Portage County vs Wood County
A side-by-side comparison of Portage County and Wood County: population, income, housing, and more.
Portage County and Wood County are counties in Wisconsin. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Wood County has the higher population (74,039 vs 70,375 in Portage County). Portage County has the higher median household income ($73,284 vs $66,417 in Wood County). Portage County has the higher median home value ($230,400 vs $168,100 in Wood County).
Population, income & housing
| Portage County | Wood County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 70,375 | 74,039 |
| Median age | 38.1 yrs | 43.9 yrs |
| Median household income | $73,284 | $66,417 |
| Median home value | $230,400 | $168,100 |
| Median gross rent | $903 | $831 |
| Housing units | 31,496 | 34,662 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.3% | 73.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.7% | 21.4% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 4.3% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Portage County | Wood County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 70,632 → 70,375 (-0.4%) | 73,112 → 74,039 (+1.3%) |
| Median household income | $58,853 → $73,284 (+24.5%) | $54,913 → $66,417 (+20.9%) |
| Median home value | $168,100 → $230,400 (+37.1%) | $131,900 → $168,100 (+27.4%) |
| Median gross rent | $776 → $903 (+16.4%) | $718 → $831 (+15.7%) |
Portage County
70,63270,375
$58,853$73,284
$168,100$230,400
$776$903
Wood County
73,11274,039
$54,913$66,417
$131,900$168,100
$718$831
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Portage County | Wood County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 4.6% | 5.4% |
| 5 to 17 | 14.4% | 16.2% |
| 18 to 24 | 15.5% | 6.9% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.4% | 11.5% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.0% | 11.7% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.3% | 15.5% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 75 and over | 6.9% | 9.1% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Portage County | Wood County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 89.5% | 90.9% |
| Black or African American | 0.8% | 0.7% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Asian | 2.8% | 1.8% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Two or more races | 2.6% | 2.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.9% | 3.5% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Portage County | Wood County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 5.2% | 6.5% |
| High school graduate | 31.1% | 38.3% |
| Some college or associate's | 30.0% | 33.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 23.6% | 14.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 10.1% | 6.8% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Portage County | Wood County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 74.1% | 78.4% |
| Carpooled | 8.3% | 8.5% |
| Public transit | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| Walked | 4.0% | 2.1% |
| Bicycle | 0.9% | 0.7% |
| Worked from home | 11.5% | 9.1% |
| Other means | 0.8% | 1.0% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Portage County | Wood County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 68.7% | 74.3% |
| 1-unit, attached | 3.4% | 3.0% |
| 2 to 4 units | 9.4% | 6.7% |
| 5 to 19 units | 10.7% | 6.5% |
| 20 or more units | 3.6% | 5.4% |
| Mobile home & other | 4.1% | 4.1% |
Poverty & households
| Portage County | Wood County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| Average household size | 2.28 | 2.29 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 19 | 21 |
| Median year structure built | 1979 | 1973 |
Full profiles
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