Population 52,656 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Portage
Household size in Portage
| Period | Portage | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.47 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.50 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.50 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.47 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.01 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Portage run small, averaging 2.47 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Michigan as a whole looks much the same. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the south.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.1 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.3 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.4 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.2 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
At 40.4, the median age in Portage is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has climbed from 38.1 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.7% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.9% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in twelve households in Portage (8.9%), below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is little changed from 2006–10, while the national share fell.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.2% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.0% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.7% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.5% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Portage rent their homes (30.5%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Still, renters make up a bigger share here than in Michigan as a whole (26.8%). Nearly four in ten owners (37.8%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the south.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Portage: 5.7% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy has edged down 1.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +3 | +6 |
Homes in Portage are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1979, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in Michigan overall, where the median home dates to 1972. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the northeast has the oldest housing.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $754 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $797 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $996 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,199 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$445 | +$395 | +$606 |
The median renter in Portage pays $1,199 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $445 a month from 2006–10, a 59% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 28.2% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southwest and lowest in the northeast.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.6% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 39.6% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 45.8% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 47.5% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.9 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Portage: 47.5% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 8.9 points, 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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.7% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.5% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.9% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.9% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Portage: 96.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 2.1 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Portage has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five Michigan cities.
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 | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.5% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Portage runs below the national rate: 4.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 5.0 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
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 | 2.47 | 40.4 | 8.9% | 30.5% | 5.7% | 1979 | $1,199 | 47.5% | 96.9% | 4.5% |
| Kalamazoo | 2.46 | 34.8 | 12.6% | 45.0% | 8.8% | 1974 | $1,196 | 39.8% | 92.4% | 6.2% |
| Schoolcraft | 2.75 | 41.0 | 5.9% | 11.3% | 8.1% | 1981 | $1,068 | 45.3% | 96.9% | 2.6% |
| Westwood | 1.99 | 38.5 | 9.8% | 44.9% | 8.9% | 1968 | $1,255 | 51.8% | 95.6% | 4.0% |
| Scotts | 2.54 | 45.1 | 12.2% | 5.7% | 4.2% | 1975 | $1,274 | 38.0% | 94.5% | 5.3% |
| Greater Galesburg | 2.15 | 58.1 | 7.9% | 12.8% | 3.8% | 1960 | $1,135 | 20.3% | 92.0% | 0.1% |
| Vicksburg | 2.51 | 40.4 | 8.1% | 14.9% | 4.5% | 1982 | $1,018 | 32.8% | 96.0% | 3.8% |
| Eastwood | 2.45 | 34.8 | 15.8% | 35.6% | 6.3% | 1951 | $1,124 | 20.2% | 91.1% | 6.3% |
| Parchment | 2.23 | 30.2 | 19.0% | 40.2% | 8.2% | 1955 | $1,060 | 24.5% | 96.8% | 7.7% |
| Mattawan | 2.66 | 40.2 | 8.9% | 10.5% | 4.6% | 1993 | $1,183 | 38.0% | 96.4% | 2.7% |
| Flowerfield | 2.74 | 45.9 | 4.4% | 8.6% | 7.8% | 1984 | $940 | 36.8% | 96.0% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Spring Valley, NY · Kendale Lakes, FL · Lincoln, CA · Logan, UT · Lombard, IL · Morgan Hill, CA · New Bern, NC · Olive Branch, MS · Sebring, FL · Azusa, CA
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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