Big BayMI
A town of 306, settled in 1902.
Is Big Bay a good place to live?
Big Bay’s July high is 75°F, below both Michigan’s towns (82°F) and U.S. towns (85°F). Only 3 of the 702 Michigan towns we compare have a higher median age than Big Bay. The biggest park or preserve is Perkins Park, at 48 acres. Big Bay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
306 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Big Bay: who provides what
Big Bay is unincorporated, so Marquette 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 Big Bay.
With 1.7 jobs for every working resident, Big Bay draws in 132 commuters
Most working residents leave Big Bay for work: only 7% work in town. 21% of Big Bay residents live below the poverty line, against 8.9% in Michigan’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Big Bay’s median household income is $52,000.
| Big Bay | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Older than Michigan overall
People 65 and older are 40% of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (22% statewide). 34% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Big Bay.
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 44% and 83% women
The Census survey reached too few of Big Bay’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±19.3 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Big Bay | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.2% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.9% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.8% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.2% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 3.6% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.7% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 27.1% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.4% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.4% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33.5% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.7% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.9% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.6% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.9% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
Low risk in Big Bay, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 74% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Big Bay has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Big Bay has cold, snowy winters and cool summers. The January low in Big Bay is 13°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Big Bay stands out in Michigan and nationally: a smaller share of its adults feel lonely
27% of Big Bay adults feel lonely. Big Bay beats the Michigan average on 12 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 14% of Big Bay adults report frequent mental distress.
| Big Bay | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 36% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 34% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 85% | 80% | 79% |
| What stands out | Big Bay | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.9% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.2% | 8.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.3% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Big Bay | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Perkins Park | — | 48 |
| 2. Draver Park | — | 4 |
| 3. Marquette Underwater Preserve | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Big Bay
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Big Bay; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Big Bay residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Every workday, about 132 people come to Big Bay for work
Where Big Bay’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
About Big Bay
Census-designated place and unincorporated community in Michigan, United States
Big Bay is an unincorporated community in Marquette County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place (CDP) for statistical purposes and does not have any legal status as an incorporated municipality. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a population of 257, down from 319 in 2010. The community is located within Powell Township near the shore of Big Bay on Lake Superior. Although the Big Bay community is served by the Marquette ZIP code 49855, the Big Bay post office with ZIP code 49808, serves a much larger area to the west and south of the community and CDP, including portions of Powell Township as well as Ishpeming, Champion, Michigamme, and Ely townships.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 682 ft
- ZIP code
- 49808
Questions about Big Bay
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Big Bay, MI a good place to live?
Big Bay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.