Portage is a city located in Columbia County Wisconsin. Portage has a 2024 population of 9,973. It is also the county seat of Columbia County. Portage is currently declining at a rate of -1.51% annually and its population has decreased by -5.76% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 10,583 in 2020.
The average household income in Portage is $72,058 with a poverty rate of 14.9%. The median age in Portage is 36.7 years: 36.1 years for males, and 36.9 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Portage was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 9,085 | 86.94% |
| Two or more races | 527 | 5.04% |
| Black or African American | 480 | 4.59% |
| Other race | 202 | 1.93% |
| Native American | 89 | 0.85% |
| Asian | 67 | 0.64% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0 | 0% |
White
Two or more races
Black or African American
Other race
Native American
Asian
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 4,188 | 2.23 | 54.3 | 45.7 |
| Non Family | 1,860 | 1.27 | 36.9 | 63.1 |
| Married | 1,484 | 2.99 | 78.8 | 21.2 |
| Female | 520 | 3.13 | 41.7 | 58.3 |
| Male | 324 | 2.9 | 61.4 | 38.6 |
2.82
Average Family Size
2.23
Average Household Size
54.3%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 543 | 7.38% |
| Associates Degree | 925 | 12.57% |
| Bachelors Degree | 721 | 9.8% |
| Graduate Degree | 508 | 6.91% |
| High School Graduate | 2,736 | 37.19% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 135 | 1.84% |
| Some College | 1,788 | 24.31% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 6,314 | 5,866 | 1,142 |
| Black | 422 | 273 | 15 |
| Hispanic | 374 | 304 | 0 |
| 2+ Races | 266 | 246 | 12 |
| Other Race | 112 | 81 | 0 |
| Native American | 81 | 81 | 15 |
| Asian | 67 | 62 | 45 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among native american people with a rate of 100%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 67.16%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $59,543 | $59,970 | $48,833 |
| Graduate Degree | $55,864 | $55,409 | $59,423 |
| High School Graduate | $36,711 | $37,225 | $34,725 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $35,573 | $36,406 | $0 |
| Overall | $43,557 | $52,739 | $36,250 |
| Some College | $46,685 | $56,114 | $33,076 |
$43,557
Average Earnings
$52,739
Average Male
$36,250
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
96.45% of Portage residents speak only English, while 3.55% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 2.59% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 8,356 | 1,164 | 13.93% |
| Hispanic | 619 | 198 | 31.99% |
| Other | 192 | 98 | 51.04% |
| Black | 97 | 23 | 23.71% |
| Asian | 59 | 12 | 20.34% |
14.9%
Overall Poverty Rate
15.66%
Male Poverty Rate
14.17%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Portage is Other, with 51.04% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Portage is White, with 13.93% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.79%. Among those working part-time, it was 17.54%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 23.92%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 33.82% |
| High School | 14.01% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 9.15% |
| Some College | 6.73% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Female Unemployed | 46.55% |
| Male Unemployed | 21.6% |
| Male Employed | 6.74% |
| Female Employed | 5.79% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $64,595 | $80,742 |
| Households | $59,619 | $72,058 |
| Married Families | $84,000 | $-999,999,999 |
| Non Families | $40,598 | $55,303 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
36.3%
Overall Marriage Rate
34.1%
Male Marriage Rate
38.7%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 55-64.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
581
Number of Veterans
542
Male Veterans
39
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Second Gulf War | 224 |
| Korea | 143 |
| First Gulf War | 105 |
| Vietnam | 101 |
| World War II | 7 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 75+ | 212 |
| 35 to 54 | 181 |
| 55 to 64 | 117 |
| 65 to 74 | 56 |
| 18 to 34 | 15 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 566 | 7.69% |
| Asian | 12 | 17.91% |
| Black | 3 | 0.63% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
21.93%
Veteran Poverty Rate
42.34%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
60.5%
Labor Force Participation
56.3%
Employment Rate
6.9%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
72.08%
Born in Portage
96.19%
Native Born
3.81%
Foreign Born
1%
Non Citizen
2.8%
Naturalized
96.19% of Portage residents were born in the United States, with 72.08% having been born in Wisconsin. 1% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 9,211 | -153 | -1.63% |
| 2028 | 9,364 | -152 | -1.6% |
| 2027 | 9,516 | -152 | -1.57% |
| 2026 | 9,668 | -153 | -1.56% |
| 2025 | 9,821 | -152 | -1.52% |
| 2024 | 9,973 | -153 | -1.51% |
| 2023 | 10,126 | -74 | -0.73% |
| 2022 | 10,200 | -212 | -2.04% |
| 2021 | 10,412 | -171 | -1.62% |
| 2020 | 10,583 | 184 | 1.77% |
| 2019 | 10,399 | -29 | -0.28% |
| 2018 | 10,428 | -55 | -0.52% |
| 2017 | 10,483 | 124 | 1.2% |
| 2016 | 10,359 | -11 | -0.11% |
| 2015 | 10,370 | 187 | 1.84% |
| 2014 | 10,183 | 15 | 0.15% |
| 2013 | 10,168 | -59 | -0.58% |
| 2012 | 10,227 | -35 | -0.34% |
| 2011 | 10,262 | -59 | -0.57% |
| 2010 | 10,321 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 9,728 | 1,088 | 12.59% |
| 1990 | 8,640 | 744 | 9.42% |
| 1980 | 7,896 | 75 | 0.96% |
| 1970 | 7,821 | -1 | -0.01% |
| 1960 | 7,822 | 488 | 6.65% |
| 1950 | 7,334 | 318 | 4.53% |
| 1940 | 7,016 | 708 | 11.22% |
| 1930 | 6,308 | 726 | 13.01% |
| 1920 | 5,582 | 142 | 2.61% |
| 1910 | 5,440 | -19 | -0.35% |
| 1900 | 5,459 | 316 | 6.14% |
| 1890 | 5,143 | 797 | 18.34% |
| 1880 | 4,346 | 401 | 10.16% |
| 1870 | 3,945 | 1,066 | 37.03% |
| 1860 | 2,879 | -6,332 | -68.74% |