Niles 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
Niles
Opportunity
12 · Bottom 1%
vs20 · Bottom 1%
Growth
6 · Bottom 1%
vs15 · Bottom 4%
Climate
60 · Bottom 16%
vs61 · Bottom 17%
Physical resilience
78 · Top 26%
vs86 · Top 15%
Housing affordability
99 · Top 11%
vs95 · Top 18%
Schools
37 · Bottom 32%
vs51 · Bottom 49%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
40 · Bottom 17%
vs46 · Bottom 26%
Measured values
| Metric | Bay City | Niles | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,320 | 11,803 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $49,420 | $51,376 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,853 | $27,036 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,179/sq mi | 2,037/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $97,600 | $135,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $766 | $855 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.1% | 63.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.6% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -7.3% | -7.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.8% | 17.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.1% | 17.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.2 | 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" | 39.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.5 min | 23.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.7 | 39.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 18 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.01 | 18.27 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 23.9% | 35.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 41.5% | 46.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 64.2% | 60.4% | 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
Bay City
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind.
Niles
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Bay City, MI · Niles, MI · How this is calculated: methodology