Portage spent less per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Portage’s city government spent $51.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,045 per resident.
What stands out about how Portage is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Portage’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov4City CouncilWednesday · 5:00 pm · 7900 S. Westnedge Avenue, City HallSpecial Meeting - Council Applicant ReviewsAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov4City CouncilWednesday · 6:00 pm · 7900 South Westnedge AveCity Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov5GeneralThursday · 7:00 pm · 7900 South Westnedge Avenue, Portage City HallPlanning Commission Meeting (1st week)Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov5Planning CommissionThursday · 7:00 pmOne Time EventMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov5GeneralThursday · 7:00 pm · 7900 South Westnedge Avenue, Portage City HallPlanning Commission Meeting (1st week)Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9GeneralMonday · 7:00 pmZoning Board of AppealsMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct20City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · 7900 South Westnedge AveCity Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct15Planning CommissionThursday · 7:00 pmOne Time EventMeeting page ↗
- Oct15GeneralThursday · 7:00 pm · 7900 South Westnedge Avenue, Portage City HallPlanning Commission Meeting (3rd week)Meeting page ↗
- Oct12GeneralMonday · 7:00 pmZoning Board of AppealsMeeting page ↗
- Oct12GeneralMonday · 7:00 pmZoning Board of AppealsMeeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,045 per resident a year, or $2.86 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$884 per resident in 2022: less than 100% of them
Portage’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($884 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Michigan cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,682, and the middle half spent $1,488–$2,015. Portage spent less than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($11.7 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Michigan cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Portage itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 16% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Portage reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $884 · 2023: $1,003 · 2024: $1,045.
full-time in March 2025, up from 210 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,082 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.56% of the home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Portage’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Portage’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Portage →
Who’s in charge in Portage
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 212 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (48,978).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Portage Public Schools
Portage’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,396 per pupil, $8,613 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Michigan districts overall: 34% local, 57% state, 9% federal.
Schoolcraft Community Schools · $14,140 per pupil
Vicksburg Community Schools · $14,625 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Portage voted in 2024
Official results for Portage’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat57.6%17,214 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican40.6%12,140 votesOthers: 1.8% (536 votes).
Most votes in Portage: Kamala D Harris
Kalamazoo County: Harris 58.0%, Trump 40.3% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Portage’s 37,896 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat56.5%
Mike RogersRepublican40.5%Most votes in Portage: Elissa Slotkin
Kalamazoo County: Slotkin 57.0%, Rogers 39.9% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Bill Huizenga
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Portage, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage | 57.6% | 40.6% | 1.8% | 29,890 |
| Kalamazoo County | 58.0% | 40.3% | 1.7% | 145,710 |
| Michigan | 48.3% | 49.7% | 2.0% | 5,664,186 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017; Elissa Slotkin: U.S. House portrait (congress-legislators project); Mike Rogers: U.S. House portrait (congress-legislators project). All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Portage.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: portagemi.com ↗
- 2Michigan HousePortage is split between 2 districts
- 3Michigan SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Michigan
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Portage compares with the towns next door
Portage spent $884 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Schoolcraft Township | $112 | $3,323 |
| Pavilion Township | $172 | $2,997 |
| Texas Township | $264 | $5,454 |
| Kalamazoo | $1,881 | $2,958 |
| Portage | $884 | $4,082 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Portage’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Portage’s government
How much does Portage spend per resident?
About $1,045 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $884 was less than 100% of 18 Michigan cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Portage?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,082 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.56% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see portagemi.com.
Who runs Portage’s government?
See portagemi.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Portage yet.
How did Portage vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 57.6%, Donald J Trump 40.6% (29,890 votes, official results). Kalamazoo County: Harris 58.0%, Trump 40.3%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Portage?
231 full-time and 55 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.6M (about $19.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Portage in the state legislature?
Portage is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Michigan Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 19 (Sean McCann). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Portage?
The next posted meeting is City Council on Wednesday, November 4, at 5:00 pm in 7900 S. Westnedge Avenue, City Hall, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Portage’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →