Walker and Portage 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
Walker
Portage
Opportunity
54 · Bottom 45%
vs46 · Bottom 28%
Growth
42 · Bottom 35%
vs50 · Top 50%
Climate
62 · Bottom 22%
vs62 · Bottom 20%
Physical resilience
94 · Top 5%
vs92 · Top 9%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 36%
vs98 · Top 12%
Schools
64 · Top 34%
vs71 · Top 25%
Access
96 · Top 31%
vs92 · Top 48%
Economic stability
75 · Top 17%
vs71 · Top 27%
Measured values
| Metric | Walker | Portage | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,386 | 49,259 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $76,360 | $83,212 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,951 | $46,784 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,033/sq mi | 1,529/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $295,200 | $262,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,202 | $1,133 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.2% | 69.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -7.4% | -7.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.6% | 47.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.6% | 7.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 57 | 184 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 3.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 16.3% | 75.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 39.4" | 33.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.6 min | 21.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.9 | 38.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.77 | 17.12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 44.4% | 48.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 57.7% | 62.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 40.7% | 23.5% | 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
Walker
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Portage
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado, strong wind.
Full profiles: Walker, MI · Portage, MI · How this is calculated: methodology