Census tract · Bay County
Census Tract 2853, Bay County, Michigan
Census Tract 2853, GEOID 26017285300, in Bay County, Michigan, mostly within Merritt Township (63% of its census blocks). 4,589 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±198); the 2020 Census counted 4,576.
Residents, 2020-2024
4,589
±198 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 4,576
Median household income
$81,310
±$6,002 (90% margin)
Bay County: $61,763
Median home value
$162,600
±$14,631 (90% margin)
Bay County: $152,200
Median gross rent
$1,031
±$168 (90% margin)
Bay County: $860
Where is Census Tract 2853?
Census Tract 2853 is one of 28 census tracts in Bay County, Michigan. It covers 51.69 square miles of land, 89 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 26017285300, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Merritt Township | 63% |
| Portsmouth Charter Township | 37% |
9 census tracts border Census Tract 2853: Tract 2806 ($52,936), Tract 2808 ($56,404), Tract 2809 ($49,779), Tract 2852.01 ($50,540), Tract 2854 ($92,685), Tract 108 in Saginaw County ($59,429), Tract 111 in Saginaw County ($53,558), Tract 112 in Saginaw County ($86,979) and Tract 3 in Tuscola County ($57,292). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 2853?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 2853's population at 4,589 (±198) in 1,828 households; the 2020 Census counted 4,576 residents and 2,043 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 2853 | Merritt Township |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,589 ±198 | 1,406 |
| Households | 1,828 ±168 | 548 |
| Average household size | 2.51 ±0.25 | 2.56 |
| Housing units | 1,975 ±172 | 596 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 2853?
The median resident of Census Tract 2853 is 45.0 years old; 16.4% are under 18 and 22.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 90.8%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 6.2%.
| Measure | Tract 2853 | Merritt Township |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.0 ±4.8 | 44.4 |
| Under 18 years | 16.4% ±3.1 pts | 15.7% |
| 65 years and over | 22.2% ±3.4 pts | 22.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6.2% ±5.0 pts | 2.9% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 90.8% ±5.1 pts | 90.6% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 0.1% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±0.9 pts | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.0% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.9% ±1.3 pts | 4.8% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.3 pts | 0.9% |
| Born outside the United States | 1.0% ±0.9 pts | 1.0% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.8% ±0.6 pts | 2.2% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.7% ±2.5 pts | 5.0% |
| With a disability | 18.3% ±3.4 pts | 17.9% |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.7% ±2.4 pts | 0.6% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.3% ±3.2 pts | 91.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 22.5% ±4.9 pts | 22.3% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.2% ±1.6 pts | 5.3% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 96.3% ±2.3 pts | 93.8% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Census Tract 2853 earn?
Half of the 1,828 households in Census Tract 2853 earn less than $81,310 a year (±$6,002), against $61,763 across Bay County: 6th highest of the county's 26 tracts with a reliable estimate. 6.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 2853 | Merritt Township |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $81,310 ±$6,002 | $88,750 |
| Mean household income | $92,339 ±$8,157 | $90,409 |
| Per capita income | $38,630 ±$3,653 | $36,485 |
| People below the poverty line | 6.0% ±3.2 pts | 4.8% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 4.9% ±6.4 pts | 0.0% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.3% ±4.2 pts | 8.9% |
| Households with a computer | 92.6% ±3.5 pts | 94.9% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.1% ±4.1 pts | 88.3% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Census Tract 2853?
Owners occupy 89.4% of Census Tract 2853's occupied homes and renters 10.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $162,600 by its owner (±$14,631). The median renter pays $1,031 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Tract 2853 | Merritt Township |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $162,600 ±$14,631 | $154,600 |
| Median gross rent | $1,031 ±$168 | $1,147 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 21.6% ±15.7 pts | 23.1% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,340 ±$121 | $1,332 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 89.4% ±4.9 pts | 92.7% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 10.6% ±4.9 pts | 7.3% |
| Housing units | 1,975 ±172 | 596 |
| Single-family detached homes | 95.6% ±2.3 pts | 93.6% |
| Mobile homes | 2.1% ±1.6 pts | 3.5% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.8% ±1.3 pts | 0.0% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.2% ±1.2 pts | 1.5% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 20.1% ±5.0 pts | 28.0% |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.7% ±1.9 pts | 1.1% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Census Tract 2853 get to work?
83.8% of Census Tract 2853's workers drive alone and 8.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 27.3 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 2853 | Merritt Township |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 61.5% ±4.1 pts | 58.6% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% ±2.2 pts | 4.2% |
| Drove alone to work | 83.8% ±4.6 pts | 85.3% |
| Carpooled | 5.0% ±3.3 pts | 4.4% |
| Public transportation | 0.9% ±1.4 pts | 0.0% |
| Walked | 0.6% ±0.9 pts | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 8.1% ±3.9 pts | 8.1% |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.3 min ±3.2 | 31.2 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
How does Census Tract 2853 compare with the other tracts in Bay County?
Among Bay County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 2853 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Bay County |
|---|---|
| Population | 8th of 27 |
| Residents per square mile | 24th of 27 |
| Median household income | 6th of 26 |
| Per capita income | 8th of 27 |
| Median home value | 12th of 27 |
| Median gross rent | 3rd of 24 |
| Poverty rate | 22nd of 25 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13th of 27 |
| Median age | 12th of 27 |
| Owner-occupied share | 7th of 27 |
The tracts next to it on Bay County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 2860 | 3rd | $84,151±$19,887 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 2856 | 4th | $82,583±$11,646 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 2855 | 5th | $81,939±$10,633 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 2853 | 6th | $81,310±$6,002 |
| Tract 2861.02 | 7th | $79,211±$26,061 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 2851 | 8th | $75,341±$17,822 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 2862 | 9th | $70,625±$14,566 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 2853?
3 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 2853 on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections