United States › Michigan › Bay City CITY
Bay City Michigan · 31,868 residents (2025 est.) · 10.2 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Bay City is a city of 32,320 people in Michigan. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 19% of adults. The typical home is worth $97,600. That trails the Michigan median by roughly 32%. 2% of locals were born outside the United States. Density works out to 3,179 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
More affordable
home values down 19%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 36,817 in 2000
31,868 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
3,179 / sq mi
−5%since 2009
from 3,359 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 35.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
32K 34K 36K 38K 40K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Bay City Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $49,420
−11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $30,425 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $16,550 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 14.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 14.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.419 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Public administration 5.2%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.7%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.4%
Transportation & warehousing 1.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.9%
Education & health services 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$97,600
−19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $65,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$766
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $395 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 69.5% in 2000
29.9% rent
from 10.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.37 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 30.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 49.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.4 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 87.8%(32,333)
Hispanic / Latino 6.7%(2,473)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 80.1%(25,883)
Hispanic / Latino 11.5%(3,706)
from 30 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 29 more ancestry groups with data from 12.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 80.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 4.0% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 13.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 82.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 7.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 1.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 12.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 12.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 62.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 71.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 11.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 24.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 11.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 16.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 13.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 71.9% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 87.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 86.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 96.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 1.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 39.8%(5,052)
Women 15+
Never married 32.1%(4,544)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 13.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 50.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 10.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 19.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 35.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 3.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 57.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 50.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 24%(414)
Gulf War (1990s) 21.8%(376)
Share of the 1,727 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
Places similar to Bay City Head to head
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BAY CITY VS
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Bay City, Michigan? Bay City, Michigan has about 32,320 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Bay City, Michigan? The typical household in Bay City, Michigan earns about $49,420 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Bay City, Michigan expensive? In Bay City, Michigan, the median home is worth about $97,600, and the typical rent is about $766 a month.
How educated are people in Bay City, Michigan? About 18.8% of adults age 25 and over in Bay City, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Bay City, Michigan? About 19.1% of people in Bay City, Michigan live below the federal poverty line.
Has Bay City, Michigan grown since 1990? Yes, Bay City, Michigan has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 6,616 residents, a change of about -17 percent over that period.
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