Home Insurance in Portage County, Wisconsin
The median home value in Portage County is $243,100, 9% lower than the Wisconsin median.
Aging wiring, roofing and plumbing in older homes can push up the cost to insure or rebuild them. The typical home in Portage County was built around 1979. About 25% of homes were built before 1960, about 8 points below Wisconsin's 33%.
The housing stock in Portage County is 72% single-family homes, 15% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 3% mobile or manufactured homes. Mobile and manufactured homes typically need a manufactured-home (HO-7) policy rather than a standard homeowners policy.
About 55% of owner-occupied homes in Portage County have a mortgage. Lenders require hazard (homeowners) insurance on any home carrying a mortgage.
Portage County has an owner-occupancy rate of 70% and a vacancy rate of 7%; unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form.
Homes heated with propane can carry added fire risk. Fuel-tank leaks and spills are often excluded from standard homeowners policies. Most homes in Portage County - 56% - are primarily heated with natural gas.
FEMA's National Risk Index lists hail (Relatively Moderate), tornado (Relatively Moderate) and inland flooding (Relatively Low) as the leading hazards for Portage County.
Portage County had 55 active National Flood Insurance Program policies as of September 2026. Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, so flood coverage needs a separate NFIP or private flood policy.
In Wisconsin, the statewide average premium for a standard HO-3 homeowners policy is $923 per year (NAIC, 2023 data).
Key figures
| Median home value | $243,100 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Owner-occupied share | 70% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 55% |
| Top hazards (FEMA National Risk Index) | Hail (Relatively Moderate), Tornado (Relatively Moderate), Inland Flooding (Relatively Low) |
| Active NFIP flood policies (county) | 55 |
| Home insurance premium | $923 - statewide average (NAIC, 2023 data) |
Towns and cities
- Almond
- Amherst
- Amherst Junction
- Junction City
- Nelsonville
- Park Ridge
- Plover
- Rosholt
- Stevens Point
- Whiting
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer Files (2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (2024)
- FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025)
- FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3 (2026)
- NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owner-Occupied, and Homeowners Tenant and Condominium/Cooperative Unit Owners Insurance: Data for 2023 (published 2026) (2023)