• county
  • FIPS 55097
  • Largest town: Stevens Point

Portage County, Wisconsin

Portage County had 72,040 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 800.9 square miles of land. It ranks 23rd of 72 in Wisconsin by population and 29th by land area.

Population
72,040
#23 of 72 in Wisconsin · #769 in US
Area
800.9 sq mi
#29 of 72 in Wisconsin · #1,063 in US
Density
90 / sq mi
#24 of 72 in Wisconsin · #991 in US
Median household income
$71,295
#32 of 72 in Wisconsin · #908 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Portage County within Wisconsin. Pin: Madison.

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Tools and pages that start from Portage County

Portage County population, land area and income

Portage County had 72,040 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 800.9 square miles of land. It ranks 23rd of 72 in Wisconsin by population and 29th by land area. That works out to 90.0 people per square mile, near the US average of 96.3, and above the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Wisconsin has 41,821 residents; Portage County is somewhat larger.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $71,295 is above the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

72,040

3144th1st

769th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

801 sq mi

3144th1st

1063rd of 3,144 (US)

Density

90.0 / sq mi

3144th1st

991st of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$71,295

3143rd1st

908th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Wisconsin (72)

Population

72,040

72nd1st

23rd of 72 (WI)

Land area

801 sq mi

72nd1st

29th of 72 (WI)

Density

90.0 / sq mi

72nd1st

24th of 72 (WI)

Median household income

$71,295

72nd1st

32nd of 72 (WI)

How Portage County's population changed since 2020

Portage County gained 1,628 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 2.3%. That ranks 18th of 72 in Wisconsin for growth. The median Wisconsin county changed by +1.0%, and the state as a whole by +1.1%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Portage County recorded 2,442 births and 2,737 deaths, a natural change of -295. Net international migration added +737 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +1,162. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 1,162 people.

70.4k202069.4k202170.8k202271.5k202372.0k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
2,442
Deaths
2,737
Net international migration
+737
Net domestic migration
+1,162
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+579

Where Portage County is

The Census internal point of Portage County is at 44.476200, -89.498100. It sits in UTM zone 16N. The map shades Wisconsin's 72 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Portage County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Barron County: +0.2%Green County: +0.4%Dunn County: +1.5%Jefferson County: +0.0%Lincoln County: +0.1%Rusk County: -0.1%Fond du Lac County: +0.1%Marquette County: +1.0%Outagamie County: +2.3%Waupaca County: -1.2%Oneida County: +0.8%Eau Claire County: +2.8%Washington County: +1.4%Portage County: +2.3%Menominee County: +0.7%Clark County: +0.5%Monroe County: +0.2%Milwaukee County: -1.5%Buffalo County: +1.1%Lafayette County: +4.2%Ozaukee County: +2.5%Rock County: +1.0%Sheboygan County: +0.2%Green Lake County: +1.8%Waukesha County: +2.3%Calumet County: +2.1%Dodge County: -0.8%Wood County: -0.3%Winnebago County: +0.9%Sawyer County: +4.0%Dane County: +4.6%Sauk County: +1.1%Pepin County: +2.9%Adams County: +3.2%Price County: +0.4%Taylor County: +1.1%Grant County: +0.7%Trempealeau County: -0.0%Vernon County: +2.1%Waushara County: +2.2%Iowa County: +1.0%Crawford County: -0.5%Kenosha County: -0.3%Shawano County: +1.1%Juneau County: -0.7%Jackson County: -0.3%Vilas County: +3.7%Bayfield County: +3.7%Chippewa County: +1.5%Iron County: +1.5%Racine County: +0.3%Door County: +1.3%Ashland County: +1.1%Kewaunee County: +0.9%Polk County: +1.8%Florence County: +2.4%Douglas County: -0.2%Forest County: +3.7%Columbia County: -0.7%Walworth County: +0.7%La Crosse County: +0.1%Manitowoc County: +0.1%Oconto County: +2.5%Langlade County: +0.4%Marathon County: +0.7%Washburn County: +2.2%Brown County: +1.8%Richland County: -0.9%Marinette County: +1.1%St. Croix County: +4.3%Pierce County: +2.7%Burnett County: +3.7%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < +0.1%
  2. < +0.7%
  3. < +1.3%
  4. < +2.3%
  5. ≥ +2.3%
no data

Orange pin: Portage County internal point. Dark pin: Madison.

Internal point

Decimal
44.476200, -89.498100
DMS
44°28'34.32"N 89°29'53.16"W
UTM
16N 301324.7E 4927801.0N
Geohash
dpbm52tkx
Plus code
86PGFGG2+FQ

Towns in Portage County

4 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Portage County, 43,452 people together, or 60% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Portage County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Stevens Point with 26,465.

  1. 01Stevens Point26,465
  2. 02Plover14,208
  3. 03Whiting1,647
  4. 04Amherst1,132
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Portage County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Portage County. The most populous is Marathon County, WI, with 139,091 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Madison and the nearest big city

Madison is 97.0 miles S of Portage County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Green Bay, WI (population 106,311), 74.6 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Plover, WI (population 14,208), 2.2 miles away.

Portage County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Portage County is 55097: state code 55 for Wisconsin plus county code 097. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $71,295.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Portage County, Wisconsin?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 72,040. That is up 1,628 people (2.3%) from the July 2020 estimate of 70,412.

What is the FIPS code of Portage County?

55097. The first two digits (55) are Wisconsin; the last three (097) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Portage County?

Stevens Point, with 26,465 residents inside Portage County in 2024.

Which counties border Portage County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Marathon County, WI; Wood County, WI; Waupaca County, WI; Shawano County, WI; Waushara County, WI; Adams County, WI.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.