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
Saginaw
Opportunity
16 · Bottom 1%
vs17 · Bottom 1%
Growth
30 · Bottom 18%
vs20 · Bottom 9%
Climate
60 · Bottom 28%
vs60 · Bottom 28%
Physical resilience
79 · Top 16%
vs69 · Top 31%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 27%
vs98 · Top 35%
Access
97 · Top 9%
vs97 · Top 12%
Economic stability
57 · Top 43%
vs34 · Bottom 26%
Measured values
| Metric | Bay City | Saginaw | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 103,008 | 188,665 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,763 | $60,622 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,602 | $34,578 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 233/sq mi | 236/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $152,200 | $152,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $860 | $947 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 77.0% | 74.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 5.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -7.3% | -6.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.1% | 24.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.2% | 18.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 61 | 164 | 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% | -3.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 32.1" | 32.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.3 min | 23.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.9 | 41.2 | 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.
Saginaw
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Bay City, MI Metro Area · Saginaw, MI Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology