Big Bear Lake, CA Demographics

A map of Big Bear Lake's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	3,276	3,401	65.0%	67.4%
Hispanic	1,346	1,205	26.7%	23.9%
Multiracial	190	224	3.8%	4.4%
Asian	132	105	2.6%	2.1%
Black	52	46	1.0%	0.9%
Native American/Other	45	65	0.9%	1.3%

Big Bear Lake, California has an estimated population of 5,041, a less than 1% change from the 5,046 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 65.0% White, 26.7% Hispanic, 3.8% Multiracial, 2.6% Asian, 1.0% Black, and 0.9% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Big Bear Lake, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Big Bear Lake has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than California overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Big Bear Lake, that probability was 48.6% in 2020 and 50.4% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Big Bear Lake is ranked the 662nd most populous place in California, out of 1,618 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Big Bear Lake was ranked the 656th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Big Bear Lake's White Population

3,276 residents of Big Bear Lake, or 65.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Big Bear Lake is significantly higher than in California overall, where 33.8% of the population is White. Big Bear Lake ranks 622nd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 1,618 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Big Bear Lake's White population has declined by an estimated 3.7%. White residents' share of Big Bear Lake's population has decreased from 67.4% to 65.0%.

Big Bear Lake is more White than neighboring Lucerne Valley (58% White), and Yucaipa (53.9% White). Big Bear Lake is less White than neighboring Big Bear City (72.9% White), Oak Glen (88% White), and Running Springs (68.1% White).

Big Bear Lake's Black Population

52 residents of Big Bear Lake, or 1.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Big Bear Lake is slightly lower than in California overall, where 5.2% of the population is Black. Big Bear Lake ranks 766th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 1,618 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Big Bear Lake's Black population has grown by an estimated 13.0%. Black residents' share of Big Bear Lake's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.0%.

Big Bear Lake is more Black than neighboring Big Bear City (0.4% Black), and Running Springs (0% Black). Big Bear Lake is less Black than neighboring Lucerne Valley (5.1% Black), Oak Glen (5.3% Black), and Yucaipa (1.1% Black).

Big Bear Lake's Asian Population

132 residents of Big Bear Lake, or 2.6% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Big Bear Lake is considerably lower than in California overall, where 15.3% of the population is Asian. Big Bear Lake ranks 824th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 1,618 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Big Bear Lake's Asian population has grown by an estimated 25.7%. Asian residents' share of Big Bear Lake's population has increased from 2.1% to 2.6%.

Big Bear Lake is more Asian than neighboring Big Bear City (2.4% Asian), Oak Glen (1.6% Asian), and Running Springs (2.4% Asian). Big Bear Lake is less Asian than neighboring Lucerne Valley (2.9% Asian), and Yucaipa (3.2% Asian).

Big Bear Lake's Hispanic Population

1,346 residents of Big Bear Lake, or 26.7% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Big Bear Lake is considerably lower than in California overall, where 40.2% of the population is Hispanic. Big Bear Lake ranks 780th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 1,618 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Big Bear Lake's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 11.7%. Hispanic residents' share of Big Bear Lake's population has increased from 23.9% to 26.7%.

Big Bear Lake is more Hispanic than neighboring Big Bear City (17.8% Hispanic), Oak Glen (4.1% Hispanic), and Running Springs (23.1% Hispanic). Big Bear Lake is less Hispanic than neighboring Lucerne Valley (28.8% Hispanic), and Yucaipa (36.3% Hispanic).

Big Bear Lake's Native American/Other Population

45 residents of Big Bear Lake, or 0.9% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Big Bear Lake is comparable to the share in California overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. Big Bear Lake ranks 755th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 1,618 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Big Bear Lake's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 30.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Big Bear Lake's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.9%.

Big Bear Lake is more Native American/Other than neighboring Oak Glen (0% Native American/Other), and Running Springs (0.4% Native American/Other). Big Bear Lake is less Native American/Other than neighboring Big Bear City (1.3% Native American/Other), Lucerne Valley (1.8% Native American/Other), and Yucaipa (1.5% Native American/Other).

Big Bear Lake's Multiracial Population

190 residents of Big Bear Lake, or 3.8% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Big Bear Lake is comparable to the share in California overall, where 4.4% of the population is Multiracial. Big Bear Lake ranks 859th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 1,618 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Big Bear Lake's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 15.2%. Multiracial residents' share of Big Bear Lake's population has decreased from 4.4% to 3.8%.

Big Bear Lake is more Multiracial than neighboring Lucerne Valley (3.4% Multiracial), and Oak Glen (1% Multiracial). Big Bear Lake is less Multiracial than neighboring Big Bear City (5.2% Multiracial), Running Springs (6% Multiracial), and Yucaipa (4% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.