Fall Corn in Wisconsin, 2008
Portland’s story
173 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 4 maps from 1891 on.
- 1853Portland is settled
PortlandWI
Population
1,094
2025 Census estimate · +0.6% since 2020
Median home value
$281K
Census ACS
Household income
$81K
median
Median age
48.4
years
Jobs based here
135
A commuter town
Is Portland a good place to live?
Portland’s weakest subject grade is a D for walkability. Portland's public schools trail 78% of Wisconsin towns on state tests and graduation. Only 17 of Wisconsin’s 869 towns score lower on civic life. The biggest park or preserve is Waterloo Wildlife Area, at 1,619 acres. Portland has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Portland stand out
Where Portland beats most towns.
Small town
1,094 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
YorkElbaWaterlooLowellShieldsWaterlooPortland
How Portland grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Portland is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.2 of 20; 1.2% of households have no car; 1.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 23% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →SchoolsC−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $281K, 3.7 years of the Beaver Dam area’s $76K median household incomeCOpen →HealthColumbus Community Hospital 7.4 miles awayB−Open →Jobs & income$81K median household income; 135 jobs based hereB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 10% conserved landB−Open →HistoryB−Open →Civic life1.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Portland: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Portland, and how to reach them.
PowerWe Energies20.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWaterloo WaterworksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet9 providers29% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Portland’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Wisconsin you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 20 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereTown of Portland ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes53594, 5357953594 64% · 53579 35%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Portland.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Portland has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Portland for work: only 1% work in town. At 28 minutes, Portland’s average trip to work is against 22 minutes in Wisconsin’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. 12% of residents live below the poverty line in Portland.
1%work in town
| Portland | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.1% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Portland1%
Madison14%
Beaver Dam7%
Waterloo5%
Reeseville5%
20 mi
median commute distance
135
jobs based in Portland
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 14% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Low risk in Portland, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 77% of U.S. communities.
23risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Portland, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Portland has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 11° and about 42 inches of snow falls in a winter.
42″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–30°
Spring35–57°
Summer59–81°
Fall39–60°
Oct 9
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsB−
Conserved land covers 9.6% of Portland
Portland sits where Wisconsin’s towns sit at 3.8% and U.S. towns at 4.3% on this measure. 1.5 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
9.6%conserved
9.6%
conserved · 2,194 of 22,776 acres
1.5 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Waterloo Wildlife Area | 0.3 mi | 1,619 |
| 2. Mud Lake Wildlife Area | — | 144 |
| 3. Waterloo Prairie State Natural Area | — | 22 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthB−
Portland ranks healthier than 53% of the country’s towns
Portland tracks Wisconsin closely on all 32 CDC measures. 42% of Portland adults have obesity.
53%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Portland | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Columbus Community Hospital
7.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Portland
18pages on Portland
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Portland
About 2 of every 100 Portland residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Portland for work
Where Portland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
135jobs based in Portland
1%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Portland
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Portland is a town in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,091 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated community of Portland is located partially in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 863 ft
Questions about Portland
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Portland, WI expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.