# 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 city of Portage and the portage for which it was named, 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 square miles (2,130 km$^2$), of which 801 square miles (2,070 km$^2$) is land and 22 square miles (57 km$^2$) (2.7%) is water.

### Major highways

| Interstate 39 U.S. Highway 10 U.S. Highway 51 Highway 13 (Wisconsin) Highway 22 (Wisconsin) Highway 34 (Wisconsin) | Highway 49 (Wisconsin) Highway 54 (Wisconsin) Highway 66 (Wisconsin) Highway 73 (Wisconsin) Highway 161 (Wisconsin) |

### Railroads

* Canadian National

### Buses

* Stevens Point Transit

### 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

## Demographics
### 2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 70,377. The population density was 87.9 people per square mile (33.9 people/km$^2$). There were 31,148 housing units at an average density of 38.9 units per square mile (15.0 units/km$^2$). 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 people per square mile (32 people/km$^2$). There were 26,589 housing units at an average density of 33 units per square mile (13 units/km$^2$). 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.

## Communities
### 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

United States presidential election results for Portage County, Wisconsin :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 20,987 | 48.52% | 21,503 | 49.71% | 768 | 1.78% |
| 2020 | 19,299 | 47.53% | 20,428 | 50.31% | 876 | 2.16% |
| 2016 | 17,305 | 44.84% | 18,529 | 48.02% | 2,755 | 7.14% |
| 2012 | 16,615 | 42.24% | 22,075 | 56.12% | 647 | 1.64% |
| 2008 | 13,810 | 35.03% | 24,817 | 62.95% | 795 | 2.02% |
| 2004 | 16,546 | 42.47% | 21,861 | 56.11% | 554 | 1.42% |
| 2000 | 13,214 | 39.14% | 17,942 | 53.15% | 2,604 | 7.71% |
| 1996 | 9,631 | 32.18% | 15,901 | 53.13% | 4,396 | 14.69% |
| 1992 | 10,914 | 32.37% | 15,553 | 46.13% | 7,249 | 21.50% |
| 1988 | 12,057 | 42.25% | 16,317 | 57.18% | 161 | 0.56% |
| 1984 | 13,605 | 48.28% | 14,399 | 51.10% | 175 | 0.62% |
| 1980 | 10,465 | 34.09% | 16,443 | 53.56% | 3,794 | 12.36% |
| 1976 | 9,520 | 36.28% | 15,912 | 60.65% | 805 | 3.07% |
| 1972 | 9,346 | 40.04% | 13,564 | 58.11% | 431 | 1.85% |
| 1968 | 6,180 | 36.10% | 10,014 | 58.49% | 927 | 5.41% |
| 1964 | 4,579 | 27.75% | 11,887 | 72.05% | 32 | 0.19% |
| 1960 | 6,436 | 37.92% | 10,516 | 61.96% | 20 | 0.12% |
| 1956 | 8,320 | 54.08% | 7,010 | 45.56% | 56 | 0.36% |
| 1952 | 8,499 | 52.83% | 7,537 | 46.85% | 51 | 0.32% |
| 1948 | 5,424 | 39.33% | 8,154 | 59.13% | 213 | 1.54% |
| 1944 | 5,405 | 38.27% | 8,678 | 61.44% | 42 | 0.30% |
| 1940 | 5,670 | 35.63% | 10,148 | 63.78% | 94 | 0.59% |
| 1936 | 3,969 | 26.74% | 10,576 | 71.25% | 299 | 2.01% |
| 1932 | 3,434 | 26.79% | 9,195 | 71.72% | 191 | 1.49% |
| 1928 | 5,161 | 43.03% | 6,764 | 56.39% | 70 | 0.58% |
| 1924 | 2,854 | 27.76% | 2,010 | 19.55% | 5,416 | 52.68% |
| 1920 | 5,527 | 65.39% | 2,656 | 31.42% | 269 | 3.18% |
| 1916 | 2,520 | 44.52% | 3,000 | 53.00% | 140 | 2.47% |
| 1912 | 1,932 | 36.37% | 2,301 | 43.32% | 1,079 | 20.31% |
| 1908 | 3,269 | 56.42% | 2,362 | 40.77% | 163 | 2.81% |
| 1904 | 3,633 | 61.09% | 2,168 | 36.46% | 146 | 2.46% |
| 1900 | 3,285 | 54.60% | 2,633 | 43.77% | 98 | 1.63% |
| 1896 | 3,537 | 53.81% | 2,890 | 43.97% | 146 | 2.22% |
| 1892 | 2,291 | 44.75% | 2,570 | 50.21% | 258 | 5.04% |
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 4%.