Bay AR 001, 2011
Bay’s story
142 years in pictures
Census counts: 300 in 1930, 1,876 in 2020. The archive holds 29 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 3 maps from 1940 on.
- 1884Bay is settled
Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki ([email protected]) · CC BY 3.0
Population
1,803
2025 Census estimate · −3.9% since 2020
Typical home
$137K
+6.3% in a year
Household income
$60K
median
Median age
31.6
years
Jobs based here
226
A commuter town
Is Bay a good place to live?
Bay’s best subject grade is an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a D for hazard risk. 34% of residents are under 18 in Bay, where Arkansas’ towns sit at 25% and U.S. towns at 22%. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 82% of U.S. towns. Only 1 of the 109 Arkansas towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Bay. Bay's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 92% of U.S. towns. Bay has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Bay stand out
Where Bay beats most towns.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Bay for work
Where Bay’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
226jobs based in Bay
2%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Bay grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arkansas), ordered by how far Bay is from typical.
Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4 of 20; 2.3% of households have no car; 1.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →HealthBaptist Memorial Hospital Jonesboro 9.5 miles awayC−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →SafetyBOpen →Jobs & income$60K median household income; 226 jobs based hereB−Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsCOpen →History1 notable person born hereDOpen →Civic life0.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 31.6; 14% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Bay: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bay, and how to reach them.
PowerEntergy Arkansas13.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBay WaterworksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Bay’s trash rules yet
Register to voteIn personArkansas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCraighead County ClerkCraighead County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2015
ZIP code7241172411 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bay.
HealthC−
Residents of Bay are less healthy than 81% of U.S. towns
Bay beats the Arkansas average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 28% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Bay, above both the Arkansas town median (25%) and the median of U.S. towns (23%). 20% of Bay adults report frequent mental distress.
19%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Bay | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 25% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Arkansas
1 better31 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Bay | AR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.8% | 18.6% |
Baptist Memorial Hospital Jonesboro
9.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB−
On state tests, Bay’s schools beat 50% of Arkansas districts
Its public schools are run by the Bay School District. Its two schools are below.
50%of AR districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 317 | B− |
| Bay High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 233 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AR on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade A−
A typical Bay home is worth about $137K
The typical Bay home is worth about $137,000, up 6.3% in a year, 39% below the Arkansas typical home. 23% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent in Bay.
$137KZillow home value
| Bay | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 23% | 45% | 48% |
| Households that own their home | 48% | 60% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,028 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Bay$137K
Arkansas$224K
+6.3%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Bay faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by earthquakes
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 80% of U.S. communities. Since 2001, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Bay.
80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesTornadoesInland flooding
7
paid flood claims since 2001
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
About half of Bay’s working residents commute to Jonesboro
Most working residents leave Bay for work: only 2% work in town. The average trip to work in Bay is 17 minutes. The top destinations are Jonesboro (50%), Lake City (5%) and Paragould (5%).
2%work in town
| Bay | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.1% | 22% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 18% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Bay2%
Jonesboro50%
Lake City5%
Paragould5%
Trumann4%
10 mi
median commute distance
226
jobs based in Bay
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 18% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Bay, expect mild winters and hot summers
Bay has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Bay’s July high is 91°F.
4″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter32–50°
Spring50–71°
Summer70–90°
Fall51–72°
Nov 9
typical first frost
Mar 23
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
57%of U.S. towns report more crimeBSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Bay1.1
Arkansas5.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Bay1.1
Arkansas16.7
U.S.15.5
57th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
2
violent crimes reported in 2025
2
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
OutdoorsC
Bay has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
0.4 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,975 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bay City Ball Park | — | 13 |
| 2. Bay-Ben Sheets Memorial Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bay
19pages on Bay
The big questions
SchoolsB−Beat 50% of AR districts · 2 schoolsSafetyB1.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than AR on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA−$137K typical home · up 6.3% in a yearWork & commuteB−$60K median household income · 226 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 80% of U.S. communities · earthquakes
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Bay
About 2 of every 100 Bay residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.
About Bay
City in Arkansas, United States
Bay is a city in Craighead County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,876 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Jonesboro Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 230 ft
- ZIP code
- 72411
- Area code
- 870
Bay’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Bay.
JonesboroBay
How the neighbors grade
Bay has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Compare Bay with a neighbor →