Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Bay City - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
Bay City ranks in the 36th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.
36th
percentile, household income
17th
percentile, home value
68th
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 City, WI
Bay City is a small town in Wisconsin, home to 358 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Bay City households earn a median of $60,625 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 1.3%. Typical homes in Bay City are valued around $118,400, and the median resident age is 48.0 years. About 11.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 60.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 1 residential building permits were authorized in Bay City (Low Activity), per Census BPS data.
Living costs in Wisconsin run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Wisconsin at 94.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,709 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $225 across Wisconsin, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 42.3 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Low).
Population
358 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Wisconsin
Median Household Income
$60,625/yr
Poverty 1.3%
Cost of Living Index (state)
94.1 (US=100)
Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Wisconsin average
How does Bay City compare to other US cities?
Where Bay City sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income36% higher than other cities
Home value17% pricier than other cities
Median rent68% 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 City against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Wisconsin only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Wisconsin-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent is Bay City's strongest outlier among Wisconsin cities
Among the 761 Wisconsin cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Bay City ranks #1 - the 97th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Bay City only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#506 of 753
32nd percentile in Wisconsin
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 761
97th percentile in Wisconsin
Median Home Value
#635 of 754
16th percentile in Wisconsin
Poverty Rate
#632 of 761
16th percentile in Wisconsin
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#628 of 761
17th percentile in Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
36th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Bay City's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$118,400Among the most affordablemore affordable than 83% of 15,600 US cities
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
Income distribution context
Bay City, WI's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Bay City, WI. Diagonal = perfect equality.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)11.1%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)1.3%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)60.5%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
358
Median Income
$60,625
Median Home Value
$118,400
Median Age
48.0
Poverty Rate
1.3%
Labor force participation
60.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
11.1%
Population Change
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Bay City's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Housing Supply
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Low Activity
Total Permits (2024)
1
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.8
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
0
0
0
-
2020
1
1
0
$0.2M
2021
0
0
0
-
2022
0
0
0
-
2023
1
1
0
$0.3M
2024
1
1
0
$0.3M
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
88.8%
Carpool
6.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.1%
Work from Home
3.2%
Based on 188 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for Wisconsin - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$100
avg/month
Natural Gas
$80
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$225
estimated/month
Estimates reflect Wisconsin state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Cost of living is a Wisconsin state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Bay City sits in
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WI Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Bay City, WI?
What is the population of Bay City, WI?+
358 people live in Bay City, WI according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Bay City, WI?+
Bay City households earn a median of $60,625 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Bay City?+
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Bay City; the closest available measure is the Wisconsin state average, a cost of living index of 94.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Wisconsin vary by metro area.
What is the median home value in Bay City, WI?+
Bay City's median home value sits at $118,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.
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.