With 103,008 people, Bay County is a county in Michigan. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 22% of adults. The median age is 43.9, about 5 years above the US median. The typical home is worth $152,200, having more than doubled since 2000. The foreign-born share is 1%. 77% of homes are owner-occupied.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $61,763, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 43.9
US median: 38.9
Less educated
22% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Bay County
What changed most since 1990
White share94.9% → 88.2%(−6.7 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Median age34.0 → 43.9(+9.9 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
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)18.7%(1,161)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22%(1,370)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era39.3%(2,444)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.9%(302)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.7%(43)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 6,218 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 County, decade by decade
Bay County 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
111,723
$67,058
$105,843
11.0%
12.4
2000
110,157
$70,400
$152,290
14.2%
17.3
2010
107,771
$64,245
$155,078
18.0%
20.8
2020
103,856
$58,529
$128,961
19.7%
28.9
2024
103,008
$61,763
$152,200
22.1%
27.1
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.
