City profile · North Dakota · Census ACS 2023

Portal, ND

Portal's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

136
Residents
$112,031
Median income
$78,200
Median home
$965
Median rent (state)
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State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Portal.

Place dossier plate

Sheet ND-PORTAL-ND · Portal, ND 136 pop · income 84th pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-TOP · COL-BELOW · SAFE-UNK · RANK-TOP · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 136
  • INC-TOP $112,031
  • COL-BELOW 89.0
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-TOP 84th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Sussex
  • HOME-LOW $78,200
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Sussex, WI (+ $0 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Portal

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Portal on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Portal on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 136.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $112,031. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Portal - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Portal places in the 84th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

84th
percentile, household income
3rd
percentile, home value
7th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Portal, ND

Portal is a small town in North Dakota, home to 136 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $112,031 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 0.0%. Typical homes in Portal are valued around $78,200, and the median resident age is 42.7 years. About 43.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 57.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 0 residential building permits were authorized in Portal (No Permits), per Census BPS data.

Living costs in North Dakota run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, North Dakota scores 89.0 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $965 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $200 across North Dakota, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 22.2 out of 100 (Very Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Portal's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to population change to comparison shortlist to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Portal, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, local building permits, commute-mode shares. No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

1. Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Portal?

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.

The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 0.7 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 0.0%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Question 2

Is Portal growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -4 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -3.3% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 0 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.

See the national growth ranking →

3. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for Portal?

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Within North Dakota, the closest population matches are Epping (136 residents, $64,420 income); Porcupine (136 residents, $80,417 income); Aneta (137 residents, $41,250 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Huslia, AK (136 residents); Bethesda, AR (136 residents); Uniontown, AR (136 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Question 4

What does the journey to work look like in Portal?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 67.6%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.

Compare commute patterns →

Population

136 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$112,031 /yr

High income · poverty 0.0% (Very low poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

89.0 (US=100)

Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, North Dakota average

City profile score · Portal, ND

88/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Poverty rate A+
0.0%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Cost of living A
89.0 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Household income A-
$112,031

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Bachelor's+ share B+
43.4%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Portal profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Poverty rate, Cost of living, Household income, Bachelor's+ share. Poverty rateCost of livingHousehold incomeBachelor's+ share 88 A
Portal profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Poverty rate: 100/100 (A+) · 0.0%
  • Cost of living: 89/100 (A) · 89.0 index
  • Household income: 82/100 (A-) · $112,031
  • Bachelor's+ share: 78/100 (B+) · 43.4%

How does Portal compare to other US cities?

Portal measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 84% higher than other cities
Home value 3% pricier than other cities
Median rent 7% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Portal against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to North Dakota only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

North Dakota-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Portal near the bottom of North Dakota's cities

Among the 246 North Dakota cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Portal ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Portal only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#11 of 227
95th percentile in North Dakota
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 246
0th percentile in North Dakota
Median Home Value
#182 of 226
19th percentile in North Dakota
Poverty Rate
#194 of 246
0th percentile in North Dakota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#11 of 246
96th percentile in North Dakota
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within North Dakota only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

84thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

84th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Portal's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$78,200 Among the most affordable more affordable than 97% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Above this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Portal $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Portal's home-value-to-income ratio: 0.7×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#11 of 15,516
More affordable than 100% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#11 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 0.7×, Portal sits in the affordable band: national rank #11 of 15,516 and #11 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$112,031 Portal, ND median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Portal, ND Portal, ND's median household income ($112,031) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Portal, ND-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Portal, ND median $112,031/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Portal, ND median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Portal, ND.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 43.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 57.7%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
136
Median Income
$112,031
Median Home Value
$78,200
Median Age
42.7
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
57.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
43.4%

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
116 residents118 residents120 residents122 residents 202020212022202320242025 121 residents 117 residents ▼ -3.3%
Portal's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 121 residents
2021 119 residents
2022 117 residents
2023 118 residents
2024 117 residents
2025 117 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 0
2020 0
2021 0
2022 0
2023 0
2024 0

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
67.6%
Carpool
5.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
14.1%
Work from Home
8.5%
Other
4.2%

Based on 71 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

North Dakota statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $200

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across North Dakota at $200 (electricity about $90 , water and sewer about $40 ).

These are North Dakota statewide averages, not a meter reading for Portal. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

North Dakota's BEA cost-of-living index is 89.0 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Portal is $965/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to North Dakota statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 22.2 / 100 (Very Low).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a North Dakota statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Portal sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Portal compares to similar-size North Dakota cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Portal (this city) 136 $112,031
Epping 136 $64,420
Porcupine 136 $80,417
Aneta 137 $41,250
Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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