Population
Portage
49,015
Salem
44,241
Median Income
Portage
$79,529
Salem
$85,137
Home Value
Portage
$243,400
Salem
$497,400
Rent
Portage
$1,120
Salem
$1,800
Crime Rate
Portage
2.77
Salem
1.52
Cost of Living
Portage
117.3
Salem
158.7
Avg Temp
Portage
N/A
Salem
N/A
Unemployment
Portage
5.0%
Salem
5.2%
How Similar Are Portage & Salem?
Salem is Portage's #17 most similar city
6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Portage
49,015
Salem
44,241
Both cities have similar populations — Portage at 49,015 and Salem at 44,241.
Violent Crime
Portage
2.77
Salem
1.52
Portage has a 45% higher violent crime than Salem.
Property Crime
Portage
29.75
Salem
15.54
Portage has a 48% higher property crime than Salem.
Political Leaning
Portage
40.3%
Salem
38.9%
Both cities lean Democratic with similar vote shares — 4% difference.
Unemployment
Portage
5.0%
Salem
5.2%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 3% difference.
Median Income
Portage
$79,529
Salem
$85,137
Both cities have similar median income — just a 7% difference.
Home Values
Portage
$243,400
Salem
$497,400
Salem's home values is significantly higher than Portage's — 51% difference.
Education
Portage
32.9%
Salem
35.9%
Both cities have similar education — just a 8% difference.
Demographics
Portage
82.4%
Salem
75.2%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 9% difference.
Cost of Living
Portage
117.3
Salem
158.7
Salem has a 26% higher cost of living than Portage.
6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Portage and Salem share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Portage
0
Salem
Salem leads in 4 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Portage leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDPortage has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,162 vs $2,941 in Salem (60% lower). Portage has a fair market rent (1br) of $998 vs $2,476 in Salem (60% lower). Portage scores 131.5 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 227.7 in Salem.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Portage leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSPortage has a single-family homes of 73.3% compared to 31.9% in Salem. Salem has a median home value of $497,400 vs $243,400 in Portage (51% higher). Portage has a median rent of $1,120 vs $1,800 in Salem (38% lower).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Portage leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSPortage has a poverty rate of 7.5% compared to 13.7% in Salem. Salem has a work from home of 19.4% compared to 11.6% in Portage. Portage: 17 min vs Salem: 24 min for mean commute.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — Salem leads
Source: FBI UCRSalem has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 1.07 compared to 2.69 in Portage. Salem has a assault rate (per 1k) of 1.04 compared to 2.08 in Portage. Salem has a property crime rate (per 1k) of 15.54 compared to 29.75 in Portage.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Salem leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauSalem has a high school diploma or higher of 50.8% compared to 45.0% in Portage. Salem has a bachelor's degree or higher of 35.9% compared to 32.9% in Portage.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSPortage has a population of 49,015, about 1.1x the size of Salem (44,241). Portage skews younger with a median age of 37.2 vs 38.5.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Portage
Salem
Healthcare — Salem leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareSalem: 5 vs Portage: 4 for with emergency services.
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Salem leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSSalem has a public transit of 6.3% compared to 0.7% in Portage. Salem has a bicycle of 0.8% compared to 0.2% in Portage. Salem has a work from home of 19.4% compared to 11.6% in Portage.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
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.