Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County . Once two independent cities, the consolidated City of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center that in recent years has suffered from population decline, job losses, and increased crime rates . Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan. The city is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of the Tri-Cities area, along with Bay City, Michigan and Midland, Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 61,799 with the 2006 population estimate showing a decline to 57,523 in the city .