What percentage of people rent in Bay City, TX?

Name: Renters and owners in Bay City, TX, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

54.2% (±4.9 points) of the occupied homes in Bay City, TX are rented (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is 3,980 renting households against 3,362 that own their home.

In Bay City, the share of households that rent went from 42.3% in 2015–2019 to 54.2% in 2020–2024 (+11.9 percentage points), a measurable increase.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Households that rent: 54.2% (±4.9 points)
Renting households: 3,980 (±463)
Median renter income: $37,761 (±$6,643)

Who rents and who owns in Bay City

Tenure, estimate (90% margin of error)
	Bay City	Matagorda County	Texas	United States
Renter-occupied share	54.2% (±4.9 points)	31.9% (±3.1 points)	37.4% (±0.2 points)	34.8%
Renting households	3,980 (±463)	4,924 (±528)	4,113,561 (±20,050)	45,017,354
Owning households	3,362 (±389)	10,515 (±508)	6,879,255 (±32,101)	84,210,142
Average renter household size	2.1 (±0.2)	2.1 (±0.2)	2.4 (±0.0)	2.3
Average owner household size	2.7 (±0.3)	2.5 (±0.1)	2.9 (±0.0)	2.6
Median renter household income	$37,761 (±$6,643)	$36,538 (±$6,417)	$53,222 (±$285)	$52,966
Median owner household income	$69,605 (±$10,491)	$67,907 (±$3,503)	$100,555 (±$369)	$100,009

In Bay City, the renter share is higher than in Matagorda County (31.9%).

It is also higher than in Texas (37.4%).

It is higher than the national figure (34.8%).

In Matagorda County, Bay City ranks 1 of 4 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest renter share.

Statewide, it ranks 57 of 1,421.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How renting in Bay City has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Households that rent	42.3% (±4.0 points)	54.2% (±4.9 points)	+11.9 percentage points	Measurable increase
Median gross rent	$861 (±$54)	$1,025 (±$68)	+19.0%	No measurable change after inflation
Median household income	$50,182 (±$6,677)	$53,840 (±$7,435)	+7.3%	No measurable change after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Households that rent in places near Bay City

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Bay City
Place	Distance	Households that rent	Compared with this place
Bay City	—	54.2% (±4.9 points)	—
Van Vleck	5.5 mi	13.8% (±10.8 points)	Lower
Sweeny	16 mi	26.1% (±14.4 points)	Lower
Wild Peach Village	21 mi	7.0% (±5.3 points)	Lower
West Columbia	22 mi	39.3% (±13.3 points)	Lower
Sargent	23 mi	3.5% (±4.4 points)	Lower
El Campo	24 mi	40.0% (±6.5 points)	Lower
Brazoria	24 mi	35.5% (±13.3 points)	Lower
Wharton	25 mi	45.7% (±7.7 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Van Vleck, TX (13.8%), Sweeny, TX (26.1%), Wild Peach Village, TX (7.0%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Households that rent across Matagorda County, place by place

Rank	Place	Households that rent
1	Bay City	54.2% (±4.9 points)
2	Palacios	16.0% (±11.9 points)
3	Van Vleck	13.8% (±10.8 points)
4	Sargent	3.5% (±4.4 points)

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in Bay City

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near Bay City, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Bay City beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near Bay City, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about Bay City

How many renters are there in Bay City?

Bay City has an estimated 3,980 (±463) renting households, 54.2% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is renting growing in Bay City?

In Bay City, the share of households that rent went from 42.3% in 2015–2019 to 54.2% in 2020–2024 (+11.9 percentage points), a measurable increase.

How big are renting households in Bay City?

A renting household in Bay City has 2.1 people on average, against 2.7 in an owned home.

How much do renters earn in Bay City?

The median renting household in Bay City, TX has an income of $37,761 (±$6,643) a year, against $69,605 for households that own their home.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) for Bay City city, Texas (place:05984, in state:48).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B19013_001E, B19013_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0047E, DP04_0047M, DP04_0046E, DP04_0046M, DP04_0049E, DP04_0049M, DP04_0048E, DP04_0048M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.