Portage and Hobart receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Portage
Hobart
Opportunity
61 · Top 40%
vs60 · Top 41%
Growth
60 · Top 32%
vs69 · Top 18%
Climate
62 · Bottom 20%
vs62 · Bottom 20%
Physical resilience
92 · Top 10%
vs83 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 15%
vs97 · Top 14%
Schools
30 · Bottom 22%
vs29 · Bottom 21%
Access
95 · Top 34%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
59 · Bottom 47%
vs59 · Bottom 47%
Measured values
| Metric | Portage | Hobart | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,082 | 29,558 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $76,276 | $75,160 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,293 | $36,514 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,486/sq mi | 1,128/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $224,200 | $215,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,231 | $1,206 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 72.9% | 69.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.4% | 21.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.6% | 10.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 143 | 137 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.8 | 4.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -11.2% | 185.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.4" | 33.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.8 min | 28.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.8 | 39.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.19 | 19.01 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 27.7% | 27.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 35.5% | 39.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 42.8% | 58.7% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: Portage, IN · Hobart, IN · How this is calculated: methodology