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%

Portland$1,910/mo

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

Ithaca$1,290/mo

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

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

Schools

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

Health

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

10Portland

8Ithaca

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

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

Left end = #1 in Michigan. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Portland’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

PortlandIthaca

Snow a year37″39″

January low—15°F

July high—82°F

Growing season (days)—164d

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

Outdoors & history

PortlandIthaca

Trails4 mi 0 mi

Conserved land8.1%4.5%

Settled—1869

National Register places2 2

Archive photos6 7

Famous people born here6 7

Community

PortlandIthaca

Library hours a week55 hrs 43 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined1 0

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.

PortlandMI IthacaMI

Portland ↔ Ithaca33 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

PortlandIthaca

People

Population 3,790Highest 2,817Lowest

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

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

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

Kids under 18 14.5%±4.9Lowest MI: 21.2% 16.8%±4.6Highest 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+ 21.4%±5.4Highest MI: 18.6% 15.3%±3.8Lowest 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+ 28.2%Highest MI: 32.4% 26.3%Lowest MI: 32.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $65,845±$10kHighest 10% below MI $63,109±$5kLowest 13% 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 $166,200±$22kHighest 28% below MI $133,200±$26kLowest 42% 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 $972±$84Highest 14% below MI $819±$89Lowest 27% 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 $2,478Highest 15% below MI $1,975Lowest 32% below MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 41.9%±22.7Lowest MI: 50.4% 46.7%±18.4Highest 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 7.3%Lowest MI: 13.2% 16.8%Highest MI: 13.2%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

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

Work in townworking residents 15.2%Lowest 19.1%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.8 miHighest 18.3 miLowest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in IthacaFew work in Portland

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 8.1%Highest 4.5%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 4.2 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.5 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 11Highest 3Lowest

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

Schools

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

School district Portland Public SchoolsIthaca Public Schools

High school in town Portland High SchoolIthaca High School

Students per teacherat that high school 18.9Highest 18.6Lowest

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.

Portland neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 5d

Portland Public Schools

1 neighbor in Portland can answer.

Ithaca neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ithaca’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Portland and Ithaca

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

Bordering Portland

+ Compare

Portland Township3,928 people · $258K homes

+ Compare

Danby Township2,975 people · $289K homes

Towns like Portland

+ Compare

Coldwater Township3,829 people · $169K homes

+ Compare

Whitehall3,024 people · $213K homes

+ Compare

Fremont4,568 people · $195K homes

+ Compare

Kingsford5,124 people · $132K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Michigan towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.

Portland vs Ithaca

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 Portland and Ithaca

Bordering Portland

Towns like Portland

Post to Portland

Check your email