Kalamazoo County · Michigan · Midwest · 49k residents
Portage, MI: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Portage: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Michigan median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,313/wk. Michigan's corporate income tax rate is 6%. Commercial electricity averages 14.0¢/kWh.
Compare Portage side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,313/wk
Corporate income tax
6%
Bachelor's degree or higher
47.9%
Commercial electricity
14.0¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Portage's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
82/100
Heating
Ranks Portage's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $262,300 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $155 |
| Property tax rate | 1.35% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $997/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,185/mo |
| State & local income tax | 5.25% |
| Sales tax | 6% |
| Corporate income tax | 6% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,313/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.9% |
| Commercial electricity | 14.0¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 23.4/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $118,100 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $88,200 |
| Wage: General manager | $100,160 |
| Wage: Customer service | $44,130 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $35,090 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $55,880 |
| Wage: Electrician | $65,690 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $33,660 |
| Cost of living index | 87 |
| Groceries index | 95 |
| Utilities | $175/mo |
| Transit pass | $60/mo |
| Gas price | $3.30/gal |
| Healthcare index | 96 |
| Childcare (per child) | $950/mo |
| Median household income | $83,212 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% |
| Population | 49k |
| Crime index | 45/100 |
| School rating | 5.3/10 |
| Walkability | 30/100 |
| Disaster risk | 82/100 |
| Avg. commute | 24 min |
| Sunny days / year | 175 days |
| July high | 83°F |
| January low | 18°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +5.2% |
| Home price MoM | 0.0% |
| Rent YoY | +8.4% |
| Rent MoM | +0.8% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +1.2% |
| Building permits YoY | +76.3% |
| Ocean coast | 602 mi |
| Big lake | 46 mi |
| Mountains | 400 mi |
| Major airport | 47 mi |
| Ski resort | 161 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Kalamazoo, MI · 73k
- Battle Creek, MI · 52k
- Cutlerville, MI · 19k
- Kentwood, MI · 54k
- Holland, MI · 34k
Similar size
- Roseville, MI · 47k
- East Lansing, MI · 46k
- Saginaw, MI · 44k
- Midland, MI · 43k
- Royal Oak, MI · 58k
Real listings in Portage
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Portage a good place to run a business?
- Michigan's corporate income tax rate is 6%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,313/wk; commercial electricity averages 14.0¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Portage, MI?
- Portage indexes at 87 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,185/mo and a acs median home value of $262,300.
- How much does a house cost in Portage?
- The acs median home value in Portage is $262,300 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Portage?
- A two-bedroom in Portage rents for about $1,185/mo.