United States › Texas › Bay City CITY
Bay City Texas · 17,488 residents (2025 est.) · 9.27 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 17,730 people in Texas. This skews young, with a median age of 31.6. 46% of homes are owner-occupied. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 20% of adults. The poverty rate is 26.0%, above the 12.5% national rate. The typical home is worth $160,800, having more than doubled since 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 31.6
US median: 38.9
Less educated
20% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 45%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 18,667 in 2000
17,488 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1,913 / sq mi
Unchangedsince 2009
from 1,919 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 32.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
17K 18K 18K 18K 19K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Bay City Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $53,840
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $30,446 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $15,284 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 24.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 21.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.498 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Education & health services 6.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 5.1%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.8%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.6%
Transportation & warehousing 1.3%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$160,800
+45%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $60,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$1,025
+38%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $407 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 52.6% in 2000
54.2% rent
from 17.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.58 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 18.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 45.9% 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 46.1%(8,612)
Hispanic / Latino 34.7%(6,484)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 26.1%(4,622)
Hispanic / Latino 56.9%(10,096)
from 83 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
+ 17 more ancestry groups with data from 12.4% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 69.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 3.0% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 16.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 70.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 20.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 12.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 14.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 63.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 71.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 16.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 24.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 12.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 9.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 14.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 28.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 63.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 86.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 87.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 71.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 27.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 40.7%(2,744)
Women 15+
Never married 30.4%(1,996)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 28.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 45.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 9.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 15.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 24.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 53.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 36.5% 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) 29.8%(228)
Gulf War (1990s) 10.2%(78)
Share of the 764 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.
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Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Bay City, Texas? Bay City, Texas has about 17,730 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Bay City, Texas? The typical household in Bay City, Texas earns about $53,840 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Bay City, Texas expensive? In Bay City, Texas, the median home is worth about $160,800, and the typical rent is about $1,025 a month.
How educated are people in Bay City, Texas? About 20.2% of adults age 25 and over in Bay City, Texas hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Bay City, Texas? About 26.0% of people in Bay City, Texas live below the federal poverty line.
Has Bay City, Texas grown since 1990? Yes, Bay City, Texas has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 534 residents, a change of about -3 percent over that period.
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