Portage County Wisconsin Residential Rent and Rental Statistics
The median monthly gross residential rent in Portage County WI was $761 in 2019 according to the Census ACS survey.1 Average gross rent in Portage County was $735 in 2019. The median rent more accurately depicts rental rates in the middle of the distribution of rents and is thus preferred in the analysis below. 2020 Portage County median and average rent data will be released in September of 2021.
Data is also available below for Portage County rental vacancy rates, Portage County rent as a percent of median income and the fraction of renters in Portage County.
Real Gross Rent in Portage County Wisconsin (2019 dollars)2
| 2019 | 1 Year Change | 3 Year Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Median Gross Rent | $1,097 | +1.86% | +6.82% |
| Wisconsin Median Gross Rent | $867 | +0.58% | +3.21% |
| Portage County WI Median Gross Rent | $761 | -3.06% | +7.49% |
Portage County WI Real Gross Rent Trends
Median gross rent for Portage County peaked in real terms in 2018 at $785 and is now $24 (3.06%) lower. Average gross rent for Portage County peaked in real terms in 2018 at $842 and is now $107 (12.71%) lower.
Real Gross Rent: Portage County WI Median, Portage County WI Average, Wisconsin Median, US Median
Real Gross Rent History for Portage County
| Date | US Median |
Wisconsin Median |
Portage County WI Median |
Portage County WI Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $1,097 | $867 | $761 | $735 |
| 2018 | $1,077 | $862 | $785 | $842 |
| 2017 | $1,043 | $844 | $775 | $781 |
| 2016 | $1,027 | $840 | $708 | $715 |
| 2015 | $1,017 | $840 | $775 | $765 |
| 2014 | $986 | $826 | $675 | $657 |
| 2013 | $953 | $798 | $675 | $655 |
| 2012 | $940 | $790 | $688 | $727 |
| 2011 | $941 | $798 | $711 | $742 |
| 2010 | $955 | $799 | $703 | $721 |
| 2009 | $960 | $807 | $708 | $701 |
| 2007 | $927 | $791 | $704 | $706 |
| 2005 | $910 | $804 | $740 | $776 |
Portage County Rental Vacancy Rate
The rental vacancy rate is the fraction of homes for rent that are not occupied.3 In 2014 the rental vacancy rate for Portage County Wisconsin was 6.93% according to Census ACS data.
Rental Vacancy Rate in Portage County Wisconsin
| 2019 | 1 Year Change | 3 Year Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | 5.97% | -0.18% | +0.08% |
| Wisconsin | 4.93% | -0.46% | +0.08% |
| Portage County WI | — | — | — |
Trends in Portage County WI Rental Vacancy Rate
The rental vacancy rate in Portage County peaked in 2006 at 8.70%. Since then it has fallen by 1.77% to 6.93%. Data records for this series originated in 2005. From a 2012 post peak low of 5.82%, the rental vacancy rate has increased by 1.11%.
Rental Vacancy Rate: Portage County WI, Wisconsin, US
Historical Rental Vacancy Rate data for Portage County
| Date | US | Wisconsin | Portage County WI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 5.97% | 4.93% | — |
| 2018 | 6.15% | 5.39% | — |
| 2017 | 6.18% | 5.20% | — |
| 2016 | 5.89% | 4.85% | — |
| 2015 | 5.85% | 4.67% | — |
| 2014 | 6.32% | 4.64% | 6.93% |
| 2013 | 6.49% | 5.22% | 7.62% |
| 2012 | 6.77% | 5.48% | 5.82% |
| 2011 | 7.40% | 5.17% | 6.00% |
| 2010 | 8.17% | 6.16% | — |
| 2009 | 8.43% | 5.86% | — |
| 2007 | 7.87% | 6.83% | — |
| 2005 | 7.74% | 6.49% | — |
Rent as a Fraction of Income
Using median household income data for Portage County, we can calculate the fraction of income the median household would use to pay rent at the median monthly gross rent rate. For Portage County, median monthly gross rent as a fraction of median household income was 16.20% in 2019 according to the ACS.
