Portage County, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Portage County, WI Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A
Health Above averageHealthier than 92% of counties in Wisconsin
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B
Income Around average
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 85% of counties in Wisconsin
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Portage County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 70,832 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 86.1 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.05% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.6 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 29,679 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Portage County grew by 3.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 70,832 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Portage County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 27.0% of residents. That is 5.6 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 19,112 27.0% +5.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 13,012 18.4% -2.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 13,760 19.4% -1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 12,647 17.9% on par
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Wisconsin, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.1% of the people living in Portage County and men 50.9%.
- Women 49.1% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 50.9% Wisconsin 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Portage County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Portage County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Portage County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $76,397 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.68% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Portage County is about 2% lower than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Portage County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $52,647 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $939 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.7% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Portage County is about 4.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $939 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Portage County spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 135 hours, about 5.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Portage County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.1 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.3 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 135 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,170 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.6% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,414 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 747 | 811 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Wisconsin:
Ashland County (12.8 min), Door County (13.6 min), Eau Claire County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Oconto County (26.4 min), St. Croix County (25.3 min), Waushara County (23.9 min).
The average commute time in Portage County is 16 minutes, shorter than the 19 minutes in Wisconsin.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Portage County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Portage County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.2% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.29 | 2.33 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Wisconsin:
Dane County (0.4), Ozaukee County (0.4), Waukesha County (0.4).
Lowest:
Clark County (0.2), Adams County (0.2), Juneau County (0.2).
Health
Portage County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Portage County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.6 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.2% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.4% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Wisconsin:
Dane County (0.8), Waukesha County (0.8), Ozaukee County (0.8).
Lowest:
Menominee County (0.8), Clark County (0.8), Forest County (0.8).
Portage County, WI Compared With Nearby Counties
Portage County, WI is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 70,832 residents against a local median of 51,567. Where Portage County, WI breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 67% below the local median of $161,581 at $52,647.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 16.1 min against a local median of 20.6 min, 22% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 22% below the local median it puts Portage County, WI at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $307,637 on median home price, so Portage County, WI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Portage County, WI has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage County, WI | 70,832 | $76,397 #2/6 | $52,647 #6/6 | 16.1 min #2/6 |
| Waushara County, WI | 24,869 | $67,446 | $428,952 | 23.9 min |
| Marathon County, WI | 138,251 | $78,153 | $136,999 | 17.0 min |
| Waupaca County, WI | 51,567 | $73,318 | $293,745 | 20.6 min |
| Wood County, WI | 74,006 | $66,853 | $161,581 | 15.8 min |
| Adams County, WI | 21,114 | $59,459 | $121,315 | 23.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Portage County, Wisconsin.
How big is Portage County, Wisconsin by population?
About 70,832 people live in Portage County, Wisconsin, in 29,679 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 35.6, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Portage County, Wisconsin mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Portage County, Wisconsin has 86 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Portage County, Wisconsin an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.7 times the median household income ($52,647 against $76,397), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $939 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Portage County, Wisconsin?
Unemployment in Portage County, Wisconsin is only 3.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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