Signals
Big Bear City
Palm Springs
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 25%
vs45 · Bottom 27%
Climate
62 · Bottom 20%
vs57 · Bottom 8%
Physical resilience
7 · Bottom 2%
vs4 · Bottom 1%
Housing affordability
40 · Bottom 4%
vs42 · Bottom 5%
Access
89 · Bottom 39%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
25 · Bottom 4%
vs30 · Bottom 7%
Measured values
| Metric | Big Bear City | Palm Springs | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,431 | 45,070 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $71,511 | $73,119 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,765 | $67,909 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 357/sq mi | 477/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $463,500 | $604,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,854 | $1,562 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.8% | 65.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.7% | 44.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.1% | 11.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 80°F | 109°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 48°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 20.0" | 4.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 27 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.3 min | 23.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 47.2 | 58.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.08 | 20.07 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 68.3% | 93.8% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Big Bear City
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, inland flooding.
Palm Springs
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Big Bear City
45
Your Score
—
Area Score
Palm Springs
48
Your Score
42
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Big Bear City, CA · Palm Springs, CA · How this is calculated: methodology