A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Ithaca$1,290/mo

Typical home $199K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.48% · or rent about $819/mo · Housing →

Portland$1,910/mo

Typical home $295K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.49% · or rent about $972/mo · Housing →

The difference: $620 a month, about $7,500 a year, between Portland and Ithaca.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Portland places higher on 10 of 19 MI lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Michigan ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

–IthacaNot graded BPortlandSafer than 64% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+IthacaBetter than 72% of districts in the state B−PortlandBetter than 48% of districts in the state

Health

CIthacaHealthier than 29% of U.S. towns B+PortlandHealthier than 72% of U.S. towns

8Ithaca

10Portland

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 540 towns #135#487 Most activeHealth · 723 towns #556#126 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 723 towns #529#163 HealthiestHealth · 723 towns #538#181 Fewest smokersHealth · 723 towns #467#144 Most remote workersWork · 714 towns #713#402 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 723 towns #153#461 Shortest commuteGetting around · 723 towns #330#510

Left end = #1 in Michigan. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Ithaca’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

IthacaPortland

Snow a year39″37″

January low15°F —

July high82°F —

Growing season (days)164d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)27th 59th

Outdoors & history

IthacaPortland

Trails0 mi 4 mi

Conserved land4.5%8.1%

Settled1869 —

National Register places2 2

Archive photos7 6

Famous people born here7 6

Community

IthacaPortland

Library hours a week43 hrs 55 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 1

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

33 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

IthacaMI PortlandMI

Ithaca ↔ Portland33 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Michigan average

IthacaPortland

People

Population 2,817Lowest 3,790Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -2%Highest MI: +2% -2.2%Lowest MI: +2%

Median age 42.5±10.6Highest 6% above MI 39.9±6.6Lowest about the MI average

Ithaca and Portland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 16.8%±4.6Highest MI: 21.2% 14.5%±4.9Lowest MI: 21.2%

Ithaca and Portland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 15.3%±3.8Lowest MI: 18.6% 21.4%±5.4Highest MI: 18.6%

Portland and Ithaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 26.3%Lowest MI: 32.4% 28.2%Highest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.8%±4.2Highest MI: 6.1% 1.5%±1.4Lowest MI: 6.1%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $63,109±$5kLowest 13% below MI $65,845±$10kHighest 10% below MI

Portland and Ithaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $133,200±$26kLowest 42% below MI $166,200±$22kHighest 28% below MI

Portland and Ithaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $819±$89Lowest 27% below MI $972±$84Highest 14% below MI

Portland and Ithaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,975Lowest 32% below MI $2,478Highest 15% below MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 46.7%±18.4Highest MI: 50.4% 41.9%±22.7Lowest MI: 50.4%

Ithaca and Portland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 16.8%Highest MI: 13.2% 7.3%Lowest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 72.3%Highest MI: 73.2% 71.3%Lowest MI: 73.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1958Highest 14 yrs older than MI 1957Lowest 15 yrs older than MI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minLowest about the MI average 28 minHighest 14% above MI

Work from home 0.7%±0.8Lowest MI: 13.5% 9.5%±6.8Highest MI: 13.5%

Work in townworking residents 19.1%Highest 15.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.3 miLowest 19.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.58Lowest 3.02Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Alma (10%)Delta Township (6%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PortlandFew work in Ithaca

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 4.5%Lowest 8.1%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 4.2 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 1.5 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Lowest 11Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 23.2Lowest 61.3Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #243 of 493 in MI #209 of 493 in MI

School district Ithaca Public SchoolsPortland Public Schools

High school in town Ithaca High SchoolPortland High School

Students per teacherat that high school 18.6Lowest 18.9Highest

Michigan average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Ithaca neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ithaca’s Town Square.

Portland neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 5d

Portland Public Schools

1 neighbor in Portland can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Ithaca and Portland

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Ithaca

+ Compare

North Star Township867 people · $184K homes

+ Compare

Emerson Township751 people · $184K homes

+ Compare

Newark Township1,198 people · $235K homes

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Arcada Township1,684 people · $219K homes

Towns like Ithaca

+ Compare

Watervliet Township3,055 people · $155K homes

+ Compare

Schoolcraft Township2,163 people · $140K homes

+ Compare

Amber Township2,566 people · $229K homes

+ Compare

Whitehall3,024 people · $213K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Ithaca vs Portland

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $620 more a month in Portland

Portland places higher on 10 of 19 MI lists

What daily life feels like in each

33 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Portland Public Schools

Set another town beside Ithaca and Portland

Bordering Ithaca

Towns like Ithaca

Post to Ithaca

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