MICHIGAN 276 / #34UPDATED August 26, 2026
Bay City, Michigan
Population is below the 2020 estimate base by 2.4%. Median household income ranks 180th among Michigan’s 276 cities. 2025 housing authorizations equal 0.0 units per 1,000 residents, ranking 85th among cities with a verified embedded permit row. Homeownership is 70.1%. The ACS poverty estimate is 19.1%.
Bay CountyMid-Michigan#34 by 2025 population
CITY SNAPSHOT
The numbers that define Bay City now.
Population uses Census Vintage 2025. Household and housing measures use the 2020–2024 ACS. Residential authorizations use the 2025 Building Permits Survey.
MICHIGAN 276 POSITION
See all rankings →Where Bay City sits among its peers.
173rd/ 276
Population growth-2.4%
180th/ 276
Household income$49,420
211th/ 276
Home value$97,600
79th/ 276
Homeownership70.1%
166th/ 276
Lowest poverty19.1%
85th/ 276
Housing activity0.0 / 1K
276-city medians: household income $63,285 · home value $179,000 · homeownership 67.4% · poverty 13.0% · housing activity 0.9 units/1K.
HOUSING + BUILDING
Value, ownership and new supply.
Housing authorizations are permit activity—not completions. The value-to-income ratio is a simple context measure, not a home-affordability guarantee.
Median home value$97,600
Value ÷ household income1.97×
Homeownership70.1%
housing units authorized
Census BPS 2025 annual place file lists 0 units and 0 months reported. This should not be read as proof that no construction occurred.
0residential buildings
20202025
Population direction
-2.4% since 2020 estimate base. Latest completed Census estimate vintage.
LIVE CITY WIRE
What is changing in Bay City right now?
Headlines link to the original publisher. The feed is refreshed automatically and is separate from Michigan Progress’s audited data layer.
Live feed unavailable.
Use the topic shortcuts above to search the current news index for this city.
Live wire source: Google News RSS search across publishers. Michigan Progress does not reproduce article text and does not treat a headline as verified statistical data.
DEVELOPMENT TRACKER
Search current development coverage ↗Projects on the local file.
Approved
Newmarket Commons I + II
Two Bay City affordable-housing phases are planned to add 120 apartments with rental assistance.
120 affordable unitsLIHTC awards announced June 2026
LOCAL WATCH
Schools, safety and employers.
These topics are not forced into the 276-city statistical comparison when their reporting geography differs from Census city boundaries.
District coverage, live.
City limits and school districts are not assumed to match. Use current reporting while a verified district series is added.
Current school coverage ↗Agency data needs geography checks.
FBI UCR data is agency-based. Michigan Progress does not present an agency rate as a city rate until the match is verified.
Current safety coverage ↗Employer activity, live.
Expansion, hiring and investment news is linked from the current business feed instead of a stale “top employers” list.
Current business coverage ↗PROPERTY TAX WATCH
Own property in Bay City?
Market value and taxable value are different in Michigan. Your actual bill depends on taxable value, local millages, exemptions and assessment history.
$97,600median owner-occupied value70.1%homeownership
Check Michigan property-tax options →
COMPARE LIKE WITH LIKE
Compare all 276 →Cities closest in population.
FAQ / AEO
Bay City frequently asked questions
Direct answers based on the evidence and methodology used on this page.
Is Bay City, Michigan growing?
The Census Bureau July 1, 2025 estimate is 31,868, a -2.4% change from the 2020 estimate base.
What is the median household income in Bay City?
Median household income is $49,420 in the 2020–2024 ACS comparison vintage used by Michigan Progress.
What is the median home value in Bay City?
Median owner-occupied home value is $97,600 in the 2020–2024 ACS comparison vintage.
How does Michigan Progress decide whether Bay City is progressing?
The site compares standardized population, household and housing indicators, then keeps local development, schools, safety and news in separately labeled evidence layers so unlike geographies are not silently mixed.
SOURCES + METHOD
Read full methodology →Audit the page.
01
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts u2014 Bay City
2025 population estimate plus 2020u20132024 ACS household income, housing value, homeownership and poverty measures.
02
Census Population Estimates u2014 Cities & Towns, Vintage 2025
Latest completed Census vintage used for the 2020 estimate base, 2025 estimate and five-year population direction.
03
U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey
2025 annual place-level residential buildings and housing units authorized. Authorizations are not housing completions.