ZIP Code 48706 — Bay City city, MI Demographics & Data

ZIP code 48706 covers Bay City, MI in Bay County with a population of about 38,756.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 44.8 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 989; U.S. House district MI-8; the FLINT - SAGINAW - BAY CITY media market.

Median household income in ZIP 48706 is about $61,908 — about 18% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 13.9%; unemployment rate near 4.5%; 23.6% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 10.1 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Retail trade; about 7.5% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 7.6 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $142,300 — about 59% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $717 (about 38% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 77.3% (about 11.9 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 48706 in Bay City, MI, a household would need roughly $39,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $914. That sits below the local median household income ($61,908), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Bay City city, MI as Relatively Low (composite score 78.2), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (81.5) and hurricane (42.1). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Bay City city, MI show little to no average snow.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 1,516 for ZIP 48706 (Bay City city, MI) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.