Battle Creek vs Portage
Battle Creek, Michigan versus Portage, Michigan: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Battle Creek and Portage score about the same overall (50 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Battle Creek | Portage |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $50k | $75k |
| Cost of Living | $43k | $44k |
| Home Value | $116k | $223k |
| Monthly Rent | $879 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.73% | 1.69% |
| Income Tax | 5.30% | 4.30% |
| Sales Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.31% | 11.30% |
| Unemployment | 7.6% | 6.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 24°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 31.5 in | 33.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 64.6 in | 41.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 251 days | 163 days |
| Summer Humidity | 61°F | 61°F |
| Comfortable Days | 97 days | 94 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 28.8 | 22.3 |
| Air Quality | 57 AQI | 54 AQI |
| School Quality | 65.8 | 47.3 |
| Violent Crime | 3037/100k | 1510/100k |
| Property Crime | 2695/100k | 3313/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 52,469 | 48,936 |
| Median Age | 37.0 | 36.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.53 | 0.28 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.95 |
| Political Leaning | R+11 | D+19 |
| White (%) | 63.5% | 82.3% |
| Black (%) | 16.2% | 4.7% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.1% | 5.3% |
| Asian (%) | 4.7% | 2.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.6% | 5.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 19 min | 20 min |
| Walkability | 8.3/20 | 7.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 43 mi | 47 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.8% | 91.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 20.77 | 28.61 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Battle Creek or Portage more affordable?
- Battle Creek has the lower cost of living: its index is $43k, compared with Battle Creek's $43k and Portage's $44k. Median rent is $879 in Battle Creek versus $1k in Portage.
- Is Battle Creek or Portage safer?
- Portage has the lower violent crime rate. Battle Creek reports 3037/100k and Portage reports 1510/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Battle Creek or Portage?
- The median home value is $116k in Battle Creek and $223k in Portage, so homes are more affordable in Battle Creek.