Bay City and Battle Creek receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Bay City
Battle Creek
Opportunity
16 · Bottom 1%
vs21 · Bottom 2%
Growth
30 · Bottom 18%
vs20 · Bottom 9%
Climate
60 · Bottom 28%
vs61 · Bottom 32%
Physical resilience
79 · Top 16%
vs89 · Top 6%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 27%
vs99 · Top 31%
Access
97 · Top 9%
vs98 · Top 8%
Economic stability
57 · Top 43%
vs49 · Bottom 47%
Measured values
| Metric | Bay City | Battle Creek | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 103,008 | 133,778 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,763 | $63,177 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,602 | $34,349 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 233/sq mi | 189/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $152,200 | $162,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $860 | $968 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 77.0% | 72.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -7.3% | -7.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.1% | 22.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.2% | 13.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 61 | 117 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 0.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 96.8% | -12.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 17°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 32.1" | 31.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.3 min | 22.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.9 | 40.2 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Bay City
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind.
Battle Creek
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Bay City
63
Your Score
56
Area Score
Battle Creek
62
Your Score
57
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Bay City, MI Metro Area · Battle Creek, MI Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology