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Bay City, MI housing market

Data through September 2026 · updated 2026-11-07 · free, from Zillow, Realtor.com, the Census Bureau and other public sources

Typical home value$186,132+6.5% YoY · prices are rising fast
Market right nowBalanced marketMore homes for sale than last year, 22% have cut their price
Income needed to buy, per year$40,350About 0.6× the local median income ($64,751): affordable for a typical household
Days on market51 daysSlower than a year ago: buyers have time to negotiate
Next 12 months+4.8%Zillow expects prices to rise strongly

The typical home in Bay City, MI is worth $186,132, up 6.5% from a year ago. That is well above what local incomes have historically supported: fair value is about $154,726, so the area is 20.3% overvalued. It is a balanced market: homes take about 51 days to sell, listings are up 39% from a year ago, 22% of listings have had a price cut. Zillow expects prices to rise about 4.8% over the next year. A household needs about $40,350 a year to afford the typical home here at today's 7.18% mortgage rate (20% down, payment at 30% of income); the median household earns $64,751. Typical rent is $1,018 a month, or $1,119 for a house. In the latest IRS figures, 196 more people moved in than out.

Home value over time

$0K$50K$100K$150K19801990200020102020
Solid: typical home value · dashed: fair value (household income × the 20-year average price-to-income ratio). Sources: FHFA, Zillow, U.S. Census Bureau.

Prices and affordability

Typical home value$186,132
Change in 1 year+6.5%
Overvalued %+20.3%
Show 7 more
Fair home value$154,726
Change in 5 years+36.6%
Zillow forecast, next 12 months+4.8%
Home value to income2.9×
Monthly mortgage payment (20% down)$1,009
Income needed to afford it$40,350
Property tax rate1.49%

Rent and investing

Typical rent$1,018
Typical rent for houses$1,119
Price-to-rent ratio15.2×
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HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedrooms$1,055
Gross rental yield6.56%
Cap rate (estimate)4.27%

Market activity

Listings vs a year ago+38.8%
Days on market51
Listings with a price cut22.2%
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Homes for sale290
Pending sales per 100 listings47
Asking price per sq ft$125

People and jobs

Median household income$64,751
Population change (1 year)−0.3%
Unemployment rate4.3%
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Population102,123
Income adjusted for cost of living$70,458
Net moves in (IRS)+196
Cost of living (US = 100)91.9

Schools, risk and environment

School rating (1 to 10)4.9
FEMA hazard risk score (0 to 100)78.2
Unhealthy air days a year3
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Flood risk score81.5
Wildfire risk score14.7
Walkability (1 to 20)7.3
Road, rail and air noise54 dB

Questions people ask

Is Bay City, MI overvalued?
Home prices in Bay City, MI are well above what local incomes have historically supported: fair value is about $154,726, so the area is 20.3% overvalued.
Is Bay City, MI a buyer's or seller's market?
Bay City, MI is a balanced market: homes take about 51 days to sell, listings are up 39% from a year ago, 22% of listings have had a price cut.
Are home prices going down in Bay City, MI?
Home values in Bay City, MI are up 6.5% over the last year. Zillow's forecast for the next 12 months is +4.8%.
How much do you need to earn to buy a home in Bay City, MI?
A household needs about $40,350 a year to afford the typical home in Bay City, MI at today's 7.18% mortgage rate (20% down, payment at 30% of income); the median household earns $64,751.

Counties in this metro

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