County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Bay County
- What is the median household income in Bay County?
- The median household income in Bay County is $60,523 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Bay County?
- The poverty rate in Bay County is 9.5% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Bay County?
- $135,100 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Bay County?
- The median gross rent in Bay County is $809 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Bay County residents have a college degree?
- 21.4% of adults in Bay County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
103,235
Median Income
$60,523
Median Home Value
$135,100
Poverty Rate
9.5%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
4.6%
Median Age
43.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$11,704 (+24%)
Home Value:
+$33,100 (+32.5%)
Poverty Rate:
-2.0 pp (-17.4%)
Bachelor's+:
+2.1 pp (+10.9%)
Unemployment:
-1.8 pp (-28.1%)
Demographics
Total Population
103,235
Median Age
43.0
Female
50.5%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 5.8%
White (non-Hisp.) 88.6%
Black 1.4%
Asian 0.4%
Two or More 5.5%
Other 0.7%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Chinese
0.1%
Korean
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
5.2%
Puerto Rican
0.1%
Cuban
0.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$60,523
±$2,180
-$10,626 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$81,613
Median Family Income
$79,540
Poverty Rate
9.5%
+0.7 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
16.5%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
13.4%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
31.6%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
5.6%
$10–15k
4.9%
$15–25k
8.0%
$25–35k
9.5%
$35–50k
14.0%
$50–75k
17.4%
$75–100k
13.9%
$100–150k
15.5%
$150–200k
6.5%
$200k+
4.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
48,620
Owner-Occupied
76.4%
Renter-Occupied
23.6%
Vacancy Rate
7.6%
Median Home Value
$135,100
-$82,500 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$809
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
15.4%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
34.5%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
8.4%
$50–100k
24.2%
$100–200k
22.4%
$200–300k
16.9%
$300–500k
8.4%
$500k–$1M
1.9%
$1M+
0.3%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
18.8%
$500–1k
48.9%
$1–1.5k
25.9%
$1.5–2k
4.7%
$2–2.5k
0.8%
$3.5k+
0.9%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
6.4%
1 vehicle
35.2%
2 vehicles
38.1%
3+
20.3%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
76.4%
Single-fam. att.
4.0%
2–4 units
2.8%
5–19 units
2.4%
20+ units
5.1%
Mobile home
4.7%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
24.3%
1940–1969
8.0%
1970–1999
16.7%
2000–2009
6.8%
2010+
2.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
91.8%
Bachelor's or Higher
21.4%
-10.4 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
6.9%
Some College / Associate
25.0%
Less Than High School
2.2%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
59.1%
Unemployment Rate
4.6%
-1.2 pp vs. state
Work from Home
7.4%
Self-Employed
5.9%
Government Workers
10.2%
Private For-Profit
83.8%
Industry
Edu/Health
26.2%
Manufacturing
17.4%
Retail
13.7%
Arts/Entmt.
8.7%
Prof. Services
7.1%
Construction
5.4%
Transportation
4.7%
Finance
4.2%
Public Admin
2.8%
Wholesale
2.1%
Information
1.4%
Agriculture
1.0%
Occupation
Management
32.6%
Sales
22.9%
Food Prep
18.0%
Production
16.7%
Construction
9.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
23.4 min
Drove Alone
83.0%
Carpool
6.6%
Public Transit
0.3%
Work from Home
7.4%
Walked
1.4%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
44,917
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
44.3%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
13.6%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
4.7%
5–9
5.5%
10–14
5.7%
15–19
6.0%
20–24
5.3%
25–34
12.1%
35–44
12.0%
45–54
12.4%
55–64
6.9%
65–74
8.1%
75–84
12.7%
85+
6.3%
Under 18: 19.8%
Working age (18–64): 80.2%
65 and over: 21.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
1.2%
Naturalized Citizen
62.0%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
0.5%
Foreign-Born Origin
Asia
28.4%
Latin America
25.1%
Europe
24.9%
Africa
10.3%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
7.9%
With a Disability
16.6%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
95.3%
Uninsured
4.7%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
87.9%
Has a Computer
92.8%
Same House 1 Year Ago
90.3%
Moved from Abroad
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Bay County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Bay County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Saginaw County | 502 | 821 |
| Midland County | 336 | 542 |
| Other flows - South | 264 | 399 |
| Other flows - West | 123 | 191 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 110 | 151 |
| Arenac County | 95 | 176 |
| Tuscola County | 94 | 143 |
| Genesee County | 84 | 140 |
| Oakland County | 64 | 103 |
| Huron County | 57 | 76 |