Bay County is part of the Bay City area. This page covers the whole metro.
Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.
Around Bay City
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What's nearby
Within 5 miles of the center of the Bay City area.
Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Biking and trails
Within 5 miles of the center of the Bay City area.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.
What rent costs
Of about 10,018 rented homes in the Bay City area, 98% rent for under $2,000 a month and 99% for under $3,000.
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
The middle rented home in the Bay City area rents for under $1,000 a month. First month plus a one-month deposit comes to about under $2,000 before you get the keys.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Your first weeks in Michigan
- Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
- Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Michigan DMV.
- Register to vote at your new address: Michigan voter registration.
- Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
- Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
- Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.
Public schools
4 public school districts in this county, with about 11,690 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.
NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.
Childcare and colleges
Michigan keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
| Age | Daycare center | Home daycare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant (under 2) | $170/week about $8,800 a year | $160/week about $8,300 a year |
| Toddler (2) | $180/week about $9,400 a year | |
| Preschool (3 to 4) | $180/week about $9,400 a year | $156/week about $8,100 a year |
| School-age | $184/week about $9,600 a year |
For an infant at a center: $170/week here, $166 across MI, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 12% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.
One college in the county around Bay City. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.