How old are the homes in Portage, IN?

Name: Age of homes in Portage, IN, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

48.8% (±4.4 points) of the homes in Portage, IN were built before 1980 (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

4.5% were built before 1940.

9.0% were built in 2010 or later.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Built before 1980: 48.8% (±4.4 points)
Built before 1940: 4.5%
Built 2010 or later: 9.0%

When the homes in Portage were built

Housing units by year structure built, 2020–2024
Year built	Portage	Porter County	Indiana	United States
2020 or later	0.8% (±0.5 points)	1.7%	1.7%	2.0%
2010 to 2019	8.2% (±1.6 points)	8.5%	8.0%	9.4%
2000 to 2009	13.7% (±2.5 points)	14.4%	12.3%	13.6%
1990 to 1999	15.9% (±2.0 points)	17.1%	13.6%	12.4%
1980 to 1989	12.7% (±2.3 points)	10.7%	9.5%	12.9%
1970 to 1979	16.8% (±2.7 points)	17.8%	13.1%	14.2%
1960 to 1969	14.7% (±2.4 points)	11.0%	10.5%	9.9%
1950 to 1959	11.1% (±2.1 points)	8.1%	10.2%	9.5%
1940 to 1949	1.7% (±0.8 points)	2.5%	5.2%	4.4%
1939 or earlier	4.5% (±1.3 points)	8.2%	16.0%	11.7%

In Portage, the share of homes built before 1980 is not measurably different from Porter County (47.6%).

It is also lower than in Indiana (55.0%).

It is not measurably different from the national figure (49.7%).

In Porter County, Portage ranks 16 of 28 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest share of homes built before 1980.

Statewide, it ranks 1161 of 1,600.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

Why the age of a home matters: lead-based paint

Federal law treats housing built before 1978 as likely to contain lead-based paint.

Before a lease or sale of most pre-1978 housing, the landlord or seller must disclose any known lead-based paint and hazards and give the tenant or buyer the EPA pamphlet (42 U.S.C. § 4852d; 40 CFR part 745, subpart F; 24 CFR part 35, subpart A).

A contractor paid to renovate, repair or paint a pre-1978 home must be a certified firm, use a certified renovator and follow lead-safe work practices under the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (40 CFR part 745, subpart E) whenever the job disturbs more than 6 square feet of painted surface in a room or more than 20 square feet outside; window replacement and demolition always count (40 CFR 745.83).

Certification comes from EPA, or from the state where EPA has authorized the state to run the program.

The Census Bureau groups construction by decade, so the share built before 1978 lies between the share built before 1970 (32.0%) and the share built before 1980 (48.8%).

Homes built before 1980 in places near Portage

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Portage
Place	Distance	Homes built before 1980	Compared with this place
Portage	—	48.8% (±4.4 points)	—
Portage Township (Porter County)	0.9 mi	54.1% (±4.0 points)	Not measurably different
Ogden Dunes	2.7 mi	88.4% (±13.8 points)	Higher
Burns Harbor	3.3 mi	23.8% (±8.7 points)	Lower
Lake Station	4.0 mi	68.3% (±10.0 points)	Higher
South Haven	4.2 mi	80.4% (±8.6 points)	Higher
New Chicago	5.3 mi	70.3% (±15.6 points)	Higher
Hobart Township	5.4 mi	70.0% (±5.9 points)	Higher
Porter	5.6 mi	42.3% (±8.6 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Burns Harbor, IN (23.8%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Ogden Dunes, IN (88.4%), Lake Station, IN (68.3%), South Haven, IN (80.4%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes built before 1980 across Porter County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes built before 1980
10	Portage Township (Porter County)	54.1% (±4.0 points)
11	Kouts	53.3% (±12.8 points)
12	Westchester Township	51.3% (±5.9 points)
13	Pleasant Township (Porter County)	49.7% (±9.6 points)
14	Valparaiso	49.6% (±4.2 points)
15	Chesterton	48.9% (±7.4 points)
16	Portage	48.8% (±4.4 points)
17	Center Township (Porter County)	47.6% (±3.6 points)
18	Lakes of the Four Seasons	44.2% (±8.1 points)
19	Porter	42.3% (±8.6 points)
20	Jackson Township (Porter County)	42.0% (±9.0 points)
21	Porter Township	40.7% (±6.6 points)
22	Morgan Township (Porter County)	40.3% (±15.7 points)

Showing 13 of 28 places in Porter County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Portage

How old are most homes in Portage?

48.8% of homes in Portage, IN were built before 1980 (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Do homes in Portage need a lead paint disclosure?

A home built before 1978 does, before it is rented or sold, unless an exemption applies (42 U.S.C. § 4852d); between 32.0% and 48.8% of homes in Portage were built before then.

Does a contractor need lead certification to work on older homes in Portage?

Yes, when the job disturbs more than 6 square feet of paint in a room or 20 square feet outside, or replaces a window: the firm must be certified and a certified renovator must direct the work under the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (40 CFR part 745, subpart E).

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Portage city, Indiana

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Portage city, Indiana (place:61092, in state:18).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0017PE, DP04_0017PM, DP04_0018PE, DP04_0018PM, DP04_0019PE, DP04_0019PM, DP04_0020PE, DP04_0020PM, DP04_0021PE, DP04_0021PM, DP04_0022PE, DP04_0022PM, DP04_0023PE, DP04_0023PM, DP04_0024PE, DP04_0024PM, DP04_0025PE, DP04_0025PM, DP04_0026PE, DP04_0026PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.