CITY
Portage
Michigan · 49,862 residents (2025 est.) · 32.3 sq mi
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Part of the Kalamazoo metro area
The short version
Portage is a city of 49,259 people in Michigan. 48% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. 6% of people here were born outside the United States. There are 1,525 people per square mile. Getting to work takes 20 minutes on average. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $262,300.
At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.5
US median: 38.9
More educated
48% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
49,259
+10%since 2000
from 44,897 in 2000
49,862 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
32.3 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
202449K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.4%(2,674)
5 to 95.5%(2,719)
10 to 145.9%(2,904)
15 to 195.5%(2,695)
20 to 248.1%(4,006)
25 to 3414.4%(7,098)
35 to 4413.2%(6,500)
45 to 5411.7%(5,776)
55 to 6412.2%(6,030)
65 to 7410%(4,941)
75 to 845.9%(2,899)
85 and over2.1%(1,017)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$83,212
−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $49,410 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
56.2%
+22.1 ptssince 2009
from 34.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade20.7%
Information11%
Other services8.7%
Public administration6.6%
Wholesale trade3.7%
Finance & insurance3%
Professional, scientific, technical2.2%
Transportation & warehousing1.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
Education & health services0.8%
Construction0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$262,300
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $118,700 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.2
+10%since 2009
from 2.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
59
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic89.6%(40,220)
Black3.7%(1,649)
Hispanic / Latino1.9%(868)
Asian2.6%(1,185)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic79.5%(39,173)
Black6.2%(3,035)
Hispanic / Latino5.6%(2,741)
Asian3.4%(1,694)
Other5.3%(2,616)
45
+39%since 2009
from 32 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican3.6%(1,763)
Puerto Rican0.5%(235)
South American0.5%(235)
Spaniard0.3%(157)
Central American0.2%(111)
Ecuadorian0.2%(80)
Colombian0.2%(77)
Peruvian0.1%(51)
Nicaraguan0.1%(44)
Salvadoran0.1%(34)
Cuban0.1%(27)
Panamanian0%(22)
+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Asian Indian2.2%(1,072)
Vietnamese0.4%(207)
Chinese0.2%(81)
Korean0.2%(77)
Burmese0.1%(60)
Pakistani0.1%(43)
Filipino0.1%(41)
Taiwanese0.1%(34)
Hmong0.1%(26)
Japanese0.1%(26)
Nepalese0%(10)
Sri Lankan0%(10)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.3%(165)
Ancestry
German20.7%(10,181)
English16.6%(8,177)
Irish11.5%(5,663)
Dutch9.5%(4,661)
American5.1%(2,536)
Polish5.1%(2,509)
French2.9%(1,449)
Italian2.9%(1,436)
Scottish2.4%(1,168)
Norwegian2.1%(1,040)
Subsaharan African1.8%(898)
Swedish1.5%(760)
+ 39 more ancestry groups with data
Finnish1.1%(530)
French Canadian0.7%(364)
Greek0.7%(362)
Hungarian0.7%(352)
Arab0.5%(254)
Welsh0.5%(227)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(226)
Lebanese0.3%(168)
Belgian0.3%(155)
Nigerian0.3%(155)
Danish0.3%(144)
Czech0.3%(132)
Swiss0.3%(130)
Slovak0.2%(111)
Russian0.2%(109)
British0.2%(107)
Brazilian0.2%(106)
Serbian0.2%(106)
Romanian0.2%(101)
Lithuanian0.2%(99)
Canadian0.2%(98)
Portuguese0.2%(87)
Croatian0.2%(81)
Latvian0.2%(78)
Ethiopian0.1%(57)
Austrian0.1%(53)
Ukrainian0.1%(50)
Macedonian0.1%(47)
Syrian0.1%(35)
Egyptian0.1%(31)
Armenian0.1%(31)
Bulgarian0.1%(25)
Ghanaian0%(21)
West Indian0%(19)
Jamaican0%(19)
Iranian0%(15)
Australian0%(11)
Kenyan0%(11)
Israeli0%(10)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
96.7%
+4.1 ptssince 2000
from 92.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.5%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 79.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
96.1%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 93.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married37.9%(7,551)
Married53.3%(10,636)
Widowed1.7%(346)
Divorced7.1%(1,415)
Women 15+
Never married27.3%(5,729)
Married51.3%(10,777)
Widowed8.4%(1,765)
Divorced13.1%(2,743)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
13.9%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 13.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
1.4%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 1.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
81.3%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 80.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
28.6%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 29.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)18.7%(472)
Gulf War (1990s)27.4%(691)
Vietnam era37.6%(948)
Korean War7.1%(178)
World War II1.6%(40)
Share of the 2,519 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Portage, Michigan?
Portage, Michigan has about 49,259 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Portage, Michigan?
The typical household in Portage, Michigan earns about $83,212 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Portage, Michigan expensive?
In Portage, Michigan, the median home is worth about $262,300, and the typical rent is about $1,133 a month.
How educated are people in Portage, Michigan?
About 47.9% of adults age 25 and over in Portage, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Portage, Michigan?
About 7.1% of people in Portage, Michigan live below the federal poverty line.
Has Portage, Michigan grown since 1990?
Yes, Portage, Michigan has grown since 1990. The population has added about 8,217 residents, a change of about 20 percent over that period.
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MichiganDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024