Portage County Demographics

A map of Portage County's Population by Race

Portage County, Ohio has an estimated population of 161,956, a less than 1% change from the 161,791 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 86.0% White, 5.0% Black, 4.0% Multiracial, 2.3% Hispanic, 2.2% Asian, and 0.5% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Portage County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Portage is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Ohio overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Portage County, that probability was 25.9% in 2020 and 25.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Portage County is ranked the 20th most populous county in Ohio, out of 88 counties. Portage County was ranked the 19th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Portage County's White Population

139,345 residents of Portage County, or 86.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Portage County is considerably higher than in Ohio overall, where 75.8% of the population is White. Portage County ranks 63rd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 88 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Portage County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Portage County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 86.0%.

Portage County is more White than neighboring Summit County (73.4% White), Stark County (83.8% White), Mahoning County (73.7% White), and Trumbull County (84.6% White). Portage County is less White than neighboring Geauga County (92.7% White).

Portage County's Black Population

8,087 residents of Portage County, or 5.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Portage County is lower than in Ohio overall, where 12% of the population is Black. Portage County ranks 23rd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 88 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Portage County's Black population has grown by an estimated 1.9%. Black residents' share of Portage County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 5.0%.

Portage County is more Black than neighboring Geauga County (1% Black). Portage County is less Black than neighboring Summit County (13.7% Black), Stark County (7.1% Black), Mahoning County (13.6% Black), and Trumbull County (8% Black).

Portage County's Asian Population

3,499 residents of Portage County, or 2.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Portage County is comparable to the share in Ohio overall, where 2.5% of the population is Asian. Portage County ranks 12th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 88 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Portage County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 2.9%. Asian residents' share of Portage County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.2%.

Portage County is more Asian than neighboring Geauga County (0.5% Asian), Stark County (0.9% Asian), Mahoning County (0.8% Asian), and Trumbull County (0.5% Asian). Portage County is less Asian than neighboring Summit County (4.3% Asian).

Portage County's Hispanic Population

3,717 residents of Portage County, or 2.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Portage County is slightly lower than in Ohio overall, where 4.8% of the population is Hispanic. Portage County ranks 47th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 88 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Portage County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 6.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Portage County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.3%.

Portage County is more Hispanic than neighboring Geauga County (2% Hispanic). Portage County is less Hispanic than neighboring Summit County (2.7% Hispanic), Stark County (3% Hispanic), and Mahoning County (6.8% Hispanic).

Portage County's Native American/Other Population

758 residents of Portage County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Portage County is comparable to the share in Ohio overall, where 0.5% of the population is Native American/Other. Portage County ranks 32nd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 88 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Portage County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 8.6%. Native American/Other residents' share of Portage County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Portage County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Stark County (0.3% Native American/Other), and Trumbull County (0.3% Native American/Other).

Portage County's Multiracial Population

6,550 residents of Portage County, or 4.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Portage County is comparable to the share in Ohio overall, where 4.3% of the population is Multiracial. Portage County ranks 20th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 88 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Portage County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 10.9%. Multiracial residents' share of Portage County's population has decreased from 4.5% to 4.0%.

Portage County is more Multiracial than neighboring Geauga County (3.4% Multiracial). Portage County is less Multiracial than neighboring Summit County (5.3% Multiracial), Stark County (4.9% Multiracial), Mahoning County (4.5% Multiracial), and Trumbull County (4.4% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.