County · Wisconsin

Portage County, Wisconsin

Portage County, Wisconsin. Portage County had 71,943 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.2% since 2020, faster than Wisconsin (+1.3%). It holds 30 places (11 cities, villages and boroughs, 17 towns and townships and 2 census-designated) and 15 census tracts. GEOID 55097.

Portage County is the county of the Stevens Point-Plover, WI micropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

71,943

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 70,377 · ACS 2020-2024: 70,832

Median household income

$76,070

±$1,950 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $77,485

Median home value

$243,100

±$5,230 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $266,500

Median gross rent

$940

±$21 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $1,087

How many people live in Portage County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 70,377 residents in Portage County. The Census Bureau estimates 71,943 for July 1, 2025, up 2.2% since 2020, faster than Wisconsin (+1.3%). The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 70,832 over 801 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 −958 (69,465)
2021→2022 +1,299 (70,764)
2022→2023 +597 (71,361)
2023→2024 +397 (71,758)
2024→2025 +185 (71,943)

Portage County in Wisconsin. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Portage County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	70,832	5,914,872	+200
Households	29,679±287	2,479,480	+1,004
Average household size	2.29±0.02	2.33	−0.06
Housing units	31,746±86	2,778,572	+835

Portage County's population since 2000

From 67,182 in 2000 to 71,943 in 2025: up 7.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.

2000 Census 67,182
2005 (estimate) 68,045
2010 Census 70,019
2015 (estimate) 70,544
2020 Census 70,377
2025 (estimate) 71,943

Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Portage County?

Portage County holds 30 places: 11 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places), 17 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government) and 2 census-designated places. The largest is Stevens Point with 26,377 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Portage County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Stevens Point	city	25,666	25,785±37	$58,031	$195,400	16.6%	100%
Plover	village	13,519	13,884±29	$88,042	$269,800	9.2%	100%
Hull (town), Portage County	town	5,287	5,255±19	$105,652	$283,500	4.2%	100%
Stockton (town)	town	3,018	3,012±25	$87,632	$290,100	6.7%	100%
Sharon (town), Portage County	town	2,123	2,023±222	$96,250	$322,200	2.5%	100%
Grant (town), Portage County	town	1,842	1,883±274	$89,167	$202,000	4.8%	100%
Whiting	village	1,601	1,493±280	$73,063	$220,000	6.5%	100%
Plover (town), Portage County	town	1,565	1,299±222	$90,481	$316,500	5.6%	100%
Lanark (town)	town	1,535	1,760±283	$104,217	$258,600	3.8%	100%
Amherst (town)	town	1,402	1,564±255	$94,205	$314,500	6.4%	100%
Carson (town)	town	1,374	1,197±186	$90,278	$344,700	3.8%	100%
Buena Vista (town), Portage County	town	1,145	1,154±170	$68,472	$290,500	4.7%	100%
Amherst	village	1,117	1,113±161	$64,922	$244,300	6.6%	100%
Linwood (town)	town	1,070	1,107±301	$81,875	$270,400	1.4%	100%
Eau Pleine (town), Portage County	town	1,063	1,054±158	$107,159	$296,100	6.2%	100%
Dewey (town), Portage County	town	962	1,157±205	$103,047	$296,100	4.5%	100%
Pine Grove (town)	town	873	1,086±204	$71,250	$113,600	14.2%	100%
Alban (town)	town	863	876±175	$80,238	$237,800	2.6%	100%
New Hope (town)	town	711	664±106	$90,000	$325,800	6.0%	100%
Almond (town)	town	625	471±93	$86,406	$277,800	7.9%	100%
Belmont (town), Portage County	town	623	626±121	$71,250	$205,400	16.6%	100%
Polonia	CDP	565	776±215	$119,154	$342,700	3.4%	100%
Park Ridge	village	530	626±193	$96,750	$287,800	4.6%	100%
Bancroft	CDP	526	673±182	$77,059	$98,200	17.2%	100%
Rosholt	village	478	460±104	$66,250	$193,800	6.1%	100%
Almond	village	424	441±138	$72,431	$153,800	10.9%	100%
Junction City	village	420	311±72	$62,778	$145,300	21.2%	100%
Amherst Junction	village	383	341±63	$106,250	$314,300	2.3%	100%
NelsonvilleGEOID 5556000	village	158	190±56	$58,542	$160,900	5.3%	100%
Milladore	village	268	419±162	$89,107	$158,500	10.5%	0%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Portage County?

The median resident of Portage County is 38.0 years old; 18.8% are under 18 and 18.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 89.0%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 4.2%. 3.1% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Portage County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	38.0±0.4	40.2	+1.0
Under 18 years	18.8%	21.4%	–
65 years and over	18.3%±0.1 pts	18.5%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	4.2%	8.0%	+1.0 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	89.0%±0.3 pts	78.6%	−2.0 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	0.8%±0.2 pts	5.9%	no clear change
Asian alone, not Hispanic	2.9%±0.4 pts	2.9%	no clear change
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.5%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.0%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	2.9%±0.5 pts	3.7%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.2%±0.1 pts	0.3%	–
Born outside the United States	3.1%±0.4 pts	5.2%	−0.8 pts
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	4.8%±0.5 pts	9.0%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	6.6%±0.6 pts	6.2%	–
With a disability	12.2%±0.7 pts	12.3%	–
No health insurance coverage	4.8%±0.6 pts	5.2%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	94.5%±0.7 pts	93.6%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	34.0%±1.7 pts	33.4%	no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	10.0%±0.9 pts	11.4%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	1.0%±0.3 pts	2.0%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov

What do households in Portage County earn?

