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Portage, WI

Census place 5564100 · pop 10,236

D56/ 100
😐 Meh
D−
in WI
📍 Wisconsin ranks #7 of 50 states →
🏆 Jobs2.5% · top 7%
🚽 Smoking17.0% · bottom 19%
Taxes
1.63% property · US 0.99%5.72% sales · US 7.00%up to 7.65% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

Google Maps ↗Zillow ↗Wikipedia ↗

The breakdown — worst first

Adult smoking17.0%19

U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities

17.0% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Population growth (5yr)-1.6%20

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

-1.6% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Property-tax burden1.63%21

U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities

1.63% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Bachelor's degree or higher19.9%22

U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities

19.9% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Broadband access87.6%23

U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities

87.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Physical inactivity29.3%29

U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities

29.3% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Homeownership58.6%34

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

58.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Median household income$64,72236

U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities

$64,722 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Poverty rate13.5%40

U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities

13.5% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Poor mental health17.5%44

U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities

17.5% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Adult obesity35.5%46

U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities

35.5% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Uninsured adults9.8%47

U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities

9.8% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Commute time22 min62

U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities

22 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Income inequality0.4169

U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities

Gini 0.41 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Housing cost$204,90070

U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities

$204,900 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Air quality (AQI)County-level38 AQI77

U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities

38 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level68/10077

U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities

68/100 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.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level0 days85

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.

Rent$1,225/mo87

U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities

$1,225/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Unemployment rateCounty-level2.5%93

U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities

2.5% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Not measured for Portage: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.

Frequently asked

Is Portage, WI a good place to live?
By the numbers, Portage scores 56/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is unemployment rate and its weakest is adult smoking. Wisconsin overall ranks #7 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
Is Portage, WI expensive to live in?
Portage has a median home value of $204,900 and typical rent around $1,225/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Portage, WI?
Its weakest measured area is adult smoking (17.0%) — 19/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Portage, WI best at?
Its strongest measured area is unemployment rate (2.5%) — 93/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.