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Portage County, Ohio: crime rate, income and local data
FBI reports put Portage County at 0.98 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, 67% lower than the rate for Ohio (3.0). Households here have a median income of $75,766 and the unemployment rate was 3.4% in August 2026. It is home to roughly 161,956 residents.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Portage County?
From 2021 through 2025, Portage County averaged 159 reported violent crimes a year, along with 1,784 property crimes. Per 1,000 residents, the violent-crime rate works out to 0.98: 67% lower than the Ohio rate (3.0), and 73% lower than the national rate (3.7). Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 11.0 per 1,000 residents, compared with 16.6 across Ohio. Aggravated assaults make up 77% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 3 homicide deaths a year in the county (2.0 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Portage County | Per 1,000 | Ohio per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 159 | 0.98 | 3.0 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 2 | 0.01 | 0.06 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 18 | 0.11 | 0.49 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 17 | 0.11 | 0.50 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 123 | 0.76 | 1.9 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 1,784 | 11.0 | 16.6 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 184 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 1,498 | 9.3 | 12.1 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 103 | 0.63 | 2.2 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (10 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Portage County?
The median household in Portage County earns $75,766 a year, close to the Ohio median ($71,389). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $227,000, and the median rent is $1,064 a month. 10.2% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 12.5%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.4% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 2,899 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Portage County | Ohio | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 161,956 | 11,810,293 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $75,766 | $71,389 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $227,000 | $214,800 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,064 | $1,034 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 5.3% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 11.7% | 13.3% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 10.2% | 12.5% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 32.5% | 31.5% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 70.1% | 67.2% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 39.6 | 39.7 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 89.8% | 90.1% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 5.0% | 6.4% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Portage County?
Portage County carries a “Relatively Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in Portage County: Summit National. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
Portage County has 8 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. 5 are rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 1 Satisfactory or Fair. Tallest on the list: Berlin Dam (96 ft) and Michael J. Kirwan Dam (83 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
26 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 160,403 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
No federal major disaster declaration covered Portage County from 2016 through 2025 (COVID-19 excluded). EPA air monitors logged 2 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 32 community water systems, 2 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 12 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 2 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Portage County?
Portage County had 4 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (2 active that day). Where crews are working: I-80, SR 225 culvert replacement and U.S. Route 422 culvert replacement, Nelson Township. 2 are on interstates. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Portage County?
Portage County has 47 public schools (2024-25) and 6 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 10 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 22 fire or EMS stations and 13 police or sheriff stations. 2 state parks or recreation areas: Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park and West Branch State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Portage County
Gun shops
7 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Portage County (6 from the ATF licensee list, 1 from OpenStreetMap), plus 27 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: On Mission Firearms (Ravenna), Outtech INC (Aurora), Plum Creek Outdoors (Mogadore), Portage Gun Sales (Mogadore), Ravenna Coin & Jewelry (Ravenna) and Walmart #3722 (Kent).
Liquor stores
5 liquor stores are on the map in Portage County: Aurora Spirits (Aurora), Brimfield Liquor, Brimfield Liquor (Kent), State Liquor Agent and That's the Spirit (Garrettsville). Ohio has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
One Planned Parenthood health center is on the map in Portage County: Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio-Kent Health Center (Kent).
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Portage County?
Portage County averaged 159 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 0.98 per 1,000 residents, 67% lower than the Ohio rate (3.0). The property-crime rate was 11.0 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Portage County?
$75,766 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $71,389 for Ohio and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Portage County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.4% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 2,899 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Portage County?
Portage County carries a “Relatively Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”.
Are there Superfund sites in Portage County?
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in Portage County: Summit National.
Is there road construction in Portage County right now?
Portage County had 4 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (2 active that day). Where crews are working: I-80, SR 225 culvert replacement and U.S. Route 422 culvert replacement, Nelson Township. 2 are on interstates.
How many nursing homes are in Portage County?
10 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Portage County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuyahoga County | 1,245,873 | 5.8 | $64,468 |
| Geauga County | 95,481 | 0.19 | $107,860 |
| Mahoning County | 226,491 | 2.9 | $56,942 |
| Stark County | 373,713 | 3.6 | $67,934 |
| Summit County | 537,864 | 3.9 | $71,622 |
| Trumbull County | 200,929 | 2.2 | $56,435 |
More: Ohio statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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