Big Bear Lake, CA housing market
The typical Big Bear Lake home is worth about $530,000, down 3.1% in a year, 31% below the California typical home. Homes typically sell in 47 days, below asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Big Bear Lake compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Big Bear Lake at a glance
A buyer's market
More homes are for sale than are selling — about 17 months of supply. Buyers have room to negotiate.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Big Bear Lake | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $301,000 | $453,000 |
| 2018 | $368,000 | $501,000 |
| 2019 | $382,000 | $539,000 |
| 2020 | $379,000 | $551,000 |
| 2021 | $437,000 | $607,000 |
| 2022 | $596,000 | $703,000 |
| 2023 | $613,000 | $727,000 |
| 2024 | $601,000 | $758,000 |
| 2025 | $584,000 | $782,000 |
| 2026 | $541,000 | $767,000 |
| August 2026 | $530,000 | $764,000 |
16 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 16 new homes in Big Bear Lake in 2025: 14 single-family houses and 2 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $8 million to build. That's 3.2 per 1,000 residents, about the pace of California as a whole. Over the past 10 years, Big Bear Lake has permitted 284 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Big Bear Lake gained 27 residents while 264 new homes were permitted: about 0.1 new residents per new home. Building outpaced population growth, which usually means smaller households or homes used part of the year. 73% of Big Bear Lake's homes are seasonal or vacation homes, which adds housing without adding residents. Across California: 2.7 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 7 | 7 | 0 | $4.6 million |
| 2025 | 16 | 14 | 2 | $8 million |
| 2024 | 25 | 25 | 0 | $17.3 million |
| 2023 | 38 | 33 | 5 | $16.6 million |
| 2022 | 32 | 30 | 2 | $12.3 million |
| 2021 | 24 | 24 | 0 | $9.6 million |
| 2020 | 23 | 23 | 0 | $7.6 million |
| 2019 | 25 | 25 | 0 | $7.8 million |
| 2018 | 33 | 33 | 0 | $9.5 million |
| 2017 | 36 | 36 | 0 | $12.2 million |
| 2016 | 32 | 32 | 0 | $9.4 million |
| 2015 | 31 | 31 | 0 | $9.7 million |
| 2014 | 46 | 46 | 0 | $12 million |
| 2013 | 36 | 32 | 4 | $13.9 million |
| 2012 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $3.1 million |
| 2011 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.8 million |
| 2010 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $5.1 million |
| 2009 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $3.2 million |
| 2008 | 41 | 41 | 0 | $11.8 million |
| 2007 | 78 | 78 | 0 | $21.9 million |
| 2006 | 85 | 85 | 0 | $26.7 million |
| 2005 | 92 | 90 | 2 | $24.4 million |
| 2004 | 109 | 107 | 2 | $27 million |
| 2003 | 121 | 121 | 0 | $18.3 million |
| 2002 | 157 | 157 | 0 | $34.1 million |
| 2001 | 165 | 103 | 62 | $29.1 million |
| 2000 | 121 | 121 | 0 | $25.2 million |
How Big Bear Lake ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Big Bear Lake and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bear Lake | $530K | −3.1% | $2,080 | 16 | $76,250 |
| Big Bear City | $383K | −4.3% | $2,110 | — | $71,511 |
7 years of income
The typical Big Bear Lake home costs about 7 years of the town's median household income, less than across California (7.7 years).
How Big Bear Lake ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $2,080
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Big Bear Lake is $2,080 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Big Bear Lake pay a median of $1,454, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 33% of the town's median household income, above the 30% guideline for affordable housing.
Studio $1,600 · 4 bedrooms $3,380
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (92315; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Recent listings in Big Bear Lake
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.