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
median household income $49,420, 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
Unique to this place
What stands out about Bay City
What changed most since 1990
Population38,936 → 32,320(−17%)US over the same years: +35%
Median home value (2024 dollars)$77,762 → $97,600(+26%)US over the same years: +67%
White share91.7% → 80.1%(−11.6 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Its weight in Bay County
Bay City's population equals 31% of Bay County's. Its number of households without a car equals 61% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 58% of the county's.
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.8%(376)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era32.7%(565)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1.6%(28)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.6%(10)
US avg: 1%
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
Over time
Bay City, decade by decade
Bay City population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
38,936
$51,313
$77,762
9.4%
19.5
2000
36,817
$55,424
$119,865
12.8%
27.9
2010
34,932
$51,157
$118,107
16.8%
34.5
2020
32,661
$46,074
$82,419
16.2%
43.8
2024
32,320
$49,420
$97,600
18.8%
42.7
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
