Population 39,162 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Portage
Household size in Portage
| Period | Portage | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.61 | 2.79 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.65 | 2.82 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.54 | 2.75 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.67 | 2.66 | 2.54 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.06 | −0.12 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
At 2.67 people per household, Portage sits close to the national average of 2.65. Household size has crept up from 2.61 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the east.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Portage
| Period | Portage | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.2 | 36.8 | 37.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.3 | 37.8 | 38.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.1 | 38.9 | 39.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.3 | 39.7 | 39.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.2 | +3.0 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
At 40.3, the median age in Portage is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.2, in line with the national trend.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Portage
| Period | Portage | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 12.0% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.0% | 12.0% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.0% | 11.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.1% | 11.5% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Portage: 15.1% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is up 1.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Only 18 of the 187 Indiana cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Portage
Renters in Portage
| Period | Portage | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.2% | 32.1% | 28.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.7% | 34.8% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.3% | 35.5% | 30.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.4% | 34.5% | 29.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Portage rent their homes (27.4%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 31.7% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the east.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Portage
| Period | Portage | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 9.8% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 9.8% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 8.9% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 7.2% | 9.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Portage: 7.9% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. That is in line with the rest of the Chicago area. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged up 1.2 points, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Portage
| Period | Portage | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1966 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1967 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1967 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1970 | 1977 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Portage are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1983, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in the Chicago area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1970. The median year built has moved up from 1979 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the west.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Portage
| Period | Portage | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $780 | $1,060 | $763 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $931 | $1,142 | $819 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $976 | $1,306 | $903 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,317 | $1,602 | $1,146 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$537 | +$542 | +$384 | +$606 |
Rent in Portage runs $1,317 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $537 a month from 2006–10, a 69% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 34.9% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southeast; the highest are in the west.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Portage
Bachelor's degrees in Portage
| Period | Portage | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.3% | 33.9% | 23.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.1% | 35.2% | 24.6% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.5% | 37.9% | 27.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.5% | 40.9% | 30.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Portage have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 18.5%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 4.2 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Portage
| Period | Portage | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.7% | 85.6% | 86.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.1% | 86.7% | 87.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.3% | 88.4% | 88.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.8% | 89.5% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | +3.9 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Portage is close to the national rate: 89.8% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 2.1 points, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Portage
| Period | Portage | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 9.1% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 10.8% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 6.3% | 4.9% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 6.3% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | −2.8 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Portage: 6.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Of the 187 Indiana cities with 5,000+ people, only 17 have higher unemployment. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.3 points, in line with the national trend.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Portage compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage | 2.67 | 40.3 | 15.1% | 27.4% | 7.9% | 1983 | $1,317 | 18.5% | 89.8% | 6.6% |
| Ogden Dunes | 2.27 | 51.9 | 3.0% | 0.6% | 14.3% | 1960 | $1,241 | 73.4% | 97.6% | 2.6% |
| Burns Harbor | 2.47 | 40.8 | 12.9% | 30.9% | 7.8% | 1994 | $1,361 | 24.5% | 95.8% | 7.7% |
| Lake Station | 2.78 | 36.1 | 19.1% | 25.3% | 7.1% | 1963 | $1,173 | 8.3% | 77.1% | 13.3% |
| Wheeler | 2.76 | 43.8 | 6.6% | 11.6% | 2.3% | 1989 | $1,369 | 15.1% | 93.6% | 3.5% |
| New Chicago | 2.61 | 29.1 | 19.1% | 42.9% | 11.1% | 1974 | $1,135 | 9.0% | 77.9% | 8.2% |
| Hobart | 2.47 | 41.4 | 9.7% | 29.5% | 8.1% | 1971 | $1,171 | 21.1% | 93.9% | 3.9% |
| Porter | 2.35 | 42.3 | 10.9% | 18.0% | 6.8% | 1982 | $1,133 | 29.8% | 97.4% | 6.4% |
| Deep River | 2.82 | 47.1 | 8.1% | 3.5% | 4.1% | 1993 | $1,369 | 23.7% | 91.5% | 3.3% |
| Chesterton | 2.51 | 41.4 | 11.1% | 20.5% | 7.7% | 1983 | $1,352 | 36.6% | 96.0% | 4.8% |
| Dune Acres | 2.37 | 53.1 | 6.7% | 1.1% | 14.9% | 1977 | $1,013 | 51.4% | 98.4% | 9.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Somerset, KY · Fairborn, OH · Fenton, MO · Florence, AZ · Grass Valley, CA · Hinesville, GA · Holyoke, MA · Hopkinsville, KY · Indian Trail, NC · Shrewsbury, MA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Portage. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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