Bay City receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Bay City
Decatur
Opportunity
16 · Bottom 1%
vs24 · Bottom 4%
Growth
30 · Bottom 18%
vs21 · Bottom 10%
Climate
60 · Bottom 28%
vs67 · Top 50%
Physical resilience
79 · Top 16%
vs70 · Top 29%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 27%
vs100 · Top 27%
Access
97 · Top 9%
vs81 · Top 41%
Economic stability
57 · Top 43%
vs39 · Bottom 34%
Measured values
| Metric | Bay City | Decatur | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 103,008 | 101,849 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,763 | $62,666 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,602 | $36,605 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 233/sq mi | 175/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $152,200 | $127,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $860 | $847 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 77.0% | 70.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 5.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -7.3% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.1% | 24.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.2% | 15.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 61 | 36 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 0.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 96.8% | 12.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 32.1" | 36.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 38 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.3 min | 20.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.9 | 40.6 | 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.
Decatur
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, tornado.
Full profiles: Bay City, MI Metro Area · Decatur, IL Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology