States › Texas › Bay City

Is Bay City, TX expensive to live in?

OKRent takes 21 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,02342% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$58,066about $4,839/month · 33% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$160,80052% lower than U.S. average

Rent is lower than in 87% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs under 3 years of household income, which is easy by U.S. standards.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $40,920 a year. That is $20 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other Texas cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of Texas. It is number 70 of 426 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Bay City
$1,023
Alice
$941
Gainesville
$1,420
Stafford
$1,919
Glenn Heights
$2,738
White Settlement
$1,848
Addison
$1,964

How much do households earn in Bay City?

Under $25k
17.1%
$25k–50k
29.3%
$50k–100k
26.6%
$100k–150k
11.9%
$150k+
6.1%

Share of households by yearly income. 18.0% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Bay City

SizeBay CityU.S. average
Studio$1,049$1,338
1 bedroom$894$1,324
2 bedrooms$1,089$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,452$1,698

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Bay City overall?

Everyday prices in Texas overall are 3% below the U.S. average (index 97.1, U.S. = 100).

Housing
97
Goods (food, clothes…)
98
Utilities
88
Other services
97
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Bay City, so the Texas figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Bay City

🏛️ Property tax$2,808a year · 1.75% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$165a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Bay City

Commute to work20.6 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree20.2%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home45.8%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line26%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment13.3%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bay City?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $93 a month less.

Renting
$1,023
Owning
$1,116

Owning assumes a typical $160,800 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $16,080 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Bay City, TX?

Renting in Bay City costs a median of about $1,023 a month in 2026, including utilities. The Texas median is $1,451.

How much do I need to make to live in Bay City?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $40,920 a year, or $20 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Bay City cheap or expensive?

Bay City is rated OK: rent takes 21.1% of the typical household income of $58,066. It ranks 70th cheapest of 426 Texas cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Bay City?

The median homeowner in Bay City pays $2,808 a year in property taxes, about 1.75% of the median home value.

Is Bay City more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in Texas are 3% below the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Bay City?

The median home value in Bay City is $160,800, about 2.8 times the typical yearly household income.

17,730 people live in Bay City. Numbers are typical (middle) values.