Jobs, pay and daily life in Portage, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Portage is a city in Michigan with 49,259 residents. The median household earns $83,212 a year and the median rent is $1,133 a month, which is 16.3% of the median household income. It is part of the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metropolitan area, where BLS counts 121,790 jobs.
How Portage compares. Among the 100 largest places in Michigan, Portage is #25 by population, #22 for college degrees (#1 = most), #25 for household income (#1 = highest), #34 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Kalamazoo County, is #7 of 83 counties for average pay ($65,730).
Portage has 49,259 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.5% of the population of Michigan. It covers 32 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,529 people per square mile. The median age is 38.5, 4% younger than the state median (38.5 against 40.2).
The median gross rent is $1,133 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($1,133 against $1,129). Over a year that is 16.3% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $262,300, which is 3.2 times the median household income ($83,212); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 69.0% of households own their home, 6% below the state average (69.0% against 73.2%).
The Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metropolitan area has 121,790 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $48,510 a year, 5% below the national median ($48,510 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (13,670 jobs, median $46,210); production (12,090 jobs, median $46,370); food preparation and serving related (10,690 jobs, median $33,280). The area is most specialised in production (1.8 times) and healthcare practitioners and technical (1.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($107,650) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($81,520). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Kalamazoo County was 4.0%. 67.7% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Kalamazoo County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 78.1% drive alone, 0.6% use public transit, 1.1% walk, 13.7% work from home. 8.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 37% below the state average (8.2% against 12.9%).
47.9% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 48% above the state share (47.9% against 32.5%). 5.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 19% below the state share (5.9% against 7.2%). The poverty rate is 7.1%, 46% below the state rate (7.1% against 13.2%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 73°F (22.9°C), and the coolest is Jan at 24°F (-4.5°C). About 954 mm (38 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (110 mm) and Feb the driest (55 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Kalamazoo (5 miles, rent 5% lower); Battle Creek (20 miles, rent 16% lower); Sturgis (29 miles, rent 27% lower); Coldwater (35 miles, rent 17% lower). Rent differences are against Portage; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Michigan (335) →State guide: MichiganCountry guideKalamazoo CountyMichigan rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 335 federal postings open in Michigan (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Michigan →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 3,300 | 1.25 | $88,200 | $65,140 | $106,080 | -10% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 3,200 | 1.06 | $28,790 | $25,960 | $35,290 | -8% |
| Retail Salespersons | 3,130 | 1.03 | $33,660 | $27,560 | $47,770 | -5% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 3,090 | 2.81 | $38,880 | $35,220 | $48,450 | -13% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 3,030 | 1.31 | $44,350 | $34,230 | $49,480 | +10% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 2,970 | 0.88 | $35,270 | $29,970 | $43,280 | -1% |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,530 | 1.31 | $44,500 | $31,200 | $60,270 | -1% |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,330 | 0.85 | $100,160 | $49,210 | $210,700 | -5% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 2,240 | 1.01 | $35,090 | $29,800 | $46,890 | -6% |
| Cashiers | 2,170 | 0.89 | $29,820 | $26,660 | $36,560 | -9% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,970 | 0.97 | $44,130 | $29,900 | $62,580 | -1% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,810 | 1.04 | $35,630 | $29,230 | $46,950 | -3% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,740 | 0.98 | $37,760 | $25,960 | $63,680 | +7% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,580 | 0.98 | $55,880 | $43,600 | $72,930 | -5% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,260 | 1.11 | $39,500 | $35,640 | $51,430 | -7% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 1,260 | 1.30 | $70,700 | $39,790 | $128,740 | -2% |
| Industrial Engineers | 1,240 | 4.34 | $97,250 | $64,830 | $134,370 | -5% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,230 | 1.03 | $46,700 | $36,010 | $65,200 | -6% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,180 | 1.09 | $63,450 | $45,720 | $82,640 | -1% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 1,140 | 1.03 | $36,760 | $29,550 | $46,150 | -2% |
These figures are for the whole Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $48,510 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.0% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.6% |
| Manufacturing | 20.7% |
| Retail trade | 11.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 10.7% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 8.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 7.2% |
| Construction | 3.7% |
| Public administration | 3.4% |
| Other services | 3.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.5% |
| Information | 1.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.9% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Portage lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo County | 262,375 | $20,706 million | $78,919 | 120,708 | 5,972 | $65,730 | +0.6% | 4.0% | 127,605 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 21,198 | 20.4% | $95,480 | 2.14 |
| Health care and social assistance | 20,432 | 19.6% | $70,049 | 1.18 |
| Retail trade | 12,358 | 11.9% | $38,041 | 1.03 |
| Accommodation and food services | 11,060 | 10.6% | $23,302 | 1.01 |
| Construction | 6,522 | 6.3% | $79,824 | 1.03 |
| Professional and technical services | 5,959 | 5.7% | $86,578 | 0.71 |
| Administrative and waste services | 5,719 | 5.5% | $46,514 | 0.80 |
| Wholesale trade | 5,036 | 4.8% | $74,530 | 1.06 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 4,000 | 3.8% | $46,541 | 1.10 |
| Finance and insurance | 3,326 | 3.2% | $95,835 | 0.68 |
| Educational services | 2,538 | 2.4% | $56,093 | 1.02 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,838 | 1.8% | $26,648 | 0.91 |
| Real estate and rental | 1,793 | 1.7% | $63,812 | 0.96 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 1,485 | 1.4% | $44,461 | 1.52 |
| Information | 695 | 0.7% | $72,444 | 0.31 |
| Management of companies | 158 | 0.2% | $89,721 | 0.08 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 24 | 0.0% | $70,176 | 0.05 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 78.1% |
| Public transit | 0.6% |
| Walk | 1.1% |
| Work from home | 13.7% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 8.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $83,212 |
| Income per person | $46,784 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,133 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.3% |
| Median home value | $262,300 |
| Homeowners | 69.0% |
| Poverty rate | 7.1% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 94.8 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $48,510 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 4.25%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 38.5 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 96.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 47.9% |
| Born abroad | 5.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 67.7% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -4.5 | 24 | 60 |
| Feb | -3.5 | 26 | 55 |
| Mar | 2.0 | 36 | 59 |
| Apr | 8.5 | 47 | 85 |
| May | 14.8 | 59 | 110 |
| Jun | 20.2 | 68 | 94 |
| Jul | 22.9 | 73 | 87 |
| Aug | 22.2 | 72 | 97 |
| Sep | 18.2 | 65 | 80 |
| Oct | 10.7 | 51 | 99 |
| Nov | 4.0 | 39 | 68 |
| Dec | -1.6 | 29 | 60 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo | MI | 5 mi | 73,076 | $52,272 | $1,078 |
| Battle Creek | MI | 20 mi | 52,374 | $55,693 | $957 |
| Sturgis | MI | 29 mi | 11,054 | $62,710 | $826 |
| Coldwater | MI | 35 mi | 13,671 | $50,781 | $943 |
| Elkhart | IN | 40 mi | 53,733 | $51,028 | $998 |
| Niles | MI | 42 mi | 11,803 | $51,376 | $855 |
| Granger | IN | 42 mi | 30,321 | $123,318 | $1,656 |
| Cutlerville | MI | 45 mi | 18,780 | $67,327 | $1,254 |
| Goshen | IN | 45 mi | 34,420 | $59,184 | $1,093 |
| Mishawaka | IN | 47 mi | 51,021 | $54,291 | $1,070 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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vs
49,259 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,133 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.3% of the median household income.
$83,212 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.0% (BLS county, Kalamazoo County (latest month 2026M09)).
Michigan. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.