Population

Portage

49,015

Mesquite

148,848

Median Income

Portage

$79,529

Mesquite

$71,843

Home Value

Portage

$243,400

Mesquite

$226,500

Rent

Portage

$1,120

Mesquite

$1,407

Crime Rate

Portage

2.77

Mesquite

5.03

Cost of Living

Portage

117.3

Mesquite

121.0

Avg Temp

Portage

N/A

Mesquite

N/A

Unemployment

Portage

5.0%

Mesquite

4.8%

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How Similar Are Portage & Mesquite?

Mesquite is Portage's #19 most similar city

6/10

6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Portage

49,015

vs

Mesquite

148,848

Different · 67% difference

Mesquite (148,848) is about 3.0x larger than Portage (49,015).

Violent Crime

Portage

2.77

vs

Mesquite

5.03

Different · 45% difference
🚨

Mesquite has a 45% higher violent crime than Portage.

Property Crime

🔒

Portage

29.75

vs

Mesquite

29.76

Match · 0% difference

Both cities have similar property crime — just a 0% difference.

Political Leaning

Portage

40.3%

vs

Mesquite

38.0%

Match · 6% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic with similar vote shares — 6% difference.

Unemployment

💼

Portage

5.0%

vs

Mesquite

4.8%

Match · 5% difference

Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 5% difference.

Median Income

Portage

$79,529

vs

Mesquite

$71,843

Match · 10% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 10% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Portage

$243,400

vs

Mesquite

$226,500

Match · 7% difference

Both cities have similar home values — just a 7% difference.

Education

Portage

32.9%

vs

Mesquite

11.6%

Different · 65% difference
🎓

Portage's education is significantly higher than Mesquite's — 65% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Portage

82.4%

vs

Mesquite

37.8%

Different · 54% difference

Portage's demographics is significantly higher than Mesquite's — 54% difference.

Cost of Living

Portage

117.3

vs

Mesquite

121.0

Match · 3% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 3% difference.

6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Portage and Mesquite share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Portage

vsof 8

0

Mesquite

Portage leads in 6 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Portage leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Portage has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,162 vs $1,931 in Mesquite (40% lower). Portage has a fair market rent (1br) of $998 vs $1,648 in Mesquite (39% lower). Portage scores 95.1 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 109.8 in Mesquite.

Overall Cost Index

Portage117.3
Mesquite121.0

Housing Index

Portage131.5
Mesquite145.0

Food Index

Portage110.8
Mesquite104.9

Transportation Index

Portage95.1
Mesquite109.8

Healthcare Index

Portage108.6
Mesquite103.9

Utilities Index

Portage112.8
Mesquite112.0

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Portage$51,605
Mesquite$53,255

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Portage$121,976
Mesquite$125,876

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Portage$998
Mesquite$1,648

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Portage$1,162
Mesquite$1,931

Housing Market — Portage leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Portage has a median rent of $1,120 vs $1,407 in Mesquite (20% lower). Portage has a vacancy rate of 5.3% compared to 6.7% in Mesquite. Mesquite has a median property tax of $3,572 vs $3,888 in Portage (9% lower).

Median Home Value

Portage$243,400
Mesquite$226,500

Median Rent

Portage$1,120
Mesquite$1,407

Median Property Tax

Portage$3,888
Mesquite$3,572

Owner-Occupied

Portage68.0%
Mesquite63.3%

Vacancy Rate

Portage5.3%
Mesquite6.7%

Single-Family Homes

Portage73.3%
Mesquite73.5%

Jobs & Economy — Portage leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Mesquite: 78,772 vs Portage: 27,304 for labor force. Portage has a per capita income of $45,616 vs $29,291 in Mesquite (56% higher). Portage has a poverty rate of 7.5% compared to 12.4% in Mesquite.

Median Household Income

Portage$79,529
Mesquite$71,843

Per Capita Income

Portage$45,616
Mesquite$29,291

Poverty Rate

Portage7.5%
Mesquite12.4%

Unemployment Rate

Portage5.0%
Mesquite4.8%

Labor Force

Portage27,304
Mesquite78,772

Mean Commute

Portage17 min
MesquiteN/A

Work from Home

Portage11.6%
Mesquite8.5%

Private Sector

Portage94.2%
Mesquite93.9%

Government Sector

Portage45.7%
Mesquite44.0%

Crime & Safety — Portage leads

Source: FBI UCR

Portage has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.00 compared to 0.04 in Mesquite. Portage has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.20 compared to 0.81 in Mesquite. Portage has a violent crime rate (per 1k) of 2.77 compared to 5.03 in Mesquite.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Portage2.77
Mesquite5.03

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Portage29.75
Mesquite29.76

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Portage0.00
Mesquite0.04

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Portage0.20
Mesquite0.81

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Portage2.08
Mesquite3.76

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Portage2.69
Mesquite3.92

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Portage25.46
Mesquite19.65

Violent Crime Clearance

Portage48.2%
Mesquite43.5%

Property Crime Clearance

Portage24.6%
Mesquite17.6%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

PortageN/A
MesquiteN/A

Avg Annual High

PortageN/A
MesquiteN/A

Avg Annual Low

PortageN/A
MesquiteN/A

Sunny Days per Year

PortageN/A
MesquiteN/A

Annual Rainfall

PortageN/A
MesquiteN/A

Annual Snowfall

PortageN/A
MesquiteN/A

Avg Humidity

PortageN/A
MesquiteN/A

Schools & Education — Portage leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Portage has a bachelor's degree or higher of 32.9% compared to 11.6% in Mesquite. Portage has a high school diploma or higher of 45.0% compared to 30.6% in Mesquite.

Public Schools

Portage0
Mesquite0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

PortageN/A
MesquiteN/A

Colleges & Universities

Portage0
Mesquite0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Portage32.9%
Mesquite11.6%

High School Diploma or Higher

Portage45.0%
Mesquite30.6%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Mesquite has a population of 148,848, about 3x the size of Portage (49,015). Mesquite skews younger with a median age of 33.4 vs 37.2.

Population

Portage49,015
Mesquite148,848

Median Age

Portage37
Mesquite33

Avg Household Size

Portage2.4
Mesquite2.9

Married Population

Portage43.6%
Mesquite36.5%

Foreign Born

Portage6.2%
Mesquite21.0%

White

Portage82.4%
Mesquite37.8%

Black

Portage5.8%
Mesquite24.7%

Hispanic

Portage5.4%
Mesquite44.7%

Asian

Portage3.4%
Mesquite3.0%

Portage

Mesquite

Healthcare

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Portage: 3.5 vs Mesquite: 2.4 for avg cms rating (out of 5). Mesquite: 5 vs Portage: 4 for with emergency services.

Nearby Hospitals

Portage5
Mesquite5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Portage3.5
Mesquite2.4

With Emergency Services

Portage4
Mesquite5

Transportation & Commute — Portage leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Portage has a bicycle of 0.2% compared to 0.1% in Mesquite. Portage has a work from home of 11.6% compared to 8.5% in Mesquite. Portage has a public transit of 0.7% compared to 0.6% in Mesquite.

Mean Commute Time

Portage17 min
MesquiteN/A

Drive Alone

Portage80.2%
Mesquite74.1%

Public Transit

Portage0.7%
Mesquite0.6%

Bicycle

Portage0.2%
Mesquite0.1%

Work from Home

Portage11.6%
Mesquite8.5%

Airports

Portage0
Mesquite0

Cities Similar to Portage, MI

Compare Portage against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

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