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 $56,686 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Polk County?
- The poverty rate in Polk County is 11.5% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Polk County?
- $189,600 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Polk County?
- The median gross rent in Polk County is $792 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Polk County residents have a college degree?
- 21.0% of adults in Polk County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
32,109
Median Income
$56,686
Median Home Value
$189,600
Poverty Rate
11.5%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
3.5%
Median Age
38.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$11,026 (+24.1%)
Home Value:
+$57,300 (+43.3%)
Poverty Rate:
+0.2 pp (+1.8%)
Bachelor's+:
+1.1 pp (+5.5%)
Unemployment:
-0.3 pp (-7.9%)
Demographics
Total Population
32,109
Median Age
38.0
Female
51.1%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%
White (non-Hisp.) 92.2%
Black 0.8%
Asian 0.8%
Two or More 4.6%
Other 0.5%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Chinese
0.4%
Korean
0.3%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
1.2%
Puerto Rican
0.8%
Cuban
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$56,686
±$3,583
-$12,234 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$81,313
Median Family Income
$70,715
Poverty Rate
11.5%
+3.1 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
16.9%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
11.7%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
22.5%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
4.7%
$10–15k
5.3%
$15–25k
12.3%
$25–35k
8.8%
$35–50k
13.5%
$50–75k
19.6%
$75–100k
10.4%
$100–150k
14.6%
$150–200k
6.4%
$200k+
4.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
13,434
Owner-Occupied
71.3%
Renter-Occupied
28.7%
Vacancy Rate
11.0%
Median Home Value
$189,600
-$26,000 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$792
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
16.6%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
39.0%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
5.8%
$50–100k
12.5%
$100–200k
18.3%
$200–300k
25.2%
$300–500k
15.3%
$500k–$1M
4.5%
$1M+
1.5%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
13.7%
$500–1k
61.7%
$1–1.5k
18.3%
$1.5–2k
3.4%
$2–2.5k
1.1%
$2.5–3.5k
1.8%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
4.9%
1 vehicle
27.6%
2 vehicles
36.9%
3+
30.6%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
76.5%
Single-fam. att.
1.5%
2–4 units
2.7%
5–19 units
1.9%
20+ units
1.4%
Mobile home
10.3%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
11.1%
1940–1969
2.8%
1970–1999
14.2%
2000–2009
20.6%
2010+
8.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
88.8%
Bachelor's or Higher
21.0%
-10.9 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
8.5%
Some College / Associate
23.4%
Less Than High School
4.3%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
55.7%
Unemployment Rate
3.5%
-0.6 pp vs. state
Work from Home
8.7%
Self-Employed
10.3%
Government Workers
11.8%
Private For-Profit
77.5%
Industry
Edu/Health
27.7%
Retail
12.5%
Manufacturing
10.3%
Prof. Services
8.6%
Arts/Entmt.
7.1%
Construction
6.7%
Finance
6.0%
Transportation
5.6%
Agriculture
5.2%
Public Admin
2.9%
Wholesale
2.4%
Information
1.3%
Occupation
Management
33.9%
Sales
22.7%
Food Prep
17.0%
Production
16.5%
Construction
10.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
27.8 min
Drove Alone
78.8%
Carpool
8.9%
Public Transit
0.1%
Work from Home
8.7%
Walked
2.3%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
11,957
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
56.0%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
22.8%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
6.2%
5–9
6.4%
10–14
6.9%
15–19
7.1%
20–24
7.9%
25–34
11.6%
35–44
11.4%
45–54
11.0%
55–64
6.7%
65–74
6.7%
75–84
10.1%
85+
5.4%
Under 18: 23.5%
Working age (18–64): 76.5%
65 and over: 18.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
1.6%
Naturalized Citizen
63.0%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
1.0%
Foreign-Born Origin
Africa
36.4%
Latin America
27.2%
Asia
26.6%
Europe
9.8%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
8.2%
With a Disability
16.5%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
85.5%
Uninsured
14.5%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
80.9%
Has a Computer
91.7%
Same House 1 Year Ago
85.9%
Moved from Abroad
0.3%
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.) |
|---|---|---|
| Greene County | 281 | 515 |
| Other flows - South | 106 | 203 |
| Other flows - West | 97 | 195 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 84 | 158 |
| Dallas County | 48 | 107 |
| Hickory County | 47 | 95 |
| Christian County | 45 | 88 |
| Cedar County | 41 | 82 |