Bay County, Michigan
Located in Michigan, Bay County has a population of 103,008 residents and a median age of 43.9 years, making it the #607 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.2%. The median home value is $152,200, and the median household income is $61,763, which is 18% below the national median.
Demographics
Bay County has a population of 103,008, making it the #607 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.9 years, which is 12.9% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Bay County is $61,763, ranking #1,916 out of 3,222 counties — 17.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.2% and unemployment stands at 4.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Bay County is $152,200 (-46.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $860/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.0%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Bay County, 22.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 34.4% below the national average, ranking #1,635 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Bay County is 75.2 years. 14.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
14.7% of adults in Bay County smoke , 37.2% are obese , and 20.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 34.7 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Bay County is 2.1 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 15.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 10.8 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
16.1% of children in Bay County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.6 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 16.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Bay County is 73.4%. The mean commute time is 25.1 min, which is 9.2% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Bay County voted Republican with a margin of 14.7%. The vote was 42% Dem / 56.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.1 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Bay County, Michigan
Bay County, Michigan has a total population of 103,008, making it the 607th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Bay County is 43.9 years, which is 12.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Bay County is $61,763, which ranks #1,916 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 17.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.3%.
The median home value in Bay County is $152,200, 46.0% below the national median. Renters in Bay County pay a median gross rent of $860 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Bay County, 22.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 34.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.1 min.
Bay County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.2% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
All data for Bay County, Michigan comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.