Portage receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Portage
Kalamazoo
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 28%
vs21 · Bottom 2%
Growth
50 · Top 50%
vs7 · Bottom 1%
Climate
62 · Bottom 20%
vs62 · Bottom 20%
Physical resilience
92 · Top 9%
vs92 · Top 9%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 12%
vs80 · Bottom 49%
Schools
71 · Top 25%
vs38 · Bottom 33%
Access
92 · Top 48%
vs93 · Top 44%
Economic stability
71 · Top 27%
vs43 · Bottom 22%
Measured values
| Metric | Portage | Kalamazoo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 49,259 | 73,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $83,212 | $52,272 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,784 | $29,341 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,529/sq mi | 2,966/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $262,300 | $179,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,133 | $1,078 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.1% | 42.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 5.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -7.5% | -7.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.9% | 38.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.1% | 24.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 184 | 0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.7 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 75.2% | -100.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.2" | 33.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 19 mi | 17 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.4 min | 19.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.5 | 26.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 16 | 42 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.12 | 18.13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 48.3% | 26.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 62.5% | 40.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 23.5% | 61.3% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Portage
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado, strong wind.
Kalamazoo
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado, strong wind.
Full profiles: Portage, MI · Kalamazoo, MI · How this is calculated: methodology