Horton Bay General Store · National Register of Historic Places
Bay’s story
Bay in pictures
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →BayMI
A town of 1,198. Healthier than 72% of U.S. towns.
Population
1,198
+1.8% since 2010
Median home value
$368K
Census ACS
Household income
$81K
median
Median age
52.9
years
Jobs based here
79
A commuter town
What makes Bay stand out
The thing Bay does most differently from other towns.
Small town
1,198 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
ResortHayesEvangelineHorton BayBay
Bay’s report card
Now in Bay
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Bay? Is a B+ for health right?
Your answer becomes a post in Bay’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →61°
Cloudy
H 59° · L 37°
Local news
All →- Negaunee vs Houghton - Boys Varsity Football 10/16/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 30
- Dollar Bay vs Chassell - Girls Varsity Volleyball 10/02/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 30
- Calumet vs Houghton - Girls Freshman Volleyball 10/20/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 29
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bay. Another town gets a different order.
Natural hazards
Very low risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 3% of U.S. communities.
3risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Bay
Most working residents leave Bay for work: only 2% work in town. The top destinations are Boyne City (17%), Petoskey (13%) and Charlevoix (5%). Half commute less than 10 miles.
2%work in town
Where working residents work
In Bay2%
Boyne City17%
Petoskey13%
Charlevoix5%
Bear Creek5%
10 mi
median commute distance
79
jobs based in Bay
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACSCommute map →
Health
Healthier than 72% of U.S. towns
Bay beats the Michigan average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2.
B+Health Grade
32 measures vs. Michigan
9 better21 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Bay | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.7% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.8% | 11.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.3% | 8.9% |
Mclaren Northern Michigan
6.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
84th
percentile among MI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Bay has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 124 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
124″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–30°
Spring31–51°
Summer55–76°
Fall40–56°
Oct 20
typical first frost
May 6
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Outdoors
3.9% of Bay is conserved land
14 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves.
3.9%conserved
3.9%
conserved · 463 of 12,008 acres
14 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit | 2.2 mi | 208 |
| 2. Maplecrest Preserve | 0.8 mi | 21 |
| 3. Church Family Preserve | 0.6 mi | 26 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Bay for work
Where Bay’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
79jobs based in Bay
2%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
Landmarks
3 places in Bay on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Bay
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Bay Township is a civil township of Charlevoix County, Michigan, United States. The population was 1,142 at the 2020 census. Bay Township was established in 1887. The township contains the census-designated place of Horton Bay. The community and surrounding area were featured in several stories by Ernest Hemingway, particularly the Nick Adams stories including "The End of Something".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 1,142
- Area
- 19 sq mi
- Elevation
- 846 ft