Saginaw and Flint 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
Saginaw
Flint
Opportunity
7 · Bottom 1%
vs7 · Bottom 1%
Growth
3 · Bottom 1%
vs5 · Bottom 1%
Climate
60 · Bottom 16%
vs60 · Bottom 15%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 39%
vs83 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
76 · Bottom 42%
vs74 · Bottom 40%
Schools
30 · Bottom 22%
vs16 · Bottom 7%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs80 · Bottom 23%
Economic stability
23 · Bottom 3%
vs20 · Bottom 2%
Measured values
| Metric | Saginaw | Flint | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,536 | 80,175 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $38,579 | $37,646 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $21,177 | $21,720 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,547/sq mi | 2,398/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $60,000 | $53,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $922 | $915 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.0% | 53.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 10.0% | 12.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -6.3% | -6.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.3% | 14.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 34.0% | 34.1% | 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" | 32.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 40 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.7 min | 24.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.5 | 36.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 26 | 52 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.58 | 16.25 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 22.7% | 14.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 36.4% | 26.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 77.1% | 86.8% | 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.
Flint
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind.
Full profiles: Saginaw, MI · Flint, MI · How this is calculated: methodology