Portage County, Ohio
Located in Ohio, Portage County has a population of 161,956 residents and a median age of 39.6 years, making it the #428 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.7%. The median home value is $227,000, and the median household income is $75,766, which is 1% above the national median.
Demographics
Portage County has a population of 161,956, making it the #428 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.6 years, which is 1.8% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Portage County is $75,766, ranking #792 out of 3,222 counties — 0.8% above the national median. The poverty rate is 11.7% and unemployment stands at 5.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Portage County is $227,000 (-19.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,064/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Portage County, 32.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 3.5% below the national average, ranking #597 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Portage County is 76.4 years. 16.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.5% of adults in Portage County smoke , 38.5% are obese , and 18.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 25.9 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Portage County is 2.0 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 15.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 9.4 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
15.1% of children in Portage County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 6.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Portage County is 64.2%. The mean commute time is 27.2 min, which is 1.6% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Portage County voted Republican with a margin of 15.5%. The vote was 41.8% Dem / 57.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Portage County, Ohio
Portage County, Ohio has a total population of 161,956, making it the 428th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Portage County is 39.6 years, which is 1.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Portage County is $75,766, which ranks #792 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 0.8% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.7%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.3%.
The median home value in Portage County is $227,000, 19.5% below the national median. Renters in Portage County pay a median gross rent of $1,064 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Portage County, 32.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 3.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.2 min.
Portage County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 86.0% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
All data for Portage County, Ohio comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.