% | 34.3% | 70.1% | 1976 | $1,628 | 30.1% | 91.8% | 5.0% |
| Fawnskin | 1.79 | 54.8 | 13.9% | 43.3% | 78.6% | 1963 | $1,974 | 42.1% | 98.8% | 1.2% |
| Seven Oaks | 2.81 | 38.9 | 20.2% | 13.8% | 55.9% | 1972 | $1,214 | 44.4% | 92.8% | 0.3% |
| Angelus Oaks | 2.77 | 38.6 | 19.2% | 15.4% | 53.6% | 1971 | $1,279 | 42.9% | 92.4% | 0.5% |
| Glen Martin | 2.80 | 38.8 | 20.0% | 14.2% | 55.4% | 1972 | $1,227 | 44.1% | 92.7% | 0.3% |
| Green Valley Lake | 2.58 | 43.9 | 17.6% | 24.2% | 83.9% | 1962 | $2,001 | 20.4% | 93.6% | 16.6% |
| Rimrock | 1.80 | 62.3 | 5.0% | 28.0% | 41.8% | 1965 | $1,900 | 23.3% | 87.1% | 12.7% |
| Running Springs | 2.59 | 39.8 | 15.7% | 26.0% | 44.9% | 1973 | $1,693 | 32.5% | 95.1% | 6.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Venetia, PA · Waynesboro, MS · Wauseon, OH · Watford City, ND · Waller, TX · Delano, MN · DeMotte, IN · Vinemont, AL · Villas, NJ · Douglas, MA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Big Bear City. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.