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

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Highlights
Are people in Bay City older or younger than people in Petoskey?
- The Median Age in Bay City is 2.9 years younger than in Petoskey.

Are housing costs cheaper in Bay City or Petoskey?
- Bay City housing costs are 73.2% less expensive than Petoskey housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, Bay City or Petoskey?
- The average commute for residents of Bay City is 0.8 minutes longer than it is for residents of Petoskey.

Things to do in Petoskey?
Petoskey, MI is a small city situated in northwest Lower Michigan and is known for its breathtaking views of the Great Lakes. It is an ideal place to live, offering a peaceful and safe atmosphere combined with plenty of recreational activities. The downtown area has plenty of shops, restaurants and cafes to explore, while there are also numerous parks and outdoor areas nearby offering great opportunities for hiking, biking, camping and fishing. Despite its small size Petoskey provides a vibrant community with many local events going on throughout the year. With its stunning scenery and laidback lifestyle Petoskey offers the perfect combination of relaxation and adventure making it an ideal place to live!

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.

 Petoskey, MIBay City, MIUnited States
 Population  Unlock32,824329,725,481
 Median Income$60,054  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock3938.4
 Avg. Home Price$346,000  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock8.2%6.0%
 Avg. Commute Time19.07  Unlock26.38
Reviews for Petoskey    15 Reviews

The people in Petoskey are generally pleasant, friendly, and courteous .... even the teenagers in our experience. Petoskey is certainly a physically attractive area in  More

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Petoskey, between Harbor Springs and Charlevoix, is in a trio of small northern Lower Michigan towns that exceeds the charm and sophistication of typical small towns.   More

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Over 6 years ago

My husband and I have lived in Petoskey for 8 years. We have lived in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Virginia and Ohio and by far, Petoskey is our favorite place to live. We  More

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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

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But everything else is going to  More

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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

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