Columbia County vs Portage County
A side-by-side comparison of Columbia County and Portage County: population, income, housing, and more.
Columbia County and Portage County are counties in Wisconsin. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Portage County has the higher population (70,375 vs 58,322 in Columbia County). Columbia County has the higher median household income ($82,792 vs $73,284 in Portage County). Columbia County has the higher median home value ($258,700 vs $230,400 in Portage County).
Population, income & housing
| Columbia County | Portage County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 58,322 | 70,375 |
| Median age | 43.3 yrs | 38.1 yrs |
| Median household income | $82,792 | $73,284 |
| Median home value | $258,700 | $230,400 |
| Median gross rent | $926 | $903 |
| Housing units | 26,826 | 31,496 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.9% | 69.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.7% | 33.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 3.2% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Columbia County | Portage County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,133 → 58,322 (+2.1%) | 70,632 → 70,375 (-0.4%) |
| Median household income | $68,005 → $82,792 (+21.7%) | $58,853 → $73,284 (+24.5%) |
| Median home value | $192,900 → $258,700 (+34.1%) | $168,100 → $230,400 (+37.1%) |
| Median gross rent | $801 → $926 (+15.6%) | $776 → $903 (+16.4%) |
Columbia County
57,13358,322
$68,005$82,792
$192,900$258,700
$801$926
Portage County
70,63270,375
$58,853$73,284
$168,100$230,400
$776$903
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Columbia County | Portage County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.1% | 4.6% |
| 5 to 17 | 15.7% | 14.4% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.2% | 15.5% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.4% | 11.9% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.9% | 11.0% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.4% | 13.3% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.7% | 10.9% |
| 75 and over | 7.4% | 6.9% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Columbia County | Portage County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 90.9% | 89.5% |
| Black or African American | 1.7% | 0.8% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 0.8% | 2.8% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more races | 2.2% | 2.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.9% | 3.9% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Columbia County | Portage County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 6.2% | 5.2% |
| High school graduate | 31.2% | 31.1% |
| Some college or associate's | 37.0% | 30.0% |
| Bachelor's degree | 17.5% | 23.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 8.1% | 10.1% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Columbia County | Portage County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 77.9% | 74.1% |
| Carpooled | 7.4% | 8.3% |
| Public transit | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Walked | 2.3% | 4.0% |
| Bicycle | 0.3% | 0.9% |
| Worked from home | 11.3% | 11.5% |
| Other means | 0.8% | 0.8% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Columbia County | Portage County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 76.8% | 68.7% |
| 1-unit, attached | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| 2 to 4 units | 7.8% | 9.4% |
| 5 to 19 units | 6.4% | 10.7% |
| 20 or more units | 2.7% | 3.6% |
| Mobile home & other | 2.8% | 4.1% |
Poverty & households
| Columbia County | Portage County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 7.8% | 10.2% |
| Average household size | 2.34 | 2.28 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 27 | 19 |
| Median year structure built | 1976 | 1979 |
Full profiles
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