Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Big Bear City, California
A $428,000 home here costs
$3,286per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,200. The real number is $1,086 higher every month — 49% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Big Bear City against San Bernardino County and California
| Measure | Big Bear City | San Bernardino County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $427,700 | $475,000 |
| Median property tax | $3,552 | $3,346 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.830% | 0.704% |
| Median gross rent | $1,454 | $1,706 |
| Population | 12,493 | 2,187,816 |
The weather behind that power bill
Big Bear City sits in San Bernardino County, which averages a high of 105.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 35.0°F in its coldest, with 3.77" of precipitation a year and 49% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 3,129 cooling and 2,019 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for San Bernardino County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in San Bernardino County
Full San Bernardino County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Big Bear City?
A $428,000 home in Big Bear City, California costs approximately $3,286 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,200 principal and interest, $296 property tax, $66 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $357 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Big Bear City?
Big Bear City has an effective property tax rate of 0.830%, based on a median home value of $427,700 and median real estate taxes of $3,552. That is higher than the San Bernardino County average of 0.704%.
What is the average home price in Big Bear City?
The median owner-occupied home value in Big Bear City, California is $427,700, against $475,000 across San Bernardino County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Big Bear City?
Median gross rent in Big Bear City is $1,454 a month, against $3,286 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Big Bear City — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for California.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.