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COUNTY

Portage County

Ohio · 163,404 residents (2025 est.) · 487 sq mi
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The short version

With 161,956 people, Portage County is a county in Ohio. That puts it in the top 7% of US counties for household income. 4% of people here were born outside the United States. The typical home is worth $227,000, having more than doubled since 2000. Renters pay $1,064 a month at the median. Owners hold 70% of the housing stock.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $75,766, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.6
US median: 38.9
Average education
33% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Portage County

What changed most since 1990

  • White share95.6% → 86.0% (−9.6 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$165,125 → $227,000 (+37%)US over the same years: +67%
  • Median age30.2 → 39.6 (+9.4 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years

Among the 88 counties in Ohio

  • 20th in household income$75,766
  • 14th in share with a bachelor's degree32.5%
  • 19th in home value$227,000
  • 26th in diversity score31.8
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
161,956
+7%since 2000
from 152,061 in 2000
163,404 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
332 / sq mi
+7%since 2000
from 312 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
39.6
+15%since 2000
from 34.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
487 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
141K147K153K159K165K19902000201020202024Portage County
2024162K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.3%(6,974)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.1%(8,193)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.4%(8,682)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.6%(12,324)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2410.7%(17,383)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.8%(19,189)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.4%(18,460)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.6%(18,706)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.8%(22,343)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411.2%(18,137)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.2%(8,361)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2%(3,204)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$75,766
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $44,347 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$40,483
+98%since 2000
from $20,428 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
50.4%
+20.1 ptssince 2009
from 30.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
11.7%
+2.4 ptssince 2000
from 9.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.447
+3%since 2010
from 0.433 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade15.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Information12.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade6.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services4.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance4.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.8%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration3.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Arts, entertainment, food1.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction1.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.5%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$227,000
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $118,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,064
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $544 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
70.1%
−1.1 ptssince 2000
from 71.3% in 2000
29.9% rent
Vacancy rate
8.5%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 7.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.37 people
−4%since 2009
from 2.46 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
16.2%
−10.5 ptssince 2009
from 26.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
50.5%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 49.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.0
−2%since 2009
from 3.1 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
44
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic93.9%(142,825)
Black3.2%(4,812)
Hispanic / Latino0.7%(1,093)
Asian0.8%(1,238)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic86%(139,345)
Black5%(8,087)
Hispanic / Latino2.3%(3,717)
Asian2.2%(3,499)
Other4.5%(7,308)
Diversity Score
32
+75%since 2009
from 18 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
26
−4%since 2020
from 28 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican1%(1,600)
Puerto Rican0.4%(704)
Salvadoran0.2%(360)
Dominican0.1%(203)
Cuban0.1%(165)
Spaniard0.1%(108)
Venezuelan0.1%(85)
Honduran0%(80)
Colombian0%(63)
+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Asian Indian1%(1,623)
Filipino0.3%(420)
Pakistani0.2%(276)
Chinese0.2%(254)
Bangladeshi0.1%(203)
Korean0.1%(181)
Bhutanese0.1%(137)
Cambodian0.1%(92)
Japanese0.1%(88)
Uzbek0%(73)
Thai0%(38)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(20)
Taiwanese0%(17)
Malaysian0%(12)
Nepalese0%(11)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(71)
Ancestry
German24.4%(39,533)
Irish13.7%(22,256)
English11.6%(18,745)
Italian9.8%(15,847)
American9.8%(15,844)
Polish5.5%(8,944)
Hungarian2.3%(3,792)
Scottish1.9%(3,118)
French1.8%(2,844)
Dutch1.7%(2,694)
Slovak1.3%(2,178)
Czech1.1%(1,735)
+ 42 more ancestry groups with data
Arab0.8%(1,355)
Welsh0.7%(1,162)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(1,134)
Russian0.6%(948)
Swedish0.5%(837)
Swiss0.5%(825)
Norwegian0.5%(799)
Slovene0.5%(751)
Croatian0.5%(744)
Greek0.4%(690)
British0.4%(572)
Ukrainian0.3%(553)
Lebanese0.3%(514)
Austrian0.3%(469)
Iranian0.2%(324)
Finnish0.2%(296)
Romanian0.2%(292)
Lithuanian0.2%(265)
Danish0.2%(259)
Latvian0.1%(229)
Jordanian0.1%(164)
Canadian0.1%(149)
Nigerian0.1%(140)
Serbian0.1%(111)
Egyptian0.1%(110)
Brazilian0.1%(109)
Turkish0.1%(99)
West Indian0.1%(91)
Moroccan0%(65)
Jamaican0%(64)
Syrian0%(63)
Belgian0%(62)
Armenian0%(45)
Bulgarian0%(28)
Ethiopian0%(20)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
32.5%
+11.5 ptssince 2000
from 21.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.9%
+7.0 ptssince 2000
from 85.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
12.7%
+5.6 ptssince 2000
from 7.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.8 min
+46%since 2000
from 17.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
73.8%
−9.6 ptssince 2009
from 83.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.8%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 8.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
14.9%
+11.5 ptssince 2009
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 3.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.6%
+1.7 ptssince 2009
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.3%
−4.6 ptssince 2011
from 9.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
64.6%
−4.0 ptssince 2011
from 68.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.1%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 75.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 12.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
38.2%
+8.5 ptssince 2009
from 29.7% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.3%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 48.8% in 2009
Female
50.7%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 51.2% in 2009
Foreign born
3.7%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.1%
−4.3 ptssince 2009
from 10.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.5%
+1.6 ptssince 2012
from 11.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.0%
−5.3 ptssince 2013
from 10.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
89.8%
+12.1 ptssince 2017
from 77.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.7%
+3.9 ptssince 2020
from 91.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
87.0%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 85.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
95.5%
+0.3 ptssince 2016
from 95.2% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
1.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2016
from 0.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married37.8%(25,552)
Married47.9%(32,356)
Widowed3.5%(2,365)
Divorced10.8%(7,263)
Women 15+
Never married33.5%(23,654)
Married45.4%(32,040)
Widowed8.7%(6,105)
Divorced12.4%(8,772)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.0%
−5.3 ptssince 2013
from 10.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
60.7%
−2.9 ptssince 2020
from 63.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 12.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
19.5%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 17.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
18.0%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 16.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
72.0%
−2.2 ptssince 2020
from 74.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
35.6%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 33.0% 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)21.7%(1,764)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)17%(1,386)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37%(3,009)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.9%(314)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.4%(33)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 8,134 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
Over time

