Fitchburg receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Portage
Fitchburg
Opportunity
69 · Top 25%
vs82 · Top 5%
Growth
63 · Top 28%
vs78 · Top 7%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs57 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
37 · Bottom 30%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 16%
vs77 · Bottom 44%
Schools
54 · Top 47%
vs56 · Top 44%
Access
87 · Bottom 33%
vs96 · Top 32%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 29%
vs75 · Top 16%
Measured values
| Metric | Portage | Fitchburg | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,236 | 32,619 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,722 | $86,516 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,118 | $59,210 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,147/sq mi | 926/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $204,900 | $417,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,008 | $1,373 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.6% | 47.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 2.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.9% | 57.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.5% | 9.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 60 | 432 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.9 | 13.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 185.7% | -16.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 10°F | 12°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 38.3" | 37.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 29 mi | 12 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.8 min | 20.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.8 | 34.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.87 | 11.96 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 37.6% | 36.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 40.5% | 40.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 38.4% | 29.0% | 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.
Fitchburg
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Portage, WI · Fitchburg, WI · How this is calculated: methodology