Portage, MI: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Portage is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States. The population was 48,891 at the 2020 census. It is the smaller of the two main cities included in the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 261,670 in 2020.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Portage ranks

All →

#50Fewest uninsured in MI #55Fewest smokers in MI #88Most educated in MI All MI rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code49002, 49024, 49081

Area code269

Living in Portage

Housing in Portage

$300K▲ 5% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Portage home is worth about $300,000, up 5% in a year, 13% above the Michigan typical home.

A strong seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market9

Sale-to-list100.2%

Sold in May60

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Portage

C⁻

Safety Grade C-

Portage reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 82% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Portage 2

Michigan 4.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Portage 23.9

Michigan 13

U.S. 15.5

Natural hazards: LowMostly inland flooding · higher than 20% of U.S. communitiesDetails →

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Portage

A⁻

Health Grade A−

Healthier than 79% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with Michigan

18better than MI

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 14 are too close to call.

Conditions 6▲ 6 close Habits 3▲ 1 close Care 3▲ 4 close Mind 2▲ 3 close Everyday needs 4▲ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

10.5%Fewer adults facing food insecurityMI 15.4% · better 6.1%Fewer adults facing a utility shut-offMI 8.7% · better

Care nearby

Bronson Methodist HospitalKalamazoo · 6.2 mi · ER

Family Health Center SheridanKalamazoo · 4.6 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalNo shortage

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Portage · CMS · HRSAHealth in Portage →

Schools in Portage

All Portage schools →

A

School Grade A

The public schools Portage’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 90% of Michigan’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

#77Best public schoolsof 490 in MI

DistrictPortage Public SchoolsSchools18

Moorsbridge Elementary School AElementary · Grades PK–5 · 591 students 12th Street Elementary A-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 589 students Amberly Elementary School B+Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 513 students Lake Center Elementary School A-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 494 students Central Elementary School B+Elementary · Grades K–5 · 439 students Haverhill Elementary School B-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 378 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within MI. Ratings are from neighbors.

Famous people from PortageWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Portage.Meet them →