Portage County, decade by decade

Portage County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990142,585$72,609$165,12517.6%10.6
2000152,061$80,785$215,50221.0%14.6
2010161,419$72,572$225,99924.9%20.3
2020161,791$72,098$194,29029.9%32.5
2024161,956$75,766$227,00032.5%31.8

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Portage County

Johnson County
Pop 160,044
Madera County
Pop 167,927
Sumter County
Pop 157,772
Mesa County
Pop 162,845
Places similar to Portage County
Head to head

Compare Portage County to nearby counties

PORTAGE COUNTY VS
Summit County
Income$71,622−5%
Home value$208,700−8%
Population538,376+229%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTAGE COUNTY VS
Geauga County
Income$107,860+42%
Home value$331,100+46%
Population95,676−41%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTAGE COUNTY VS
Trumbull County
Income$56,435−26%
Home value$141,800−38%
Population198,972+22%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTAGE COUNTY VS
Mahoning County
Income$56,942−25%
Home value$154,700−32%
Population224,706+38%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Portage County, Ohio?

Portage County, Ohio has about 161,956 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Portage County, Ohio?

The typical household in Portage County, Ohio earns about $75,766 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Portage County, Ohio expensive?

In Portage County, Ohio, the median home is worth about $227,000, and the typical rent is about $1,064 a month.

How educated are people in Portage County, Ohio?

About 32.5% of adults age 25 and over in Portage County, Ohio hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Portage County, Ohio?

About 11.7% of people in Portage County, Ohio live below the federal poverty line.

Has Portage County, Ohio grown since 1990?

Yes, Portage County, Ohio has grown since 1990. The population has added about 19,371 residents, a change of about 14 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →