Population 6,274 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Portage
Household size in Portage
| Period | Portage | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.41 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.47 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.24 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.28 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.13 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Portage is a place of small households, averaging 2.28 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.41, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the north and smallest in the center.
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 | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.2 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.5 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.5 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 49.2 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.1 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Portage skews older: half of its residents are older than 49.2, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 44.2, in line with the national trend. Of the 496 Pennsylvania cities with 5,000+ people, only 29 are older.
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 | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.7% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Portage as they are nationally: 10.7%, against 11.6%. Portage has a higher share of single-parent households than most Pennsylvania cities.
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 | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.4% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.7% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.1% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 17.5% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Portage is largely a place of homeowners: only 17.5% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About six in ten owners (59.4%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 3.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Portage is close to the national rate: 9.5% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Compared with other Pennsylvania cities, Portage has a higher vacancy rate than most.
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 | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1955 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1955 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1956 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1953 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Portage is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1953, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the center. Portage has older homes than the great majority of Pennsylvania cities.
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 | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $514 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $522 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $512 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $686 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$172 | +$494 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Portage costs $686 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $172 a month from 2006–10, a 34% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 27.4% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Portage has the lowest rents of any Pennsylvania city with 5,000+ people.
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 | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.9% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.4% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.7% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.0 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Portage have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.7%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 12.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Portage has a lower share of college graduates than the great majority of Pennsylvania cities.
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 | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.4% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.3% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.4% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.3% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.9 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Portage is a bit above the national rate: 91.3% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Pennsylvania. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 6.9 points, in line with the national trend.
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 | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.1% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.3% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.6% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.0% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Portage has been low: just 3.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.1 points, as it has nationally. 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 | 2.28 | 49.2 | 10.7% | 17.5% | 9.5% | 1953 | $686 | 21.7% | 91.3% | 3.0% |
| Cassandra | 2.50 | 45.3 | 3.9% | 11.1% | 6.1% | 1979 | $743 | 20.8% | 96.4% | 3.8% |
| Wilmore | 2.79 | 41.6 | 8.7% | 8.0% | 7.1% | 1975 | $725 | 17.0% | 95.9% | 1.4% |
| Lilly | 2.39 | 40.9 | 9.1% | 13.5% | 8.4% | 1963 | $705 | 17.6% | 94.0% | 4.1% |
| Summerhill | 2.43 | 45.1 | 11.0% | 12.7% | 10.7% | 1967 | $845 | 20.3% | 94.6% | 2.9% |
| Martindale | 2.51 | 46.0 | 7.2% | 12.0% | 4.3% | 1968 | $814 | 11.2% | 93.5% | 0.9% |
| Beaverdale | 2.12 | 50.9 | 13.1% | 13.5% | 17.8% | 1955 | $660 | 13.6% | 84.8% | 2.7% |
| Sidman | 2.09 | 49.6 | 10.0% | 11.9% | 11.8% | 1952 | $806 | 15.6% | 91.4% | 2.4% |
| Munster | 2.41 | 46.9 | 4.5% | 11.6% | 6.4% | 1981 | $650 | 25.0% | 97.9% | 3.2% |
| Ehrenfeld | 2.50 | 37.6 | 20.7% | 17.5% | 13.2% | 1943 | $940 | 20.6% | 96.0% | 4.9% |
| Hoguetown | 2.33 | 41.5 | 5.0% | 15.2% | 7.2% | 1981 | $565 | 24.8% | 96.6% | 2.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Stuart, VA · Surfside, FL · Surfside Beach, SC · Sunset, UT · Sunset Beach, NC · Sunman, IN · Cape Neddick, ME · Cannon Falls, MN · Camino, CA · Cameron, TX
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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