Portage, OH: High Radon Risk - Home Safety 83/100
1 ZIP code · 1 water system · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Portage: B.
This ZIP looks solid, with a few items worth a quick check.
Across Portage, EPA monitoring data shows low violation rates and healthy safety margins - a pattern that places the city well above OH's average for drinking water compliance across recent reporting cycles.
How Portage Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Key Facts for Portage Residents
- Homes built before 1986: 65% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $2,900 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 12.51 - above typical levels.
Portage's Water Providers
As of current federal records, Portage, OH is served primarily by one water utility among 1 tracked system. That single provider handles infrastructure investment, rate adjustments, and regulatory reporting under EPA oversight.
- B
Overview
We track home safety data for 1 ZIP code in Portage, Ohio (population ~1,003), covering 1 community water system serving approximately 31,578 people region-wide. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 1 of 1 ZIP codes.
The available EPA record reports 0 violations for 1 ZIP code with a reported violation count.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Portage: B (83/100)
Model 4.0.0 uses four measured components across three equally weighted domains. If a required domain is unavailable, no score is published:
| Factor | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Water Quality | EPA violations and compliance history |
| PFAS MCL Screen | UCMR 5 testing against the covered federal MCLs |
| Radon Risk | EPA radon zone classification |
| Annual AQI | EPA AirData county-year median with at least 90 observed days |
Water Sources
Portage water systems draw from: Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0000 mg/L (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
- 0 of 1 ZIP code with known status exceed the EPA lead action level
Radon Risk
Dominant radon zone: Zone 1 (High Risk)
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Areas with No Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | System | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43451 | B | Bowling Green City | 31,578 |
All ZIP Codes in Portage
- 43451 [B]
Data Sources
- Water quality: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS)
- Lead/copper: EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data
- Radon: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Reporting periods vary by source. Missing data is shown as unavailable, not as zero.
Portage Community Health Snapshot
Source: CDC PLACES (County-level estimates). Water contamination can correlate with respiratory and chronic health conditions.
Compared to National Average
Vertical line = national average. ■ Above national · ■ Below national
Portage Infrastructure Age
With 65% of homes built before 1986, lead solder in plumbing is a potential concern. The EPA banned lead solder in 1986, but many older homes retain original plumbing.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).
Housing Age Profile
Heavily weighted toward older construction, Portage's housing stock carries a median build year of 1975. That profile puts a majority of homes in the era when lead-soldered copper plumbing was standard practice.
Over half of homes in Portage were built before 1986, when lead solder was banned. Older plumbing may leach lead into drinking water, especially with corrosive water chemistry.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034.
How Remediation Costs Compare in Portage
The cost-to-value ratio in Portage is in the moderate range - neither dismissible nor alarming, but above the threshold where remediation can be treated as incidental. Most homeowners here are weighing a real equity commitment, and the moderate classification reflects that accurately.
Remediation costs are moderate relative to home values in Portage. The estimated $1,900–$4,100 range is manageable for most homeowners but still worth budgeting for. Home values are 4% below the Ohio average.
Portage: Lead Risk & Vulnerable Populations
Why children are most at risk: The CDC states there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Children under 6 absorb lead more readily than adults, and even low levels can cause developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioral problems.
When older housing represents 65% of the local inventory or aggregate readings approach the federal action level, an in-home check becomes the standard way to translate citywide averages into the specific reality of an individual Portage address.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Portage: NFIP Claim Records and Water-Quality Context
Historical NFIP data for Portage contains 5 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $5,915. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 100% have an A- or V-family dominant rated zone recorded in those historical claims. This is not a complete current FEMA property-map inventory.
How flooding affects water quality: Flood events can introduce sewage, agricultural runoff, and industrial chemicals into water supplies. Even after floodwaters recede, contamination can persist in wells and aging infrastructure. The <strong>$2,900</strong> remediation estimate shown here excludes flood insurance and is not derived from NFIP claim count.
Claim count does not establish current property risk. Check the exact address in FEMA's current map and obtain a property-specific insurance quote when relevant.
Source: historical FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claim records. No current FEMA property-map designation is asserted.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Portage, OH