County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Polk County
- What is the median household income in Polk County?
- The median household income in Polk County is $53,434 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Polk County?
- The poverty rate in Polk County is 15.4% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Polk County?
- $198,700 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Polk County?
- The median gross rent in Polk County is $1,341 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Polk County residents have a college degree?
- 28.0% of adults in Polk County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
12,396
Median Income
$53,434
Median Home Value
$198,700
Poverty Rate
15.4%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
14.1%
Median Age
39.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$5,257 (+10.9%)
Home Value:
+$55,500 (+38.8%)
Poverty Rate:
-2.1 pp (-12%)
Bachelor's+:
+8.2 pp (+41.4%)
Unemployment:
+6.4 pp (+83.1%)
Demographics
Total Population
12,396
Median Age
39.0
Female
56.2%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 4.5%
White (non-Hisp.) 9.0%
Black 78.7%
Asian 2.7%
Two or More 6.6%
Other 2.3%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Vietnamese
2.2%
Indian
0.3%
Korean
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Puerto Rican
2.3%
Mexican
0.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$53,434
±$14,448
-$19,713 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$60,038
Median Family Income
$66,387
Poverty Rate
15.4%
+8.5 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
26.4%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
20.6%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
25.6%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
14.5%
$10–15k
5.1%
$15–25k
8.8%
$25–35k
8.1%
$35–50k
11.4%
$50–75k
16.6%
$75–100k
16.4%
$100–150k
13.9%
$150–200k
2.3%
$200k+
2.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
5,965
Owner-Occupied
52.7%
Renter-Occupied
47.3%
Vacancy Rate
4.0%
Median Home Value
$198,700
+$2,800 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,341
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
29.9%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
44.2%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
6.5%
$50–100k
4.8%
$100–200k
12.9%
$200–300k
42.9%
$300–500k
5.4%
$1M+
1.0%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
9.9%
$500–1k
7.5%
$1–1.5k
46.7%
$1.5–2k
26.8%
$2–2.5k
8.8%
$2.5–3.5k
0.3%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
18.7%
1 vehicle
51.1%
2 vehicles
20.0%
3+
10.1%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
3.7%
Single-fam. att.
59.3%
2–4 units
14.2%
5–19 units
0.7%
20+ units
11.5%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
13.0%
1940–1969
7.6%
1970–1999
22.8%
2000–2009
2.3%
2010+
1.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
91.6%
Bachelor's or Higher
28.0%
-2.9 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
10.5%
Some College / Associate
21.4%
Less Than High School
2.8%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
58.6%
Unemployment Rate
14.1%
+10.5 pp vs. state
Work from Home
8.2%
Self-Employed
1.7%
Government Workers
17.4%
Private For-Profit
80.1%
Industry
Edu/Health
30.9%
Transportation
16.8%
Public Admin
10.6%
Prof. Services
9.4%
Arts/Entmt.
6.0%
Retail
5.6%
Wholesale
4.0%
Manufacturing
3.3%
Finance
2.8%
Construction
2.7%
Information
0.7%
Agriculture
0.4%
Occupation
Food Prep
31.3%
Management
29.8%
Production
20.5%
Sales
16.4%
Construction
2.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
30.5 min
Drove Alone
56.2%
Carpool
9.5%
Public Transit
24.1%
Work from Home
8.2%
Walked
0.0%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
5,726
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
24.7%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
8.5%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
3.6%
5–9
8.0%
10–14
6.3%
15–19
7.0%
20–24
4.0%
25–34
15.1%
35–44
13.3%
45–54
11.5%
55–64
6.7%
65–74
4.0%
75–84
12.8%
85+
7.2%
Under 18: 22.1%
Working age (18–64): 77.9%
65 and over: 20.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
15.0%
Naturalized Citizen
67.0%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
9.6%
Foreign-Born Origin
Africa
54.3%
Latin America
25.7%
Asia
13.0%
Europe
6.9%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
6.1%
With a Disability
15.4%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
97.1%
Uninsured
2.9%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
87.8%
Has a Computer
94.2%
Same House 1 Year Ago
84.8%
Moved from Abroad
2.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Polk County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Polk County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas County | 2,125 | 3,341 |
| Other flows - South | 1,108 | 1,951 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 1,082 | 1,714 |
| Story County | 863 | 1,203 |
| Warren County | 648 | 1,001 |
| Other flows - West | 566 | 958 |
| Jasper County | 337 | 535 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 323 | 543 |
| Johnson County | 276 | 348 |
| Linn County | 253 | 380 |