Census-designated place · Inyo County, California

Big Pine, California

Big Pine is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California, part of the Bishop, CA metro area. It has 1,615 residents. Big Pine, California has a quality-of-life score of 30 out of 100 (low), ranking #11,012 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within California it ranks #613 of 1,062 cities and towns. It ranks best on public EV charging ports (high), preventable hospital stays (low) and grocery stores (high). It ranks worst on traffic deaths (high), high school diploma or higher (low) and median Air Quality Index (high).

30Low

Quality-of-life score: #11,012 of 15,651 cities and towns
California: #613 of 1,062 in CA
Population: 1,615 (2020-2024)
Land area: 3 mi²
Density: 547.7 /mi²
FIPS code: 0606616

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety40#9,345/15,637
Economy49#7,961/15,631
Housing16#12,597/14,977
Health36#10,019/15,609
Healthcare68#4,960/15,650
Environment48#7,993/15,453
Education8#14,323/15,649
Infrastructure8#14,419/15,650
Community29#11,108/15,651
Leisure & amenities98#372/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Big Pine, California ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Inyo County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Public EV charging ports · high64.4 /10k
100/100California 17.4 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyInyo County value
Preventable hospital stays · low1,297 /100k
98/100California 2,428 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteInyo County value
Grocery stores · high3.9 /10k
98/100California 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsInyo County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high12.7 /10k
97/100California 8.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsInyo County value
Public libraries · high3.3 /10k
97/100California 0.3 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesInyo County value
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low5.0 µg/m³
96/100California 9.4 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyInyo County value

Weaknesses

Traffic deaths · high52.6 /100k
1/100California 10.7 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataInyo County value
High school diploma or higher · low92.4%
6/100California 84.7%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Median Air Quality Index · high55
7/100California 602025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyInyo County value
Social associations · low5.4 /10k
8/100California 6.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteInyo County value
Violent crime rate · high535 /100k
8/100California 433 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationInyo County value
Distance to an emergency room · high14.1 mi
8/100California 4.3 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesInyo County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
1,524 (2015-2019) → 1,615 (2020-2024)
+6%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
33.3% (2015-2019) → 41.0% (2020-2024)
+7.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Income inequality (Gini index)Worsening
0.368 (2015-2019) → 0.480 (2020-2024)
+31%5 yearsCensus table B19083US 0.482 → 0.483
Median household incomeImproving
$53,891 (2015-2019) → $67,583 (2020-2024)
+25%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Poverty rateWorsening
5.0% (2015-2019) → 9.1% (2020-2024)
+4.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
3.2% (2015-2019) → 6.5% (2020-2024)
+3.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Big Pine, California improved on 0 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined3

Inequality+0.1130.368 → 0.480
Poverty+4.1 points5.0% → 9.1%
Uninsured+3.4 points3.2% → 6.5%

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Big Pine, California between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	21.3 min2015-2019	20.9 min2020-2024	−0.4 min	Within the margin of error	53%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.7%2015-2019	22.6%2020-2024	+3 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Broadband subscriptions	80.1%2015-2019	81.5%2020-2024	+1.3 points	Within the margin of error	13%
Effective property tax rate	0.73%2015-2019	0.54%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	56%
High school diploma or higher	92.1%2015-2019	92.4%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	37%
Home price to income ratio	4.3×2015-2019	4.6×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	65%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3682015-2019	0.4802020-2024	+0.113	Declined	3%
Median household income	$53,8912015-2019	$67,5832020-2024	+25%	Within the margin of error	45%
Poverty rate	5.0%2015-2019	9.1%2020-2024	+4.1 points	Declined	15%
Rent as share of income	24.3%2015-2019	24.2%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	57%
Rent-burdened households	33.3%2015-2019	41.0%2020-2024	+7.6 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	3.2%2015-2019	6.5%2020-2024	+3.4 points	Declined	17%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Big Pine, California five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Big Pine, California in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Big Pine, California itself moved −10.5 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,615 residents (±218)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

685 households (±101)

Big Pine, California
California share

Under $25k26%†175
$25k–50k19%†127
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

685 households (±101)

Big Pine, California
California share

Own74%510
Rent26%†175

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

692 workers (±133)

Big Pine, California
California share

Drive alone67%461
Carpool20%†139
Public transit0.1%†

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Bishop, CA

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Inyo County, the county holding most of Big Pine's residents.

Inyo County has 505 employer establishments, 274 for every 10,000 residents (1.10× the US rate of 248; 1.04× California's), with 5,048 paid employees at an average annual pay of $53,612. The Census Bureau also counts 1,353 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 505; 1,353 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 274; US 248 · California 263
Paid employees: 5,048
Average annual pay: $53,612; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Inyo County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	49	26.6	1.45×More than typical	737	$28,083	10
Traveler accommodation	42	22.8	12.6×More than typical	515	$41,076	11
Ambulatory health care services	34	18.5	0.89×About typical	310	$69,077	77
Specialty trade contractors	28	15.2	0.98×About typical	150	$78,773	71
Construction of buildings	22	11.9	1.58×More than typical	54	$57,315	59
Full-service restaurants	19	10.3	1.34×More than typical	299	$28,716	7
Limited-service restaurants	19	10.3	1.29×More than typical	312	$28,304	—
Gasoline stations	18	9.8	3.01×More than typical	134	$39,284	—
Lessors of real estate	16	8.7	0.71×Fewer than typical	38	$43,789	100
Offices of physicians	14	7.6	1.17×About typical	20	$105,300	26
Automotive repair and maintenance	12	6.5	1.29×More than typical	63	$52,079	13
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	11	6	2.25×More than typical	256	$34,500	20

Rank places for an industry Open Inyo County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 18,420 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Big Pine is mostly in Inyo County.

See federal money in Inyo County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Big Pine, California is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Kevin KileyI-CA-3 · 100% of residentsWith party 92%Missed 0.9%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Inyo County58100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Bishop, CA71

Other cities and towns in Inyo County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/0606616

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends