The Town FilesPortage, Indiana
City in Porter County · population 37,926 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $224,200
- Household income
- $76,276
- Jan low / Jul high
- 18° / 82°
- Snow a year
- 40 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 23
- Median age
- 39.8
Portage is a city of 37,926 people in Porter County, Indiana. The median home is worth $224,200, above the typical Indiana town ($150,400). It ranks more vibrant than 88% of Indiana towns, better transit than 82% of Indiana towns, more walkable than 75% of Indiana towns.
How Portage ranks
Percentile among Indiana towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Indiana towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Portage is worth $224,200, above the typical Indiana town ($150,400). Homes cost about 2.9 times the median household income of $76,276, which is more affordable than 29% of Indiana towns. Median rent is $1,231 a month. 72.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Portage | Typical Indiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $224,200 | $150,400 |
| Median rent | $1,231 | $888 |
| Median household income | $76,276 | $61,953 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.9× | 2.5× |
| Homeownership | 72.9% | 73.4% |
| Median year built | 1981 | 1966 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.6% | — |
Who lives in Portage
| People | Portage | Typical Indiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.8 | 38.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.0% | 17.1% |
| Under 18 | 20.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.4% | 17.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Veterans | 5.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 4.1% | — |
| Work from home | 5.5% | 6.2% |
| Average commute | 27.3 min | 24.7 min |
| Homes with broadband | 92.6% | 89.2% |
Weather in Portage
July highs average 81.6°F and January lows 17.8°F. About 39.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 40.3 inches of snow (typical Indiana town: 21.1 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 117 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
23 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Portage since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Indiana town. 8 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on October 24, 1967 about 3.4 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 5 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 11, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 44 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on March 27, 1991.
Severe weather in Porter County since 1996
Porter County has been included in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 25, 2026 | Flood | DR-4933: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| August 15, 2026 | Flood | EM-3651: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3641: Severe Winter Storm |
| April 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4515: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3456: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Porter County
Porter County had 63,768 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $58,217 a year. Unemployment was 3.7% in 2023; in Portage itself the ACS puts it at 7.4%.
Public schools in Portage
10 public schools with 6,147 students, about 15.8 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portage High School | 9-12 | 2,198 | 15.9 |
| Willowcreek Middle School | 6-8 | 931 | 15.3 |
| William Fegely Middle School | 6-8 | 613 | 14.3 |
| Rowena Kyle Elementary School | K-5 | 439 | 19.1 |
| Wallace Aylesworth Elementary | K-5 | 433 | 16.7 |
| Central Elementary School | K-5 | 419 | 18.2 |
| Crisman Elementary School | K-5 | 353 | 16.0 |
| George L Myers Elementary School | K-5 | 332 | 16.6 |
| Ethel R Jones Elementary School | K-5 | 299 | 14.2 |
| Neighbors' New Vistas High School (charter) | 9-12 | 130 | 10.8 |
Towns near Portage
- Lake Station, IN3.9 mi · 13,235 people · home $137,400
- South Haven, IN4.0 mi · 5,084 people · home $178,200
- Porter, IN5.7 mi · 5,210 people · home $267,700
- Chesterton, IN6.5 mi · 14,241 people · home $300,900
- Hobart, IN7.2 mi · 29,752 people · home $215,200
- Gary, IN8.7 mi · 69,093 people · home $94,700
- Shorewood Forest, IN9.0 mi · 3,033 people · home $479,100
- Valparaiso, IN10.0 mi · 34,151 people · home $267,300
Portage questions
Is Portage, Indiana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Portage scores better for retirees than 13% of Indiana towns and quieter than 18%. 16.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.8).
How much does a house cost in Portage?
The median owner-occupied home in Portage is valued at $224,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $76,276, so homes cost about 2.9 times income. Median rent is $1,231 a month.
What is the weather like in Portage?
July highs average 81.6°F and January lows 17.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 39.2 inches of precipitation a year and 40.3 inches of snow.
Does Portage get tornadoes?
23 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Portage since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on October 24, 1967. The typical Indiana town has had 23.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)