San Bernardino County is geographically enormous (largest county in the Lower 48 states by area) and stretches from suburban cities east of LA to high-desert and mountain communities. It was founded in 1853. Major cities include San Bernardino (county seat), Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Victorville and the mountain resort towns like Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead. Housing varies hugely: western portion near the Los Angeles metro features suburban developments, tract homes and dense neighborhoods; further east you find desert homes, rural parcels, resort-area cabins and hillside estates. Median home values in 2025 are around US $546,019 per Zillow. The median listing price was about US $537,000. Because of the large land area and variety of terrain, building new homes can cost anywhere from US $225-$350+ per sq ft, with higher costs in mountain/resort zones. The county is a mix of suburban/urban west and rural/desert/mountain east. Proximity: Los Angeles is about 45 minutes to 1 hour west (in the more urban west parts); the remote eastern parts are more than 1.5–2 hours from major metros. This county offers value relative to many coastal counties but comes with trade-offs in commute or location if you are farther out.