Bay County Community Profile

Bay County is one of the largest and most economically diverse communities in Region G, home to approximately 45,008 households and anchored by Bay City. It is a county with real momentum, 432 new households are projected by 2029, driven partly by growth in the 65-and-older population, but that momentum is running up against a housing market that hasn’t kept pace.

The median household income is $58,477. The median home value is $160,105. Homes are selling at a median of $149,900, which sounds accessible until you look at who can actually qualify and what’s actually available. Bay County’s rental market has 383 households on wait lists, the second highest in the region, with some families waiting up to two years for a market-rate unit to open up.

More than half of Bay County’s rental housing stock, 54.9%, was built before 1970. The oldest housing in the region is concentrated here, in Gratiot, and in Saginaw. That age matters: older homes cost more to heat, more to maintain, and more to bring up to modern standards.

About 39.6% of renters in Bay County are cost burdened, and 18.3% of homeowners are in the same position, spending more than they can afford just to stay housed.

Between now and 2029, Bay County needs 638 additional rental units and 4,410 additional for-sale homes, the second largest for-sale gap in the region. That for-sale gap is concentrated among workforce households earning between 81% and 120% of Area Median Income: people with steady jobs who simply cannot find homes priced within reach. The full county profile tells that story in full.