Bay City vs Midland
Bay City, Michigan versus Midland, Michigan: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Bay City and Midland score about the same overall (54 vs 51 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bay City | Midland |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $45k | $72k |
| Cost of Living | $42k | $46k |
| Home Value | $83k | $178k |
| Monthly Rent | $726 | $952 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $987 | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.06% | 1.76% |
| Income Tax | 4.30% | 4.30% |
| Sales Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.08% | 10.63% |
| Unemployment | 6.2% | 4.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 23°F | 23°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 71°F | 71°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 33.1 in | 33.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 49.0 in | 49.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 226 days | 226 days |
| Summer Humidity | 61°F | 61°F |
| Comfortable Days | 95 days | 94 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 38.1 | 56.5 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 49 AQI |
| School Quality | 51.1 | 51.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1243/100k | 662/100k |
| Property Crime | 951/100k | 792/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 32,664 | 42,404 |
| Median Age | 39.2 | 38.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.23 | 0.20 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.90 | 0.95 |
| Political Leaning | R+12 | R+15 |
| White (%) | 81.8% | 87.7% |
| Black (%) | 2.7% | 2.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 10.6% | 4.4% |
| Asian (%) | 0.3% | 2.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.5% | 2.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 21 min | 21 min |
| Walkability | 9.6/20 | 8.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 96 mi | 83 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.3% | 88.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 31.84 | 37.26 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bay City or Midland more affordable?
- Bay City has the lower cost of living: its index is $42k, compared with Bay City's $42k and Midland's $46k. Median rent is $726 in Bay City versus $952 in Midland.
- Is Bay City or Midland safer?
- Midland has the lower violent crime rate. Bay City reports 1243/100k and Midland reports 662/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bay City or Midland?
- The median home value is $83k in Bay City and $178k in Midland, so homes are more affordable in Bay City.