Is Big Pine, CA a Good Place to Live?
Big Pine is a small town of 1,563 in California, with a median household income of $62,576 and a 3.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 103 (US average = 100), which is 3% above the national average.
Strengths: Big Pine stands out for solid school ratings (B), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Big Pine is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Big Pine city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 103.0Big Pine's overall cost of living index is 103.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Big Pine costs roughly 3% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Big Pine, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $307,900 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $992 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 75.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $62,576 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Near National AverageBig Pine's violent crime rate is 704.0 per 100,000 residents — 85% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Big Pine is served primarily by Big Pine Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 10.9:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Big Pine, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Big Pine Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 10.9:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 16.5% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 93.6% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Big Pine sees average highs of 56.3°F in January and 99.7°F in July, with 7.6 inches of annual precipitation and 9.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Big Pine, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 56.3°F |
| Average High — July | 99.7°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 7.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | 9.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Big Pine, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,563 | — |
| Median Age | 49.3 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 19.0 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 66.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.2% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.8% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 19.1% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 23.0% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Big Pine
Big Pine, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: