Photo: Ntsimp · Public domainPortage spent less per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities
Portage’s town government spent $84,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $307 per resident. Water and other utilities ($31,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Portage is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$307 per resident in 2022: less than 78% of them
Portage’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($307 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 139 Utah cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $548, and the middle half spent $328–$952. Portage spent less than 78% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Utah 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 $307 per resident a year, or $0.84 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 40%.
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 $1,667 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.50% of the home’s value, vs 0.52% across Utah.
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.
Box Elder School District
Portage’s K–12 school district, shared with Bear River City, Brigham City, Corinne, Deweyville, Elwood and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,156 per pupil, $7,481 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.
Utah districts overall: 42% local, 51% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Portage’s votes are counted by county
Utah reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Portage alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Box Elder County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican77.9%22,853 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat18.0%5,274 votesOthers: 4.1% (1,205 votes).
Most votes in Box Elder County: Donald J Trump
Utah: Trump 59.4%, Harris 37.8%
100% of Portage lies in Box Elder County. Every 2024 race in Box Elder County is on the county’s page.
Box Elder County’s 2024 results →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 townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Utah HouseState representatives
- 3Utah SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Utah
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 $307 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $307 was less than 78% of 139 Utah 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 $1,667 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.50% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.52% across Utah. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’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?
Utah counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Portage alone. Box Elder County, where 100% of Portage lies, voted Trump 77.9%, Harris 18.0% for president; its page has every race.
Who represents Portage in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Scott Sandall) and State House District 1 (Tom Peterson). The House district also covers 16 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 →