Portage County, Wisconsin

Portage County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 70,377. Its county seat is Stevens Point.

Portage County comprises the Stevens Point, WI Micropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Wausau-Stevens Point-Wisconsin Rapids, WI Combined Statistical Area.

History
Portage County was created from the Wisconsin Territory in 1836 and organized in 1844. Like the city of Portage, Portage County is named for the portage between the Fox and Wisconsin rivers; Portage County originally included the portage and Portage but boundary changes detached the county from its namesake.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 823 sqmi, of which 801 sqmi is land and 22 sqmi (2.7%) is water.

Railroads

 * Canadian National

Buses

 * Stevens Point Transit
 * List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin

Airport

 * KSTE - Stevens Point Municipal Airport

Adjacent counties

 * Marathon County - north
 * Shawano County - northeast
 * Waupaca County - east
 * Waushara County - southeast
 * Adams County - southwest
 * Wood County - west

Wildlife refuges

 * Buena Vista Marsh
 * Dewey Marsh
 * Mead Wildlife Area
 * Paul J. Olson Wildlife Area

2020 census
As of the census of 2020, the population was 70,377. The population density was 87.9 /mi2. There were 31,148 housing units at an average density of 38.9 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 89.5% White, 3.2% Asian, 1.3% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.3% from other races, and 4.2% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 3.7% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 67,182 people, 25,040 households, and 16,501 families residing in the county. The population density was 83 /mi2. There were 26,589 housing units at an average density of 33 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 95.73% White, 0.32% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 2.25% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 1.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.8% were of Polish, 31.6% German, 5.4% Norwegian and 5.0% Irish ancestry. 93.9% spoke English, 1.7% Spanish, 1.6% Polish and 1.3% Hmong as their first language.

There were 25,040 households, out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.10% were married couples living together, 7.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.10% under the age of 18, 16.20% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 10.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 99.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.80 males.

In 2017, there were 674 births, giving a general fertility rate of 46.4 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the third lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.

City

 * Stevens Point (county seat)

Villages

 * Almond
 * Amherst
 * Amherst Junction
 * Junction City
 * Milladore (mostly in Wood County)
 * Nelsonville
 * Park Ridge
 * Plover
 * Rosholt
 * Whiting

Towns

 * Alban
 * Almond
 * Amherst
 * Belmont
 * Buena Vista
 * Carson
 * Dewey
 * Eau Pleine
 * Grant
 * Hull
 * Lanark
 * Linwood
 * New Hope
 * Pine Grove
 * Plover
 * Sharon
 * Stockton

Census-designated places

 * Bancroft
 * Polonia

Unincorporated communities

 * Alban
 * Arnott
 * Badger
 * Blaine
 * Casimir
 * Coddington
 * Custer
 * Dopp
 * Ellis
 * Esker
 * Fancher
 * Garfield
 * Heffron (partial)
 * Keene
 * Kellner (partial)
 * Little Waupon
 * Jordan
 * Meehan
 * Mill Creek Community
 * New Hope
 * North Star
 * Peru
 * Rocky Run
 * Stockton
 * Torun
 * West Almond
 * West Bancroft

Ghost town/neighborhood

 * Lake Emily

Politics
Portage County has been reliably Democratic in presidential elections since Dwight Eisenhower's win in 1956. However, recent elections have suggested that the county is turning into a battleground area, with Donald Trump holding the margin in the county to within 5%.