Big River is a community in San Bernardino County, California, home to about 1,140 people across 11 square miles. Its ZIP code is 92242.
Homes sold for a median of $107 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Mostly Big River; also Bluewater
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Big River. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Big River’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Palm Springs International Airport (PSP)127 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Lake Havasu City Airport (HII)28 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Glendale, AZ130 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Phoenix, AZ134 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Big River; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Big River had 1,084 residents in the 2020 census, down 14% since 2000.
It’s the 1027th largest of 1,563 towns in California by population.
San Bernardino County grew from 27,929 residents in 1900 to 2,181,654 in 2020.
San Bernardino County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 108°F in summer, and winter lows average 40°F. About 4.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Parker, AZ weather station (2 miles away).
718,612 jobs at 42,571 businesses in San Bernardino County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
Nearest hospitals
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.
Parks (8 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums
Counts are within about 2.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Needles Unified. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monument PeakBig River | K–8 | 70 | Public | 4.3 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Bluewater.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.