Portage County Wisconsin Median Annual Rent as a Fraction of Median Household Income
| 2019 | 1 Year Change | 3 Year Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | 20.03% | -0.47% | -0.40% |
| Wisconsin | 16.21% | -0.51% | -0.73% |
| Portage County WI | 16.20% | +0.10% | +1.08% |
Trends in Portage County WI Rent as a Fraction of Income
The fraction of median Portage County household income required to pay median monthly gross rent peaked in 2017 (relative to the 2005 series origin) at 17.27%. Since then it has fallen by 1.07% to 16.20%.
Fraction of Income towards Rent: Portage County WI, Wisconsin, US
Historical Data for Annual Rent as a Fraction of Income in Portage County Wisconsin
| Date | US | Wisconsin | Portage County WI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 20.03% | 16.21% | 16.20% |
| 2018 | 20.50% | 16.72% | 16.10% |
| 2017 | 20.13% | 16.57% | 17.27% |
| 2016 | 20.43% | 16.94% | 15.12% |
| 2015 | 20.63% | 17.08% | 15.32% |
| 2014 | 20.89% | 17.83% | 14.92% |
| 2013 | 20.78% | 17.67% | 15.42% |
| 2012 | 20.65% | 17.46% | 17.17% |
| 2011 | 20.70% | 17.60% | 15.89% |
| 2010 | 20.50% | 17.51% | 15.52% |
| 2009 | 20.12% | 16.99% | 14.82% |
| 2007 | 18.66% | 15.97% | 14.76% |
| 2005 | 18.89% | 16.38% | 15.31% |
Renter Fraction in Portage County Wisconsin
You can calculate the renter fraction in Portage County in at least two ways: by housing units or by population. I've gone with the housing units measure here. This measure looks at the number of renting households in Portage County as a fraction of total Portage County households. In 2019 30.74% of households were renters according to Census ACS data.
Portage County Fraction of Renters by Household Units
| 2019 | 1 Year Change | 3 Year Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | 35.89% | -0.16% | -0.99% |
| Wisconsin | 32.80% | -0.06% | -0.54% |
| Portage County WI | 30.74% | -0.33% | -0.98% |
Trends in the Portage County WI Renter Fraction
The Portage County household renter fraction peaked in in 2017 at 33.74% and is now 3.00% below that level. The origin year for the series is 2005.
Fraction of Renting Households: Portage County WI, Wisconsin, US
History of Portage County Renter Fraction
| Date | US | Wisconsin | Portage County WI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 35.89% | 32.80% | 30.74% |
| 2018 | 36.05% | 32.86% | 31.07% |
| 2017 | 36.13% | 33.39% | 33.74% |
| 2016 | 36.88% | 33.34% | 31.72% |
| 2015 | 36.97% | 33.21% | 30.52% |
| 2014 | 36.90% | 33.40% | 33.03% |
| 2013 | 36.50% | 32.82% | 31.04% |
| 2012 | 36.09% | 32.71% | 31.15% |
| 2011 | 35.42% | 32.15% | 32.18% |
| 2010 | 34.65% | 31.30% | 32.28% |
| 2009 | 34.13% | 31.02% | 31.00% |
| 2007 | 32.80% | 29.92% | 29.16% |
| 2005 | 33.10% | 29.88% | 27.05% |
1. Gross rent is defined as contract rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, water, and sewer) and fuel (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). Because some rentals include utilities and others don't, gross rent is a way of normalizing the variability. ↩
2. Real dollars are calculated using the CPI-U less shelter series. ↩
3. The rental vacancy rate is computed by dividing the number of vacant units for rent by the sum of the renter-occupied units, vacant units that are for rent, and vacant units that have been rented but not yet occupied. ↩
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