Bay County, Michigan: commercial real estate data.
Bay County, Michigan has a population of 103,008 across 442 square miles, down 1.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $4.72 bn in 2024, 2,044 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 125 7(a) approvals worth $44.0 m.
129 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Bay County
How many people live in Bay County
- Population103,008
- Households45,103
- Average household size2.28
- Median household income$61,763
- Median age43.9
- Median gross rent$860 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$152,200
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over75,312
- Population under 1820,150
- Share under 1819.6 percent
- Population 65 and over22,568
- Share 65 and over21.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6460,290
- Civilian labor force50,658
- Unemployment rate4.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.1 percent
- Rank by population among Michigan counties20th of 83
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents607th
Bay County is the 20th largest of 83 Michigan counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.9 percent against 19.6 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Bay County
Is Bay County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.16 percent
- Census 2020 base population103,856
- Births, 2024936
- Deaths, 20241,299
- Natural change, 2024-363
- Net domestic migration, 2024170
- Net international migration, 202475
- Total net migration, 2024245
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024820
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2251st
The county has lost 1.16 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Bay County
Where people moving to Bay County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,342
- People arriving, from those returns3,739
- Adjusted gross income arriving$119.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$51,085
- Largest single originBay County Non-migrants (43,977 households)
- Largest single destination (43,977 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay County Non-migrants | 43,977 | 82,137 | $2.90 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 525 | 901 | $29.3 m |
| Saginaw County | 470 | 760 | $20.5 m |
| Midland County | 329 | 504 | $16.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 328 | 508 | $15.0 m |
| Other flows - South | 227 | 396 | $11.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 129 | 238 | $7.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 116 | 179 | $6.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Bay County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Bay County
What the Bay County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$4.72 bn
- County GDP, 2023$4.59 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.8 percent
- GDP change over five years25.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Michigan counties22nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents741st
- GDP per resident$45,861
Output grew 2.8 percent in the latest year and 25.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Bay County
Who employs people in Bay County
- Covered employment, annual average34,112
- Establishments reporting2,117
- Average annual pay$54,617
- Average weekly wage$1,050
- Sector 62, employment6,019
- Sector 62, average annual pay$51,257
- Sector 44-45, employment4,591
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$36,695
- Sector 31-33, employment4,440
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$83,178
- Sector 72, employment3,975
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,798
- Sector 23, employment1,520
- Sector 54, employment1,411
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 6,019 | 309 | $51,257 |
| Sector 44-45 | 4,591 | 291 | $36,695 |
| Sector 31-33 | 4,440 | 121 | $83,178 |
| Sector 72 | 3,975 | 201 | $20,798 |
| Sector 23 | 1,520 | 184 | $65,198 |
| Sector 54 | 1,411 | 147 | $103,374 |
| Sector 42 | 1,340 | 78 | $69,393 |
| Sector 81 | 1,020 | 219 | $34,838 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 6,019 jobs, 17.6 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Bay County
What businesses operate in Bay County
- Establishments, all industries2,044
- Employment at those establishments29,377
- Annual payroll$1.40 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.8
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Bay County
What is being built in Bay County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202435
- Declared construction value permitted$12.0 m
- Single family units authorised35
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$342,022
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.8
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Bay County
How much SBA lending happens in Bay County
- 7(a) approvals recorded125
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$44.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$351,834
- Median 7(a) approval$136,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$850,000
- Largest single approval$3,313,600
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,254
- Jobs per approval10.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active26
- Distinct industries receiving approvals62
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer18.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms23
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter95
- Franchise loans11
- Franchise share of approvals8.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (8)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (58)
- 504 approvals recorded26
- 504 gross approval dollars$9.7 m
- Average 504 approval$374,462
- Median 504 approval$364,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval9.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved25.4
- Most active CDCMichigan Certified Development Corporation (23)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals82.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$53.7 m
The average approval of $351,834 sits well above the median of $136,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 18.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bay County
Do SBA loans in Bay County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded21
- Paid in full20
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans4.8 percent
- Status: Paid in full20
- Status: Exempt from disclosure80
- Status: Cancelled18
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed6
Of the 21 loans that have reached a final outcome, 4.8 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bay County
Which parts of Bay County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending10
- BAY CITY, approvals84
- Linwood, approvals11
- KAWKAWLIN, approvals9
- AUBURN, approvals8
- ESSEXVILLE, approvals6
- PINCONNING, approvals3
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| BAY CITY | 84 | $32,310,000 |
| Linwood | 11 | $1,787,300 |
| KAWKAWLIN | 9 | $2,271,000 |
| AUBURN | 8 | $3,729,000 |
| ESSEXVILLE | 6 | $2,160,000 |
| PINCONNING | 3 | $869,400 |
| Standish | 1 | $187,100 |
| Kawkawlim | 1 | $100,000 |
BAY CITY accounts for 84 approvals against 11 in Linwood. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bay County
How big is Bay County
- Land area442 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Michigan counties79th of 83
- Width, east to west23.5 mi
- Height, north to south35.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land233
- Establishments per square mile4.62
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Bay County
What hazards affect Bay County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book18
- Of those, participating in the NFIP17
- NFIP participation rate94.4 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 5
- Communities carrying a CRS class2
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 5, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for properties in the participating community.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Bay County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Bay County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population103,008
- Households45,103
- Average household size2.28
- Median household income$61,763
- Median age43.9
Common questions
Bay County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Bay County, Michigan?
103,008, in 45,103 households, ranking 20th of 83 Michigan counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Bay County growing?
The population has fallen 1.16 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 936 births against 1,299 deaths, with net migration of 245. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Bay County?
$61,763. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $152,200, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $860 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Bay County?
2,044 establishments, employing 29,377 people with an annual payroll of $1.40 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Bay County?
Average annual pay is $54,617, or $1,050 a week, across 34,112 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Bay County?
125 7(a) approvals totalling $44.0 m since FY2020, across 26 lenders, with a median approval of $136,000, plus 26 504 approvals worth $9.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Bay County get paid back?
Of the 21 loans that have reached a final outcome, 20 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge off rate of 4.8 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Bay County?
35 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $12.0 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Bay County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Bay County come from?
The largest single origin is Bay County Non-migrants, with 43,977 households. Arriving households report an average income of $51,085 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Bay County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Bay County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.