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
Saginaw
Bay City
Opportunity
7 · Bottom 1%
vs12 · Bottom 1%
Growth
3 · Bottom 1%
vs6 · Bottom 1%
Climate
60 · Bottom 16%
vs60 · Bottom 16%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 39%
vs78 · Top 26%
Housing affordability
76 · Bottom 42%
vs99 · Top 11%
Schools
30 · Bottom 22%
vs37 · Bottom 32%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
23 · Bottom 3%
vs40 · Bottom 17%
Measured values
| Metric | Saginaw | Bay City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,536 | 32,320 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $38,579 | $49,420 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $21,177 | $29,853 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,547/sq mi | 3,179/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $60,000 | $97,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $922 | $766 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.0% | 70.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 10.0% | 7.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -6.3% | -7.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.3% | 18.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 34.0% | 19.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.0 | 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 | 10 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.7 min | 22.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.5 | 40.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 26 | 18 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.58 | 17.01 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 22.7% | 23.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 36.4% | 41.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 77.1% | 64.2% | 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
Saginaw
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, inland flooding.
Bay City
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind.
Full profiles: Saginaw, MI · Bay City, MI · How this is calculated: methodology