Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Portage, Wisconsin
A $187,000 home here costs
$1,682per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $961. The real number is $721 higher every month — 75% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Portage against Columbia County and Wisconsin
| Measure | Portage | Columbia County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $187,300 | $258,700 |
| Median property tax | $3,261 | $3,826 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.741% | 1.479% |
| Median gross rent | $963 | $926 |
| Population | 10,374 | 58,322 |
The weather behind that power bill
Portage sits in Columbia County, which averages a high of 81.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 9.9°F in its coldest, with 38.32" of precipitation a year and 38% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 622 cooling and 7,342 heating degree days, which is what sets the $177 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Columbia County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Columbia County
Full Columbia County cost breakdown · Every county in Wisconsin
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Portage?
A $187,000 home in Portage, Wisconsin costs approximately $1,682 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $961 principal and interest, $271 property tax, $48 homeowners insurance, $245 utilities and $156 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Portage?
Portage has an effective property tax rate of 1.741%, based on a median home value of $187,300 and median real estate taxes of $3,261. That is higher than the Columbia County average of 1.479%.
What is the average home price in Portage?
The median owner-occupied home value in Portage, Wisconsin is $187,300, against $258,700 across Columbia County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Portage?
Median gross rent in Portage is $963 a month, against $1,682 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Portage — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Wisconsin.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.