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2009-0619-BayView-chapel
Michigan›Emmet County

Bay ViewMI

A town of 164, settled in 1886. A regional job hub with 219 jobs.

2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0
Photo of Bay View

Bay View, MI · Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0 · Source ↗

Is Bay View a good place to live?

69% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Bay View, where Michigan’s towns sit at 26% and U.S. towns at 29%. Of the 702 Michigan towns we compare, none has a higher median age than Bay View. Bay View’s trail density is 2.5 miles per square mile, above both Michigan’s towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4). The biggest park or preserve is Bay View Woods Park, at 20 acres. Bay View has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

What makes Bay View stand out

Where Bay View beats most towns.

Small town

164 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Bear Creek TownshipPetoskeyBear Creek TownshipPetoskeyBay View
Getting set up

Moving to Bay View: who provides what

Bay View is unincorporated, so Emmet County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Petoskey water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers74% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesEmmet CountyEmmet County provides services here
SchoolsPublic Schools of PetoskeyWhich school depends on your addressNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Michigan you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections hereBear Creek Township ClerkBear Creek Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4977049770 100%Census 2020

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 View.

Work & commute

The median household income in Bay View is higher than in most of Michigan or the rest of the country

Bay View’s median household income is $237,000. Of the 702 Michigan towns we compare, none has a higher share of workers working from home than Bay View. 4.9% of Bay View residents live below the poverty line.

0%work in town
Bay ViewMichigan townsU.S. towns
Work from home100%10%11%
Median household income$237,000$77,000$80,000
Below the poverty line4.9%8.9%9.6%

Where working residents work

In Bay View0%
Petoskey23%
Bear Creek Township15%
Traverse City7%
Resort Township7%
8 mi
median commute distance
219
jobs based in Bay View
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2021 · ACS

Natural hazards

Bay View stands out in Michigan and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is lower

The FEMA risk score in Bay View is 0 of 100.

0risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
0Very low riskLowerHigher
Cold wavesInland floodingTornadoes

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

Bay View has snowy winters and pleasant summers

Bay View has cold, snowy winters and cool summers. Only 4 of the 702 Michigan towns we compare have a lower July high than Bay View.

124″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter17–29°
Spring31–50°
Summer56–74°
Fall41–56°
Oct 20
typical first frost
May 6
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy Bay View is

Bay View beats the Michigan average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 9.9% of adults smoke cigarettes in Bay View.

Bay ViewMichigan townsU.S. towns
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)9.9%15%14%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)15%18%17%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)30%37%35%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)12%14%14%
32 measures vs. Michigan
11 better20 too close to call1 worse
What stands outBay ViewMI
Fewer adults facing food insecurity8.3%15.4%
Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off4.9%8.7%
More adults who have had cancer11.5%8.9%
Mclaren Northern Michigan
2.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

Bay View has set aside 4.6% of its land for conservation

1.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.

4.6%conserved
4.6%
conserved · 11 of 243 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 2.5 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Bay View Woods Park0.6 mi20

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Bay View

16pages on Bay View
After high school

Colleges nearby

1 within 15 miles of the center of Bay View

A job hub

Every workday, about 219 people come to Bay View for work

Where Bay View’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

23% → Petoskey Petoskey 23% 15% → Bear Creek Township Bear Creek Township 15% 7% → Traverse City Traverse City 7% 7% → Resort Township Resort Township 7% 5% → Boyne Valley Township Boyne Valley Township 5% 3% → Charlevoix Charlevoix 3% Bay View · 0% stay
219jobs based in Bay View
0%of working residents work in town
8 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2021

About Bay View

United States historic place

The Bay View Association of the United Methodist Church, known as Bay View, is an example of two uniquely American community forms: the Methodist camp meeting and the independent Chautauqua. Designed for the first purpose in 1876 as the county's only romantically-planned campground, and adapted for the second from 1885 to 1915, Bay View has remained in continuous operation since its foundation.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
0.4 sq mi

Questions about Bay View

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Bay View, MI a good place to live?

Bay View has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.