Should I Move To
Roughly 48,936 people live in Portage, Michigan. Living here costs affordable relative to the rest of the country, 9% below the national average. Median rent runs about $1,062/mo; the typical household pulls in $74,837. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 36/100 — a F, putting it at #887 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Portage sits at 91 — affordable when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,062/mo against $74,837 median household income), housing eats roughly 17% of a typical paycheck — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Buying-side, the median home value is $222,600.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is cold-winter: roughly 81°F in summer, 21°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 39 inches. You'll need a car for most things, though the central core is more walkable than the citywide score suggests. AQI is in the moderate range at about 52.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Portage isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 55/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is affordability (78/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (14/100).
For retirees, Portage isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 40/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is affordability (78/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (14/100).
For remote workers, Portage isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 44/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is affordability (78/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (14/100).
For young professionals, Portage isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 41/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is affordability (78/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (14/100).
Our overall score for Portage is 36/100 — a F, sitting at #887 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Portage sits at 91 — affordable, 9% below the national average. Median renter pays around $1,062 a month.
Portage runs cold-winter on the weather. Summer's near 81°F, winter's near 21°F; 39 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 25/100. You'll need a car for most things, though the central core is more walkable than the citywide score suggests.
Roughly 48,936 people live here, with 48% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 37.
Drop Portage into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Portage with other Michigan cities scored on UrbRank.
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