The typical owner-occupied home in Bear Lake is worth about $70,000, 72% below the Pennsylvania median of $254,500 and 79% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,125 a year in property taxes, about 1.61% of their home's value, higher than the Pennsylvania rate of 1.30%. The median household earns $38,750 a year, so the median home costs 1.8 times the median income (3.3 times for Pennsylvania). 89% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 43% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Bear Lake at a glance
| Bear Lake | Pennsylvania | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $70,000 | $254,500 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $1,125 | $3,311 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 1.61% | 1.30% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $38,750 | $77,971 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 89% | 69% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 43% | 58% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $1,036 | $1,762 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 22.5% | 19.4% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | – | $1,209 | $1,413 |
| Median year homes were built | 1951 | 1965 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 25.4% | 9.2% | 10.1% |
| Population | 132 | 13,018,639 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Bear Lake
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Bear Lake home of $70,000 with 20% down costs about $500 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $616, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.
Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $21,420 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 15% of the median Bear Lake household income of $38,750; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $127,000.
| Down payment | $14,000 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $56,000 |
| Principal and interest | $377 |
| Property taxes (1.61% a year) | $94 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $29 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $500 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
| Down payment | $2,450 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $68,732 |
| Principal and interest | $462 |
| Property taxes (1.61% a year) | $94 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $29 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $31 |
| Total per month | $616 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
Questions about home buying in Bear Lake
What is the median home value in Bear Lake?
About $70,000 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in Bear Lake?
Homeowners pay a median $1,125 a year, which is about 1.61% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.
What income do you need to buy a home in Bear Lake?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $500 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $21,420 a year.
More about Bear Lake
- Mortgage Refinance in Bear Lake
- Debt Relief in Bear Lake
- Home Equity Loans in Bear Lake
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data