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Tiny town

Living in Bear Valley, CA

Bear Valley is a tiny town of 214 people in Mariposa County, California. It's about 26 miles from Merced, CA and 58 miles from Fresno, CA, the nearest major city. Summer highs average 91°F and winter highs 56°F, with about 2 inches of snow a year. The typical home is valued around $486k and rent runs about $1k a month.

214people
$486kTypical home
$1,305/moRent
91° / 56°Summer / winter
2"Snow
304Sunny days
58Rain/snow days

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Size & setting

  • Tiny town of 214
  • A standalone small town, not a suburb
  • About 88 people per sq mi
  • 58 mi to Fresno, CA
  • 26 mi to Merced, CA
  • 26 mi to the nearest town of 10k+

Money

  • Typical home $486k (≈$3,067/mo)
  • Median rent $1,305/mo
  • Median household income $68k
  • Property tax about 0.5% of value
  • 4.0% unemployment

Weather

  • Summer highs around 91°F
  • Winter highs around 56°F
  • Dry summers (dew point 40°F)
  • 304 sunny days a year (201 totally clear)
  • 61 cloudy days a year
  • 32 of 90 winter days are gray
  • 58 days a year with rain or snow
  • 2" of snow a year
  • Snow days are rare
  • 2 days a year over 100°F
  • Rarely drops below 10°F
  • Usually calm

Safety

  • Very low violent crime (145 per 100k)
  • Very low property crime (570 per 100k)

People

  • Median age 54
  • 27% of households have kids
  • 26% are 65 or older
  • 25% have a college degree
  • Mixed community
  • 2% of residents are college students

Getting around & homes

  • Average commute 28 min
  • 6% walk or take transit to work
  • 29 mi to MCE airport
  • 60 mi to FAT (major hub)
  • 26 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
  • 81% single-family homes
  • Typical home built around 1975
  • 92% of homes have broadband

Outdoors

  • Hilly terrain
  • Elevation 2,356 ft
  • 77 mi to the ocean
  • 46 mi to a big lake
  • 18 mi to the nearest trailhead
  • 26 mi to the nearest ski area
  • 3 mi to the nearest campground
  • 3 golf courses within 25 mi

Things to do

  • 61 sit-down restaurants within 25 mi
  • 8 bars within 25 mi
  • 24 coffee shops within 25 mi
  • No music venues & clubs within 25 mi
  • 8 museums within 25 mi
  • No breweries & distilleries within 25 mi
  • 19 mi to the nearest farmers market

Everyday

  • Schools in the top 50% of California districts (reading)
  • 11 mi to the nearest grocery store
  • 10 mi to the nearest ER hospital
  • 53 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
  • 19 mi to the nearest vet
  • 20 mi to the nearest dog park
  • 6 congregations per 10k people
  • 21 mi to the nearest college

Politics

  • Mariposa County: R+21 in 2024
  • California: D+20 in 2024

Natural hazards

  • Very low hurricane risk
  • Very low tornado risk
  • High wildfire risk
  • High earthquake risk
  • Low flood risk
  • High drought risk
  • Moderate winter storm risk
  • Moderate heat wave risk
  • Very low volcano risk

Limited data: this place is small enough that most of its Census numbers (rent, home value, income, age) are blended with county figures. Treat its match as a rough guide.

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