AreaProfile

Compare

49120 vs 48706

Which is the better fit for you?

49120 — Niles, MI
56
Area Score
Bottom 35% nationally
48706 — Bay City, MI
51
Area Score
Bottom 20% nationally

49120 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

Signals

49120
48706
Opportunity
24 · Bottom 4%
vs
16 · Bottom 1%
Growth
13 · Bottom 4%
vs
6 · Bottom 1%
Climate
61 · Bottom 18%
vs
60 · Bottom 16%
Physical resilience
86 · Top 15%
vs
79 · Top 25%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs
100 · Top 9%
Schools
51 · Bottom 49%
vs
45 · Bottom 41%
Access
99 · Top 15%
vs
98 · Top 21%
Economic stability
46 · Bottom 27%
vs
50 · Bottom 34%

Measured values

Metric4912048706Source period
Population36,49538,9742024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$65,148$62,7472024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$34,555$36,6432024 ACS 5-Year
Population density313/sq mi588/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$178,400$155,8002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$906$9222024 ACS 5-Year
Homeownership rate79.1%78.2%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.9%7.6%June 2026
Employment change (year over year)-7.1%-7.3%June 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher20.1%24.7%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate14.4%12.3%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)2012 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents0.20.012 months ending July 2026
Average July high83°F82°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low17°F16°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation39.2"32.1"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport10 mi8 miNASR current cycle
Average commute24.9 min21.7 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age42.644.72024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools15122024-25 school year
Students per teacher18.2718.172024-25 school year
Math proficiency35.4%26.5%2019-20 school year
Reading proficiency46.1%46.6%2019-20 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility60.4%56.5%2024-25 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

Physical risk tradeoff

49120

No hazard reaches elevated exposure.

48706

Elevated or high exposure: strong wind.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

49120
60
Your Score
56
Area Score
48706
57
Your Score
51
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: 49120 — Niles, MI · 48706 — Bay City, MI · How this is calculated: methodology