Portage, MI
Census place 2665560 · pop 49,259
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
2987 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.56% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.4% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+1.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
277 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
45 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
35.7% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.43 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$262,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,681/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$83,212 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
92.8% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
16.4% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
81/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
69.1% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
11.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
7.1% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
20.6% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
20 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
47.9% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
5.2% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
Frequently asked
- Is Portage, MI a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Portage scores 54/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is uninsured adults and its weakest is property crime rate. Michigan overall ranks #42 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Portage, MI?
- Portage reports 277 violent crimes per 100k and 2987 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Portage, MI expensive to live in?
- Portage has a median home value of $262,300 and typical rent around $1,681/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Portage, MI?
- Its weakest measured area is property crime rate (2987/100k) — 12/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Portage, MI best at?
- Its strongest measured area is uninsured adults (5.2%) — 92/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Headquarters of medical-device giant Stryker Corporation.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.