Bay County, Michigan Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Bay County is located in Michigan with a total population of 103,008. It is the 20th most populous county out of 83 in Michigan. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Bay County is 43.9 years. This is 9% higher than the state median of 40.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Bay County is $61,763. This is 15% lower than the state median of $72,875. It is also 23% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 13.3%. This is about the same as the state poverty rate of 13.2%. The unemployment rate is 4.3%. This is 24% lower than the state rate of 5.7%. The median home value is $152,200. Housing costs are 34% lower than the state median of $231,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.5x, Bay County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 77.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 5% higher than the state average of 73.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

Bay County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 88.2% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 5.9%. The Black or African American population (1.0%) is well below the state average of 13.1%. The Asian population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 3.4%.

Education

22.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 32% lower than the state rate of 32.5%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 91.9%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Bay County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Michigan and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.