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Town

Portage

#1 in Best Places to Live in Kalamazoo County
  • A
    Overall Grade
  • Town in Michigan
  • 84 reviews
A
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Public Schools
    A
  2. Crime & Safety
    B-
  3. Housing
    A-
  4. Nightlife
    B+
  5. Good for Families
    A+
  6. Diversity
    B+
  7. Jobs
    B+
  8. Weather
    C-
  9. Cost of Living
    A-
  10. Health & Fitness
    B+
  11. Outdoor Activities
    A
  12. Commute
    B+
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Portage is a town in Michigan with a population of 47,854. Portage is in Kalamazoo County and is one of the best places to live in Michigan. Living in Portage offers residents a suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Portage there are a lot of parks. Many families and young professionals live in Portage and residents tend to lean conservative. The public schools in Portage are highly rated.
Population
47,854

Real Estate

Median Home Value
$148,900
National
$184,700
Median Rent
$727
National
$949
Area Feel
Suburban
Rent vs. Own
  • Rent
    32%
  • Own
    68%
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Portage Rankings

Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and and expert insights.

Crime & Safety

Crime & Safety
B-
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Assault
    129
    283
  • Murder
    0
    6
  • Rape
    63
    41
  • Robbery
    29
    136
Property Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Burglary
    381
    500
  • Theft
    2,502
    2,043
  • Motor Vehicle Theft
    121
    284
Home Security Options for Portage
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Residents

Diversity
B+
Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
Median Household Income
$57,526
National
$55,322
Children
20%
Education Levels
National
  • Master's degree or higher
    16%
    12%
  • Bachelor's degree
    27%
    19%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    32%
    29%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    21%
    28%
  • Less than high school diploma
    4%
    13%
  • Public Schools
  • Private Schools
  • Colleges
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Portage Reviews

84 reviews
All Categories
I have lived in Portage, Michigan for several years and my children have attended schools within the public school system. We have enjoyed our years here; the original design of the city includes neighborhood elementary schools with three middle schools and two high schools. Shopping and restaurants are convenient and numerous; churches are plentiful. The city includes a walking trail that connects to Kalamazoo, the neighboring city to the north, hosts a farmer's marker every summer, and has many options for healthy living. Portage is safe and very family-friendly as well.
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Portage is boarders the small city of Kalamazoo, MI. The town of Portage is currently expanding and growing with businesses and housing. They have nice trails to walk on that boarder a creek. Everything is easily accessible in Portage and the township keeps the environment clean. People are friendly and helpful in the community. Portage is right in the middle of Chicago and Detroit, giving us easy access to travel to a larger city. Portage has been a enjoyable place to grow up, whether you want to spend time at the mall after school or going to the public library. The police department have been very responsive in keeping our community safe. Local breweries have been moving in to keep the night life fun for adults. An enjoyable community to grow up in.
In Michigan, the city of Portage is close knit, yet diverse. The public schools are a great place for children to plant their roots, and as a parent myself, I feel very inclined to raise my daughter in this town until she graduates. Portage has the KPS which stands for Kalamazoo Promise. What this means is that if your child attends school here from k-12th grade they are offered free college tuition.
The night life here is great, there are so many things to do and it seems like weekly events are held in town, from spring through fall months.
It's very family friendly here, there are many parks, dogs are welcome, there is fishing, walking, hiking, etc. There are many restaurants to try out as well, from all cultures. Portage will keep you busy, and it's pretty affordable to live here.