City profile · Ohio · Census ACS 2023

Bay, OH

Bay's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

15,992
Residents
$122,083
Median income
$332,500
Median home
$1,092
Median rent (state)
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State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Bay.

Place dossier plate

Sheet OH-BAY-OH · Bay, OH 15,992 pop · income 88th pct

POP-TOWN · INC-TOP · COL-BELOW · SAFE-UNK · RANK-TOP · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-MID · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-TOWN 15,992
  • INC-TOP $122,083
  • COL-BELOW 92.8
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-TOP 88th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Stone Ridge
  • HOME-MID $332,500
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Stone Ridge, NY (+ $26 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Bay

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Bay on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Bay on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 15,992.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $122,083. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Bay - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Bay places in the 88th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

88th
percentile, household income
70th
percentile, home value
22nd
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Bay, OH

Bay is a small town in Ohio, home to 15,992 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $122,083 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 2.0%. Bay's housing stock carries a median value of $332,500, and the median resident age is 43.3 years. 66.4% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 65.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 12 residential building permits were authorized in Bay (Stable), up 0% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data.

Living costs in Ohio run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Ohio at 92.8 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,092 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $228 across Ohio, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Workers in Bay report an average commute of 18.2 minutes, with 70.0% driving alone and 24.1% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 55.0 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Bay's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from population change to work and mobility to comparison shortlist to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Bay, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, commute-mode shares, annual population history. No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

1. Population change

Is Bay growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.

Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -342 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -2.1% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 12 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

See the national growth ranking →

2. Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in Bay?

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 70.0%. The reported mean trip to work is 18.2 minutes.

Compare commute patterns →

Question 3

Which cities make useful reference points for Bay?

Within Ohio, the closest population matches are Fremont (15,851 residents, $50,974 income); Middleburg Heights (15,817 residents, $78,324 income); Mount Vernon (16,802 residents, $54,335 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Seven Oaks, SC (15,990 residents); Marco Island, FL (15,998 residents); La Grange, IL (15,999 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Question 4

How far does income reach against housing in Bay?

The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.7 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 2.0%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Population

15,992 residents

Small city (10k–49k)

Median Household Income

$122,083 /yr

High income · poverty 2.0% (Low poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

92.8 (US=100)

Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Ohio average

City profile score · Bay, OH

85/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Bachelor's+ share A+
66.4%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Household income A
$122,083

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Poverty rate A
2.0%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Cost of living B+
92.8 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Bay profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Bachelor's+ share, Household income, Poverty rate, Cost of living. Bachelor's+ shareHousehold incomePoverty rateCost of living 85 A
Bay profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Bachelor's+ share: 95/100 (A+) · 66.4%
  • Household income: 87/100 (A) · $122,083
  • Poverty rate: 86/100 (A) · 2.0%
  • Cost of living: 75/100 (B+) · 92.8 index

How does Bay compare to other US cities?

Bay measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 88% higher than other cities
Home value 70% pricier than other cities
Median rent 22% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Bay against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Ohio only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Ohio-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Bay near the bottom of Ohio's cities

Among the 1,196 Ohio cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Bay ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Bay only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#78 of 1,145
93rd percentile in Ohio
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,196
0th percentile in Ohio
Median Home Value
#84 of 1,164
93rd percentile in Ohio
Poverty Rate
#944 of 1,196
21st percentile in Ohio
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#52 of 1,196
96th percentile in Ohio
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Ohio only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

88thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

88th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Bay's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$332,500 30th percentile more affordable than 30% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Bay $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Bay's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.7×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#5,152 of 15,516
More affordable than 67% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#572 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)

At 2.7×, Bay sits in the affordable band: national rank #5,152 of 15,516 and #572 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999). The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$122,083 Bay, OH median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Bay, OH Bay, OH's median household income ($122,083) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Bay, OH-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Bay, OH median $122,083/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Bay, OH median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Bay, OH.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 66.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 2.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 65.1%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
15,992
Median Income
$122,083
Median Home Value
$332,500
Median Age
43.3
Poverty Rate
2.0%
Labor force participation
65.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
66.4%

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
15,600 residents15,800 residents16,000 residents16,200 residents 202020212022202320242025 16,134 residents 15,792 residents ▼ -2.1%
Bay's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 16,134 residents
2021 16,015 residents
2022 15,873 residents
2023 15,827 residents
2024 15,824 residents
2025 15,792 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Stable
Total Permits (2024)
12
housing units authorized
Single-Family
12
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 12
2020 18
2021 20
2022 13
2023 11
2024 12

Permit volume increased 0% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
18.2 minutes
Drive Alone
70.0%
Carpool
2.6%
Public Transit
0.4%
Walk
1.0%
Work from Home
24.1%
Other
1.9%

Based on 7,855 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Ohio statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $228

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Ohio at $228 (electricity about $105 , water and sewer about $45 ).

These are Ohio statewide averages, not a meter reading for Bay. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Ohio's BEA cost-of-living index is 92.8 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Bay is $1,092/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Ohio statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 55.0 / 100 (Moderate).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Ohio statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Bay sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Bay compares to similar-size Ohio cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Bay (this city) 15,992 $122,083
Fremont 15,851 $50,974
Middleburg Heights 15,817 $78,324
Mount Vernon 16,802 $54,335
Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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