Monroe receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Portage
Monroe
Opportunity
69 · Top 25%
vs78 · Top 10%
Growth
63 · Top 28%
vs52 · Top 46%
Climate
56 · Bottom 7%
vs57 · Bottom 8%
Physical resilience
37 · Bottom 30%
vs87 · Top 14%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 16%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
54 · Top 47%
vs53 · Top 48%
Access
87 · Bottom 33%
vs78 · Bottom 20%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 29%
vs65 · Top 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Portage | Monroe | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,236 | 10,587 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,722 | $69,334 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,118 | $42,330 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,147/sq mi | 1,838/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $204,900 | $195,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,008 | $862 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.6% | 63.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 2.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | 1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.9% | 27.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.5% | 8.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 60 | 18 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.9 | 1.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 185.7% | 63.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 10°F | 11°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 38.3" | 39.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 29 mi | 40 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.8 min | 20.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.8 | 42.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.87 | 13.21 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 37.6% | 41.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 40.5% | 33.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 38.4% | 41.0% | 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.
Monroe
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Portage, WI · Monroe, WI · How this is calculated: methodology