Alpena, MI vs Bay City, MI

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricAlpena, MIBay City, MI
Population10,15432,320
Median Household Income$47,545$49,420
Median Rent$625/mo$766/mo
Median Home Value$118,700$97,600
Cost of Living (US = 100)—92
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income43.9%42.5%
Poverty Rate21.2%19.1%
Unemployment Rate5.7% (county)8.7%
Violent Crime Rate /100k466510
Property Crime Rate /100k9121,580
Median AQI—39
Good AQI Days /yr—252
Summer Highs75°F80°F
Winter Lows16°F18°F
Snowfall59 in/yr49 in/yr
Avg Commute11.1 min21.3 min
Hospitals11
Avg Hospital Rating3.0 / 51.0 / 5
Students per Teacher16.914.8
College Degree Rate16.2%18.8%
Foreign-Born %0.9%2.3%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-1.5%-2.4%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.