Half of Portage County's 29,679 households earn less than $76,070 a year (±$1,950), against $77,485 in Wisconsin. In 2015-2019 the median was $72,430 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $3,640 after inflation. 10.1% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Portage County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$76,070±$1,950	$77,485	+$3,640
Mean household income	$94,142±$2,554	$101,466	–
Per capita income	$40,191±$884	$43,373	no clear change
People below the poverty line	10.1%±1.0 pts	10.6%	−2.0 pts
Children under 18 below the poverty line	10.5%±2.5 pts	12.8%	no clear change
Households receiving SNAP	8.0%±1.0 pts	11.1%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	92.5%±1.0 pts	90.3%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What does housing cost in Portage County?

Owners occupy 69.7% of Portage County's occupied homes and renters 30.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $243,100 by its owner (±$5,230). The median renter pays $940 a month including utilities, and 32.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Portage County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$243,100±$5,230	$266,500	+$36,220
Median gross rent	$940±$21	$1,087	no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	32.5%±3.9 pts	35.0%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,561±$40	$1,689	–
Owner-occupied homes	69.7%±1.5 pts	67.8%	no clear change
Housing units	31,746±86	2,778,572	+835
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.4%±0.3 pts	0.5%	–
Rental vacancy rate	4.6%±2.2 pts	4.5%	–
Single-family detached homes	69.0%±1.5 pts	66.2%	–
Mobile homes	3.4%±0.6 pts	3.1%	–
Built 2020 or later	1.8%±0.5 pts	1.4%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	16.5%±1.2 pts	17.8%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov

How many new homes is Portage County building?

Builders took permits for 244 new housing units across Portage County in 2025 (122 single-family), 3.4 per 1,000 residents.

2019 352 units
2020 406 units
2021 139 units
2022 351 units
2023 167 units
2024 279 units
2025 244 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Portage County get to work?

74.1% of Portage County's workers drive alone and 12.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 19.5 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.2%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Portage County	Wisconsin	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	66.3%±0.9 pts	65.3%	–
Unemployment rate	3.2%±0.6 pts	3.2%	no clear change
Drove alone to work	74.1%±1.6 pts	74.4%	–
Carpooled	7.7%±0.9 pts	7.3%	–
Public transportation	0.2%±0.2 pts	1.1%	–
Walked	4.2%±0.7 pts	2.6%	–
Worked from home	12.6%±0.9 pts	13.1%	+8.4 pts
Mean travel time to work	19.5 min±0.6	22.2 min	no clear change

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What are Portage County's census tracts?

Portage County is divided into 15 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $42,218 (Tract 9610) to $104,044 (Tract 9605).

Census tracts of Portage County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; sort by any column

Tract 960155097960100	Rosholt (9%)	4,619	4,315±276	$87,698	$297,000	$930	4.0%
Tract 960255097960200	Junction City (7%)	4,758	4,619±309	$92,063	$281,500	$844	5.6%
Tract 960355097960300	Stevens Point (82%)	4,059	4,325±425	$47,158	$153,600	$889	22.3%
Tract 960455097960400	Stevens Point (84%)	6,595	7,011±453	$42,466	$215,900	$868	31.4%
Tract 960555097960500	Stevens Point (44%)	7,185	7,075±435	$104,044	$288,700	$1,011	4.0%
Tract 960655097960600	Amherst (13%)	5,497	5,515±299	$78,831	$286,000	$899	5.5%
Tract 9607.0155097960701	Plover (82%)	5,502	5,399±393	$101,902	$267,000	$1,335	2.9%
Tract 9607.0255097960702	Plover (46%)	3,484	3,669±430	$79,833	$262,600	$1,209	4.4%
Tract 960855097960800	Stevens Point (70%)	5,246	5,300±628	$80,262	$234,500	$774	3.5%
Tract 960955097960900	Stevens Point (99%)	3,135	3,199±342	$60,509	$169,600	$948	15.9%
Tract 961055097961000	Stevens Point	2,268	2,288±356	$42,218	$167,200	$792	25.7%
Tract 9611.0155097961101	Plover (38%)	3,904	3,778±418	$89,417	$269,600	$1,135	2.4%
Tract 9611.0255097961102	Stevens Point (50%)	2,984	2,801±392	$67,582	$184,400	$1,024	9.3%
Tract 961255097961200	Plover (14%)	6,257	6,394±537	$73,068	$236,300	$888	17.0%
Tract 961355097961300	Bancroft (9%)	4,884	5,144±361	$82,853	$229,400	$950	8.6%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Portage County compare with Wisconsin's other counties?

Portage County's rank among Wisconsin's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	23rd of 72
Growth 2020-2025	23rd of 72
Residents per square mile	24th of 72
Median household income	23rd of 72
Median home value	25th of 72
Median gross rent	30th of 72
Poverty rate	41st of 72
Bachelor's degree or higher	11th of 72
Median age	64th of 72

Every county in Wisconsin

Source: PlainCities ranks from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections

Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Portage County are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.