Photo: Photo by and ©2010 Dustin M. Ramsey (Kralizec!) · CC BY-SA 2.5Portage spent more per resident in 2022 than 73% of similar cities
Portage’s village government spent $373,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $761 per resident.
What stands out about how Portage is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$761 per resident in 2022: more than 73% of them
Portage’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($761 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 320 Ohio cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $458, and the middle half spent $251–$774. Portage spent more than 73% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Ohio cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Portage itself left out).
About $761 per resident a year, or $2.08 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 11%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Portage reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,571 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.19% of the home’s value, vs 1.31% across Ohio.
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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
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.
Bowling Green City School District
Portage’s K–12 school district, shared with Bowling Green, Custar, Liberty Township, Milton Center, Milton Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,220 per pupil, $10,439 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.
Ohio districts overall: 53% local, 35% state, 12% federal.
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.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.1%134 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat43.2%105 votesOthers: 1.6% (4 votes).
Most votes in Portage: Donald J Trump
Wood County: Trump 54.6%, Harris 44.4% · Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%
Most votes in Portage: Bernie Moreno
Wood County: Moreno 49.1%, Brown 46.8% · Ohio: Moreno 50.1%, Brown 46.5%
Most votes in the district: Bob Latta
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Portage, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage | 55.1% | 43.2% | 1.6% | 243 |
| Wood County | 54.6% | 44.4% | 1.0% | 67,565 |
| Ohio | 55.1% | 43.9% | 0.9% | 5,767,788 |
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. 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 & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Ohio HouseState representatives
- 3Ohio SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Ohio
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Portage’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Portage’s government
How much does Portage spend per resident?
About $761 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $761 was more than 73% of 320 Ohio cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Portage?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,571 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.19% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.31% across Ohio. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.
Who runs Portage’s government?
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, Donald J Trump 55.1%, Kamala D Harris 43.2% (243 votes, official results). Wood County: Trump 54.6%, Harris 44.4%. Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%.
How many people work for Portage?
0 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $6,997 (about $83,964 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Portage in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Theresa Gavarone) and State House District 75 (Haraz Ghanbari). The House district also covers 42 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
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 →