A new study just named Portage as the 6th best place in Wisconsin to start a small business. The study by LendEDU, evaluated Wisconsin communities on three criteria, including Population (daytime population and forecasted future population growth), Expenses (property taxes, sales taxes, utility costs, etc) and Disposable Income available to residents (including the forecasted 5 year future income growth)
The full report and methodology can be found here: https://lendedu.com/blog/best-100-towns-in-wisconsin-for-starting-a-small-business
The current and future for Portage looks bright!