City Town Info

Portage, IN


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Portage, Indiana

Introduction to Portage, Indiana

Portage, Indiana, in Porter county, is 8 miles E of Gary, Indiana and 31 miles SE of Chicago, Illinois. The city is part of the Gary metropolitan statistical area. About 33,496 people live in Portage.

Portage History

The land around the present day city of Portage was extremely fertile. This drew people to the area, and the Native Americans were the first settlers here. The first known European settler in the region was Joseph Bailly. Portage was initially incorporated as a town in 1959. In 1968, it was officially reincorporated as a city.

Portage and nearby Attractions

  • Brauer Museum of Art
  • Port of Indiana
  • Burns Harbor South Light 3
  • Minnehaha Lake
  • Deep River Waterpark
  • Hickory Park

Things To Do In Portage

While in Portage, one can visit the Brauer Museum of Art, which houses some popular and interesting exhibits. The city has a large number of beautiful lakes and streams, the banks of which are popular tourist spots. Portage also has many parks that offer a host of entertainment facilities to be enjoyed by both children and adults. The Deep River Waterpark is also nearby.

Portage Transportation

Gary/Chicago Airport is nearby.

Portage Higher Education

Institutes offering facilities for higher education to residents of Portage include Ivy Tech State College-Northwest, Valparaiso University, Indiana University-Northwest and Purdue University-Calumet Campus.

High Points

Portage strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Indiana):

CategoryTrophy
Public Transportation Use
(vs. State)		Top 8%Portage Public Transportation Use
Racial Diversity
(vs. State)		Top 8%Portage Racial Diversity
Median Family Income
(vs. State)		Top 15%Portage Median Family Income
Well-Paid Single Women
(vs. State)		Top 15%Portage Well-Paid Single Women
Well-Paid Single Men
(vs. State)		Top 16%Portage Well-Paid Single Men

Comparative Profile of Portage, IN

Comparing Portage to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Indiana (State):

Ratings range from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).


The People

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Children Under 5 Years Old76
Well-Paid Single Men69
Well-Paid Single Women69
Age of the Population65
Male Share of the Population66
Female Share of the Population65
Senior Citizens53
Racial Diversity310

Families

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Portion of People Married66
Average Household Size68

Wealth

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
People Above Poverty76
People in Middle Class or Better68
Median Family Income69
College Educated Adults15

Commute & Sprawl

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Short Commute Times54
Public Transportation Use410
Walking and Biking to Work26
Working at Home12

Housing

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Affordability of Property Taxes71
Housing Recently Built710
Affordability of Rents72
Seasonal and Vacation Housing75
People Living Alone43
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals25

Crime

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Low Violent Crime85
Low Property Crime65

Detailed pages on related topics: Portage travel • Portage mortgage and property.

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Additional Details

Portage Hotels & TravelPortage Hotels & Travel
Portage hotels, landmarks, tourism, transportation.
Portage MortgagePortage Mortgage
Portage property, mortgage, and real estate.

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