Big Bay Michigan aerial view, 1976
Big Bay’s story
124 years in pictures
Census counts: 265 in 2000, 257 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1976 and 2 maps from 1954 on.
- 1902Big Bay is settled
Big BayMI
This town of 306 people was settled in 1902.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified or unknown · Public domain
Population
306
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$273K
Census ACS
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
59.5
years
Jobs based here
138
A job hub
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 midpoint 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.
Small town
306 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Powell TownshipBig Bay
Getting set up
Moving to Big Bay: who provides what
Big Bay is unincorporated, so Marquette County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerUpper Michigan Energy Resources17.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPowell Township water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers88% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesMarquette CountyMarquette County provides services here
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.govWho runs elections herePowell Township ClerkPowell Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes49808, 4985549808 88% · 49855 12%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 Big Bay.
Work & commute
With 1.7 jobs for every working resident, Big Bay draws in 132 commuters
The top destinations are Marquette (31%), Powell Township (12%) and Ishpeming Township (7%). The share of residents in Big Bay who live below the poverty line: 21%. Between 2011 and 2021, jobs locally rose by 115, to 138. Its middle household income is $52,000.
7%work in town
| 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
In Big Bay7%
Marquette31%
Powell Township12%
Ishpeming Township7%
Ishpeming5%
24 mi
median commute distance
138
jobs based in Big Bay
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Who lives here
Big Bay skews older than Michigan
34% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Big Bay. People 65 and older are 40% of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (22% statewide).
59.5median age · MI 40.2
Big BayMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
27%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school34%
Some college24%
Associate’s6%
Bachelor’s25%
Graduate9%
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
Natural hazards
Low risk in Big Bay, with inland flooding at the top
48% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 36%. Big Bay’s risk rating from FEMA comes in at 26 of 100. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 74% of U.S. communities.
26risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesHail
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
132″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–28°
Spring30–48°
Summer54–73°
Fall39–54°
Oct 6
typical first frost
May 22
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Big Bay stands out in Michigan and nationally: a smaller share of its adults feel lonely
28% of Big Bay adults sleep under 7 hours. Only 6 of the 702 Michigan towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Big Bay. Against the Michigan average, Big Bay comes out ahead on 12 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 6.
| 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% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
12 better14 too close to call6 worse
| 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% |
Bell Hospital
21.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Big Bay keeps 0.3% of its land conserved
Trails run 3.3 miles in 4 parks and preserves. Big Bay’s trail network density stands at 0.6 miles per square mile.
0.3%conserved
| 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 |
0.3%
conserved · 10 of 3,847 acres
3.3 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| 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
Housing
The median home in Big Bay sells for about $696K
Among households in Big Bay, 95% own their home.
$696Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Big Bay
16pages on Big Bay
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Big Bay; the nearest are
Northern Michigan UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Marquette22.8 mi$14,277 in-state tuitionKeweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · LAnse35.2 mi$5,000 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Big Bay residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
A job hub
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.
138jobs based in Big Bay
7%of working residents work in town
24 mimedian commute distance
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.