2025 Compare Cities Overview:
Bay City, MI vs Alpena, MI

Change Cities
Highlights
Are people in Alpena older or younger than people in Bay City?
- The Median Age in Alpena is 5.0 years older than in Bay City.

Are housing costs cheaper in Alpena or Bay City?
- Alpena housing costs are 54.0% more expensive than Bay City housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, Alpena or Bay City?
- The average commute for residents of Alpena is 7.9 minutes shorter than it is for residents of Bay City.

Things to do in Bay City?
Bay City MI rests near Saginaw Valley known mostly for its historic riverfront district packed with shops & restaurants alongside several Victorian style houses giving visitors an authentic glimpse into Michigan’s past.

Things to do in Alpena?
Alpena stands out as Michigan's only natural deep water harbor conveniently situated near Lake Huron's Thunder Bay . With over 10000 inhabiting citizens this area provides tremendous recreational variety from boating expeditions to world class scuba diving dives & almost infinite outdoors fishing very popular among vacationers coming from all over United States .

 Bay City, MIAlpena, MIUnited States
 Population  Unlock10,181329,725,481
 Median Income$41,959  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock4438.4
 Avg. Home Price$92,600  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock6.0%6.0%
 Avg. Commute Time19.86  Unlock26.38
Reviews for Bay City    7 Reviews

Bay City offers low prices for homes due to lower population (Current lower demand). Years ago, the population was more than 3x as big due to big lumber industry, etc.  More

   |    Reply

But everything else is going to  More

   |    Reply

There are many pros to Bay City, it is incredibly cheap to live in and most everything is very affordable. The problem is that the economy is terrible and there aren't  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Bay City

Reviews for Alpena    5 Reviews

One of the ten best places to visit in Michigan. I was born and raised in Michigan but now live in Seattle. I get back to Michigan frequently because my brother  More

   |    Reply

Over 12 years ago

Alpena is 740 ft above sea leval and gets 72 in. of snow every year. That's a good thing and Alpena is a winter wonderland for me . Clean and crisp with the lake frozen  More

   |    Reply

Alpena is a town for all ages, with plenty to do, more than one person could attend. I think the events are varied and offer something for everyone. The town is  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Alpena


Premium Subscription
Includes Cost of Living compares for child care, utilities, transportation, health, taxes, housing for home owners vs renters, weather, insurance premiums and so much more.


The premier source for comprehensive city data for over 30 years.

© Best Places. All rights reserved.