Portage County, Wisconsin

County Distress Index: Healthy · 29.7 | 71,024 people · 59th most distressed in Wisconsin
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Portage County, WI ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 29.7 — 2898th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where the job market is relatively stable with wages that keep pace with costs. Within Wisconsin, it ranks 59th of 72 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Portage County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 41.5 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 41.5
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 20
Business Formation Rate 78
Housing Cost Burden 40.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 47
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 36
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 34
Homeownership Rate 73
Rent-to-Income Ratio 15
Debt & Delinquency 25.8
Debt in Collections 12
Medical Debt 63
Student Loan Delinquency 22
Auto Loan Delinquency 16
Credit Card Delinquency 4
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 38
Income & Poverty 25.4
Poverty Rate 19
Income vs. State Median 46
Child Poverty Rate 12
Community Vulnerability 14.8
Uninsured Rate 18
Disability Rate 12

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Portage County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Portage County
Portage County, WI 29.7 Healthy —
Adams County, WI 53.3 Elevated +23.6
Waushara County, WI 44.0 Normal +14.3
Waupaca County, WI 42.0 Normal +12.3
Shawano County, WI 38.4 Normal +8.7
Wood County, WI 36.3 Normal +6.6
Marathon County, WI 32.4 Healthy +2.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Portage County
Minnehaha County, SD 29.7 Healthy +0.0
Wright County, MN 29.7 Healthy -0.0
Saratoga County, NY 29.7 Healthy -0.0
Platte County, MO 29.8 Healthy +0.1
Box Elder County, UT 29.8 Healthy +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Portage County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Portage County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of Wisconsin — Lawyer Referral and Information Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of Wisconsin — Lawyer Referral and Information Service 608-257-4666 (Madison); 414-274-6768 (Milwaukee)

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Portage County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee 414-278-7722
Legal Action of Wisconsin 608-256-3191 (Madison); 414-278-7722 (Milwaukee)
Wisconsin Judicare 715-842-1681 (Wausau); 1-800-472-1638 (statewide)
Disability Rights Wisconsin 608-267-0214
Judicare Legal Aid (715) 842-1681

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Wisconsin →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Portage County, Wisconsin?

    Portage County has a County Distress Index score of 29.7 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,898th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 59th in Wisconsin out of 72 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Portage County?

    The primary driver of distress in Portage County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 41.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Portage County compare to neighboring counties?

    Portage County (29.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Adams County, WI (53.3); Waushara County, WI (44.0); Waupaca County, WI (42.0).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Portage County?

    Portage County, Wisconsin has a population of approximately 71,024 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.