Cost of living in Bay City research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Bay City is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Michigan, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Bay City is 84, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Bay City is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Bay City ranks as the #32 cheapest in Michigan out of 180.
Bay City ranks as the #406 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Bay City is $122,541.
The median income in Bay City is $47,904.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Bay City has an overall cost of living index of 84, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Michigan, Bay City has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Michigan's index of 90.
The standard of living in Bay City ranks as #32 most affordable out of the 180 places we measured in Michigan. By definition, that implies Bay City ranks as the #148 most expensive place in the Wolverine State.
For more reading on life in Bay City, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Bay City. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Bay City is 102.
The Groceries index in Bay City is 102.
The Health index in Bay City is 103.
The Housing index in Bay City is 47.
The Transportation index in Bay City is 99.
The Utilities index in Bay City is 93.
| Living Expense | Bay City | Michigan | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 84 | 90 | 100 | |
| Services | 102 | 93 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 102 | 97 | 100 | |
| Health | 103 | 91 | 100 | |
| Housing | 47 | 72 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 99 | 96 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 93 | 99 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Michigan, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Bay City is $122,541.
The Median Rent in Bay City is $739.
The Median Income in Bay City is $47,904.
The Home Value To Income in Bay City is 2.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Bay City is 0.19x.