Portage, WI

Census Place

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2023 Population

10,374

0.727% 1-year decline

US Senator

Ron Johnson

Republican Party

US Senator

Tammy Baldwin

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

36.8

0.272% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

13.9%

6.95% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$62,785

5.31% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$187,300

9.53% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

5,071

2.55% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Portage, WI had a population of 10.4k people with a median age of 36.8 and a median household income of $62,785. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Portage, WI declined from 10,450 to 10,374, a −0.727% decrease and its median household income grew from $59,619 to $62,785, a 5.31% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Portage, WI are White (Non-Hispanic) (85.6%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (5.14%), Two+ (Hispanic) (2.44%), Other (Hispanic) (1.99%), and Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.89%).

None of the households in Portage, WI reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.8% of the residents in Portage, WI are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Portage, WI was $187,300, and the homeownership rate was 57.1%.

Most people in Portage, WI drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Portage, WI was 2 cars per household.

United States Wisconsin Columbia County, WI Madison, WI Sauk & Columbia Counties PUMA, WI

Population & Diversity

Portage, WI is home to a population of 10.4k people, from which 98.8% are citizens. As of 2023, 4.14% of Portage, WI residents were born outside of the country (430 people).

In 2023, there were 16.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (8.88k people) in Portage, WI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 533 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 253 Two+ (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.8%

2023 Citizenship

99%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 98.8% of Portage, WI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Portage, WI was 99%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Portage, WI

White (Non-Hispanic)
8.88k ± 282
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
533 ± 122
Two+ (Hispanic)
253 ± 160

6.18%

Hispanic Population

641 people

6.18% of the people in Portage, WI are hispanic (641 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Portage, WI 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 Wisconsin.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
84,791 ± 7,097 people
India
23,051 ± 3,720 people
China
15,381 ± 3,041 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Wisconsin was Mexico, the natal country of 84,791 Wisconsin residents, followed by India with 23,051 and China with 15,381.

Foreign-Born Population

4.14%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

430 people

3.72%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

389 people

As of 2023, 4.14% of Portage, WI residents (430 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Portage, WI was 3.72%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
266 ± 128
Vietnam
122 ± 67
Korea
67 ± 53

Portage, WI has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 2.18 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Portage, WI employs 5.07k people. The largest industries in Portage, WI are Manufacturing (1,020 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (776 people), and Retail Trade (720 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($93,173), Administrative & Support & Waste Management Services ($70,017), and Finance & Insurance ($65,066).

Males in Wisconsin have an average income that is 1.32 times higher than the average income of females, which is $58,062. The income inequality in Wisconsin (measured using the Gini index) is 0.443, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

5.07k

2023 Value

± 513

2.55%

1 Year growth

± 14%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Portage, WI grew at a rate of 2.55%, from 4.95k employees to 5.07k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Portage, WI, are Production Occupations (572 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (523 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (430 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Portage, WI.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Wisconsin (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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

5.07k

2023 Value

± 513

2.55%

1 Year growth

± 14%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Portage, WI grew at a rate of 2.55%, from 4.95k employees to 5.07k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Portage, WI, are Manufacturing (1,020 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (776 people), and Retail Trade (720 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Portage, WI, though some of these residents may live in Portage, WI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,176

Median earning men ± $6,030

$35,315

Median earning women ± $2,994

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($90,125), Public Administration ($65,078), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,089).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($76,174), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($66,447), and Public Administration ($46,393).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

1.6%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.95M people employed in Wisconsin. This represents a 1.6% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.3%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Wisconsin.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Wisconsin went to Donald J. Trump with 49.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.518%).

Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin are the senators currently representing the state of Wisconsin. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Wisconsin is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Portage, WI. Showing the available data for Wisconsin.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (49.6%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (48.7%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.518%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Wisconsin went to Donald J. Trump with 49.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.518%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Wisconsin for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Wisconsin

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Wisconsin.

Ron Johnson

Senator from Wisconsin

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Tammy Baldwin

Senator from Wisconsin

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin are the senators currently representing Wisconsin.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Wisconsin over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Wisconsin

Wisconsin is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Wisconsin have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.697% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.597% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.41M), Some college (1.02M), and Bachelors Degree (921k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Portage, WI was $187,300 in 2023, which is 0.617 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $171,000 to $187,300, a 9.53% increase. The homeownership rate in Portage, WI is 57.1%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Portage, WI have an average commute time of 24.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Portage, WI is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$187,300

Median Property Value 2023

±$15,772

$2,370

Median Property Taxes

±$302

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, WI the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

57.1%

Homeownership

2023

65.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 57.1% of the housing units in Portage, WI were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 54.3%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Census Tract 9705

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

The following map shows all of the places in Portage, WI colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$62,785

Median Household Income

± $5,945

4.15k

Number of Households

± 449

In 2023, the median household income of the 4.15k households in Portage, WI grew to $62,785 from the previous year's value of $59,619.

The following chart displays the households in Portage, WI 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, WI is from Wisconsin.

0.443

2022 Wage GINI in Wisconsin

0.443

2021 Wage GINI in Wisconsin

In 2022, the income inequality in Wisconsin was 0.443 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.043% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Wisconsin was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Wisconsin in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (81.9%)
Carpooled (8.15%)
Worked At Home (5%)

In 2023, 81.9% of workers in Portage, WI drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.15%) and those who worked at home (5%).

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

24.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Portage, WI have a shorter commute time (24.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 3.45% of the workforce in Portage, WI have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

13.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Portage, WI (1.29k out of 9.32k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males < 5, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Portage, WI is White, followed by Hispanic and Other.

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
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

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

Health

94.6% of the population of Portage, WI has health coverage, with 50.2% on employee plans, 17.5% on Medicaid, 10.6% on Medicare, 15.1% on non-group plans, and 1.08% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Columbia County, WI see 2403 patients per year on average, which represents a 4.43% increase from the previous year (2301 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2924 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 848 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Columbia County, WI.

2,403 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Columbia County, WI

Primary care physicians in Columbia County, WI see an average of 2,403 patients per year. This represents a 4.43% increase from the previous year (2,301 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Columbia County, WI in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.3% under 18 years, 23.7% between 18 and 34 years, 38.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.2% were men and 52.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.45%

Uninsured

50.2%

Employer Coverage

17.5%

Medicaid

10.6%

Medicare

15.1%

Non-Group

1.08%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Portage, WI declined by 5.88% from 5.79% to 5.45%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Portage, WI changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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