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Durham vs Big Bear Lake

460 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (30.7× in Big Bear Lake) and seasonal homes (+71.5 pts in Big Bear Lake).

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Durham, CAKnown for its schoolsCalifornia · 5,340 people

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Big Bear Lake, CAHomes around $530KCalifornia · 5,041 people

Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

DurhamKnown for its schools

Schools#151 for schools in CAof 574 towns HealthHealthier than 69%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Housing$601K typical home21% below the CA typical home All about Durham →

Big Bear LakeHomes around $530K

Housing$530K typical home31% below the CA typical home

Outdoors#199 most walkable in CA6.4 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves SchoolsBetter than 50%of CA districts All about Big Bear Lake →

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Street grid30.7×

Big Bear Lake has the more walkable street grid

Big Bear Lake 107Durham 3.5

Seasonal homes+71.5 pts

Big Bear Lake has more second homes

Big Bear Lake 73%Durham 1.5%

Durham has more miles of trail

Durham 24.6 miBig Bear Lake 6.4 mi

Rent runs higher in Big Bear Lake

Big Bear Lake $1,454Durham $1,105

Average commute7 min

Durham has the shorter commute

Big Bear Lake 25 minDurham 18 min

Growth since 2010+5.2 pts

Durham has grown faster since 2010

Durham +5.7%Big Bear Lake +0.5%

★ What stands out · Life in each

Big Bear Lake gets 59 more inches of snow a year

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

DurhamBig Bear Lake

Snow a year0″59″

January low38°F 24°F

July high94°F 80°F

Growing season (days)279d 131d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)77th 86th

Outdoors & history

DurhamBig Bear Lake

Trails25 mi 6 mi

Conserved land2.3%5.3%

National Register places2 —

Archive photos7 8

Famous people born here2 5

Community

DurhamBig Bear Lake

Library hours a week21 hrs 29 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $350 more a month in Durham

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Durham$3,460/mo

Typical home $601K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.61% · or rent about $1,105/mo · Housing →

Big Bear Lake$3,110/mo

Typical home $530K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.74% · or rent about $1,454/mo · Housing →

The difference: $350 a month, about $4,300 a year, between Durham and Big Bear Lake.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Durham places higher on 10 of 20 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools

B+DurhamBetter than 65% of districts in the state B−Big Bear LakeBetter than 50% of districts in the state

Health

B+DurhamHealthier than 69% of U.S. towns BBig Bear LakeHealthier than 57% of U.S. towns

10Durham

8Big Bear Lake

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #838#199 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #762#288 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #151#358 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #616#386 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #353#618 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #46#249 Highest incomeIncome · 843 towns #415#605 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #528#367

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Durham’s rankings →

Where they are

460 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

DurhamCA Big Bear LakeCA

Durham ↔ Big Bear Lake460 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs California average

DurhamBig Bear Lake

People

Population 5,340Highest 5,041Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +5.7%Highest CA: +6.1% +0.5%Lowest CA: +6.1%

Median age 50.8±6Highest 34% above CA 46.6±7.2Lowest 23% above CA

Durham and Big Bear Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 18.1%±3.9Lowest CA: 22% 18.2%±5.1Highest CA: 22%

Big Bear Lake and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 27.4%±3.9Highest CA: 15.7% 21.5%±4.1Lowest CA: 15.7%

Durham and Big Bear Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 40.4%Highest CA: 37.1% 33.9%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 8.2%±6.2Highest CA: 7.6% 5.7%±2.2Lowest CA: 7.6%

Durham and Big Bear Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $95,417±$29kHighest 4% below CA $76,250±$5kLowest 23% below CA

Durham and Big Bear Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $700,100±$127kHighest 5% below CA $576,700±$87kLowest 22% below CA

Durham and Big Bear Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,105±$82Lowest 46% below CA $1,454±$200Highest 29% below CA

Property taxmedian, yearly $4,304Highest 16% below CA $4,239Lowest 17% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 43.1%±29.7Lowest CA: 55.3% 62.5%±5Highest CA: 55.3%

Big Bear Lake and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 10.2%Highest CA: 12% 6.2%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 70.9%Highest CA: 55.9% 64.9%Lowest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1976 same as CA 1976 same as CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 18 minLowest 37% below CA 25 minHighest 14% below CA

Work from home 16.8%±9Lowest CA: 17.2% 20.8%±5.6Highest CA: 17.2%

Big Bear Lake and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 12.2%Lowest 13%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.3 miLowest 67.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.00Lowest 1.17Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Chico (39%)Los Angeles (14%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Big Bear LakeFew work in Durham

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.3%Lowest 5.3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 24.6 miHighest 6.4 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 1.0 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 6Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 3.5Lowest 107Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #151 of 574 in CA #358 of 574 in CA

School district Durham UnifiedBear Valley Unified

High school in town Durham HighNone in town

Students per teacherat that high school 16.4 —

California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Durham neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Durham’s Town Square.

Big Bear Lake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Big Bear Lake’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Durham

Chico102,188 people · $468K homes

Towns like Durham

Morro Bay10,692 people · $918K homes

Solvang6,034 people · $950K homes

Ojai7,577 people · $1.02M homes

Bishop3,778 people · $386K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.