Should I Move To
Portage, Michigan is a population of 48,936 . Cost of living is affordable — 9% below the national average, with median rent around $1,062/month and median household income of $74,837. Overall it earns an UrbRank Score of 41/100 (grade D), ranking #771 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.
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Portage's composite cost-of-living index sits at 91 (US average = 100), placing it in the affordable tier. At $1,062/month median rent against $74,837 median household income, residents spend about 17% of household income on rent — well within the 30% rule of thumb. Median home value is $222,600.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Portage has a cold-winter climate — summer highs average 81°F and winter lows average 21°F, with 39 inches of precipitation annually. Car-dependent for most errands, with pockets of walkability downtown. Crime data isn't available for this city.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Portage is a moderate fit for families. It earns a Score of 58/100 (grade C) on the families profile. Especially strong on affordability (78/100), weakest on climate (23/100).
Portage is a less obvious fit for retirees. It earns a Score of 43/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Especially strong on affordability (78/100), weakest on climate (23/100).
Portage is a less obvious fit for remote workers. It earns a Score of 51/100 (grade C-) on the remote workers profile. Especially strong on affordability (78/100), weakest on climate (23/100).
Portage is a less obvious fit for young professionals. It earns a Score of 41/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Especially strong on affordability (78/100), weakest on climate (23/100).
Portage, Michigan has an overall UrbRank Score of 41/100 (grade D), ranked #771 nationally. The score is a weighted average across affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Portage's cost-of-living index is 91 (US average = 100), so it's affordable — 9% below the national average. Median rent is $1,062/month.
Portage has a cold-winter climate. Summer highs average 81°F and winter lows average 21°F, with 39 inches of annual precipitation.
Portage has a Walk Score of 25/100. Car-dependent for most errands, with pockets of walkability downtown.
Portage has a population of 48,936, with 48% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher and a median age of 37.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Portage side-by-side with any other US city — housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality of life metrics displayed together. The leaderboard pages also show how Portage ranks for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals.
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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