Bay ShoreMI
The town was settled in 1892 and has 697 residents today.
Is Bay Shore a good place to live?
9.9% of residents are under 18 in Bay Shore, below both the Michigan town median (21%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). Only 8 of the 702 Michigan towns we compare have a lower July high than Bay Shore. Bay Shore has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
697 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Bay Shore: who provides what
Bay Shore is unincorporated, so Charlevoix County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bay Shore.
Bay Shore stands out in Michigan and nationally, with the FEMA risk score lower than most
FEMA puts 48% of Bay Shore’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 40% to cold waves. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 99% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
More middle-aged adults than Michigan overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 52% of residents (38% statewide); children under 18 are 10% of residents (21% statewide). For Bay Shore, the midpoint age is 51 years. Michigan has 32% of adults 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or more; here it is 32%.
| Bay Shore | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 26% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.1 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Bay Shore | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 3.6% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.3% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.9% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.1% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.8% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 20.1% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.5% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.8% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 14.1% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 15.5% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.8% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.7% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.9% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
With only 0.2 jobs per working resident, most people in Bay Shore work out of town
Employers in Bay Shore added 37 jobs between 2011 and 2021, to 47. The town’s typical journey to work is 17 minutes. The median commute is under 9 miles. The top destinations are Petoskey (20%), Charlevoix (14%) and Bear Creek Township (8%).
| Bay Shore | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.7% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Bay Shore
In July, afternoons reach 76°; in January, nights fall to 16°, and about 124 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Bay Shore is
The share of adults in Bay Shore who smoke cigarettes: 12%. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Bay Shore is ahead of Michigan on 12 and behind on 2. Among adults in the town, 15% report frequent mental distress and 20% get no exercise outside work.
| Bay Shore | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 25% | 25% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 80% | 79% |
| What stands out | Bay Shore | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.4% | 10.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.9% | 15.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.3% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Bay Shore
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Bay Shore
About 3 of every 100 Bay Shore residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
100% of working residents leave Bay Shore for work
Where Bay Shore’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
About Bay Shore
Census-designated place & unincorporated community in Michigan, United States
Bay Shore is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located on the boundary between Charlevoix County and Emmet County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population of the CDP was 657 at the 2020 census. Bay Shore is located along Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan just west of the city of Petoskey. It is mostly within Hayes Township in Charlevoix County with a small portion extending east into Resort Township in Emmet County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 679 ft
- ZIP code
- 49711
- Area code
- 231
Questions about Bay Shore
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bay Shore, MI a good place to live?
Bay Shore has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.