Photo: WeaponizingArchitecture · CC BY-SA 4.0Bay City spent more per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
Bay City’s city government spent $103 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $3,193 per resident.
What stands out about how Bay City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,658 per resident in 2022: more than 94% of them
Bay City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,658 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Michigan cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,614, and the middle half spent $1,446–$1,917. Bay City spent more than 94% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($17 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Michigan cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bay City itself left out).
About $3,193 per resident a year, or $8.75 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 19%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 20% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Bay City reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $2,658 · 2023: $2,969 · 2024: $3,193.
full-time in March 2025, up from 270 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,764 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.81% of the home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bay City’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Bay City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bay City →
Who’s in charge in Bay City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Bay City’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on baycitymi.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 110 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (32,268).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Bay City School District
Bay City’s K–12 school district, shared with Auburn, Monitor Township, Portsmouth Township, Williams Township, Beaver Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,490 per pupil, $9,564 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Michigan districts overall: 34% local, 57% state, 9% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Bay City voted in 2024
Official results for Bay City’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat52.9%8,838 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican45.6%7,621 votesOthers: 1.4% (241 votes).
Most votes in Bay City: Kamala D Harris
Bay County: Trump 56.7%, Harris 42.0% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Bay City’s 25,549 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat54.1%
Mike RogersRepublican42.3%Most votes in Bay City: Elissa Slotkin
Bay County: Rogers 53.4%, Slotkin 43.7% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Kristen McDonald Rivet
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Bay City, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay City | 52.9% | 45.6% | 1.4% | 16,700 |
| Bay County | 42.0% | 56.7% | 1.3% | 61,338 |
| Michigan | 48.3% | 49.7% | 2.0% | 5,664,186 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017; Elissa Slotkin: U.S. House portrait (congress-legislators project); Mike Rogers: U.S. House portrait (congress-legislators project). All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Bay City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: baycitymi.gov ↗
- 2Michigan HouseState representatives
- 3Michigan SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Michigan
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Bay City compares with the towns next door
Bay City spent $2,658 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth Township | $419 | $2,242 |
| Monitor Township | $536 | $2,981 |
| Frankenlust Township | $671 | $2,728 |
| Bangor Township | $698 | $2,326 |
| Hampton Township | $778 | $2,760 |
| Essexville | estimate | $2,493 |
| Bay City | $2,658 | $1,764 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Bay City’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Bay City’s government
How much does Bay City spend per resident?
About $3,193 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,658 was more than 94% of 18 Michigan cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bay City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,764 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.81% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see baycitymi.gov.
Who runs Bay City’s government?
See baycitymi.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bay City yet.
How did Bay City vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 52.9%, Donald J Trump 45.6% (16,700 votes, official results). Bay County: Trump 56.7%, Harris 42.0%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Bay City?
294 full-time and 17 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.0M (about $23.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bay City in the state legislature?
State Senate District 35 (Chedrick Greene) and State House District 96 (Timmy Beson). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bay City’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →