Portage, MI

Census Place

2024 Population

49,259

US Senator

Gary Peters

Democratic Party

US Senator

Elissa Slotkin

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

38.5

3.49% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

7.12%

5.39% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$83,212

4.63% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$262,300

Population & Diversity

Portage, MI is home to a population of 49.3k people, from which 97.5% are citizens.

As of 2024, 5.86% of Portage, MI residents were born outside of the country (2.89k people).

In 2024, there were 12.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (39.2k people) in Portage, MI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 3.04k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.7k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.5%

2024 Citizenship

97.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.5% of Portage, MI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Portage, MI was 97.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Portage, MI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Portage, MI

White (Non-Hispanic)
39.2k ± 1.15k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
3.04k ± 663
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.7k ± 536

5.56%

Hispanic Population

2.74k people

5.56% of the people in Portage, MI are hispanic (2.74k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Portage, MI as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Michigan.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
83,098 ± 7,048 people
India
80,532 ± 6,939 people
Iraq
55,181 ± 5,751 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Michigan was Mexico, the natal country of 83,098 Michigan residents, followed by India with 80,532 and Iraq with 55,181.

Foreign-Born Population

5.86%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

2.89k people

6.18%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

3.03k people

As of 2024, 5.86% of Portage, MI residents (2.89k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Portage, MI was 6.18%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Portage, MI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
929 ± 188
Gulf War (2001-)
472 ± 224
Gulf War (1990s)
469 ± 196

Portage, MI has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.97 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Portage, MI.

Economy

The economy of Portage, MI employs 26k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Portage, MI were Manufacturing (5,388 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,891 people), and Retail Trade (2,872 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($78,190), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($74,429), and Manufacturing ($74,088).

Employment

Occupations

26k

2024 Value

± 1,398

0.514%

1 Year growth

± 7.35%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Portage, MI grew at a rate of 0.514%, from 25.9k employees to 26k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Portage, MI, are Management Occupations (3,392 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,854 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (2,522 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Portage, MI.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Michigan.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Michigan (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

26k

2024 Value

± 1,398

0.514%

1 Year growth

± 7.35%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Portage, MI grew at a rate of 0.514%, from 25.9k employees to 26k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Portage, MI, are Manufacturing (5,388 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,891 people), and Retail Trade (2,872 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Portage, MI, though some of these residents may live in Portage, MI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$62,280

Median earning men ± $3,346

$46,916

Median earning women ± $2,804

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($74,936), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($74,294), and Wholesale Trade ($73,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($66,957), Manufacturing ($65,913), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($54,704).

Education

The student population of Portage, MI in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 11 male students and 113 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Portage, MI are White (40 and 36%), Unknown (36 and 32.4%), Black or African American (17 and 15.3%), and Hispanic or Latino (10 and 9.01%).

The largest universities in Portage, MI by number of degrees awarded are Ross Medical Education Center-Portage (112 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Portage, MI are Medical Assistant (49 and 43.8%), Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (35 and 31.3%), and Veterinary/Animal Health Technology/Technician And Veterinary Assistant (15 and 13.4%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 124 students enrolled in Portage, MI, 8.87% men and 91.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 52 records, of which 88.5% were women and 11.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Medical Assistant
49 degrees awarded
Veterinary/Animal Health Technology/Technician And Veterinary Assistant
15 degrees awarded
Dental Assisting
13 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Portage, MI was Medical Assistant with 49 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Portage, MI according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Ross Medical Education Center-Portage

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

112 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Ross Medical Education Center-Portage with 112 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 9 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Portage, MI, which is 0.0874 times less than the 103 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 40 degrees mean that there were 1.11 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 36 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Portage, MI was $262,300 in 2024, which is 0.788 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $243,400 to $262,300, a 7.76% increase. The homeownership rate in Portage, MI is 69.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Portage, MI have an average commute time of 19.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Portage, MI is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$262,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,554

$14,393

Median Property Taxes

±$793

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Portage, MI the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Portage, MI compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

69.1%

Homeownership

2024

60%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 69.1% of the housing units in Portage, MI were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 68%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Portage, MI compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$83,212

Median Household Income

± $4,451

20.8k

Number of Households

± 1,155

In 2024, the median household income of the 20.8k households in Portage, MI grew to $83,212 from the previous year's value of $79,529.

The following chart displays the households in Portage, MI distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Portage, MI is from Michigan.

0.46

2024 Wage GINI in Michigan

0.462

2023 Wage GINI in Michigan

In 2024, the income inequality in Michigan was 0.46 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.474% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Michigan was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Michigan in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Michigan across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (78.1%)
Worked At Home (13.7%)
Carpooled (5.29%)

In 2024, 78.1% of workers in Portage, MI drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (13.7%) and those who carpooled to work (5.29%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

19.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Portage, MI have a shorter commute time (19.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.01% of the workforce in Portage, MI have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Portage, MI compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Portage, MI distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Portage, MI have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

7.12% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Portage, MI (3.49k out of 49k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 75+.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Portage, MI is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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