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 $60,227 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Polk County?
- The poverty rate in Polk County is 8.2% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Polk County?
- $136,400 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Polk County?
- The median gross rent in Polk County is $668 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Polk County residents have a college degree?
- 14.7% of adults in Polk County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
17,702
Median Income
$60,227
Median Home Value
$136,400
Poverty Rate
8.2%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
4.2%
Median Age
46.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$16,921 (+39.1%)
Home Value:
+$23,700 (+21%)
Poverty Rate:
-4.1 pp (-33.3%)
Bachelor's+:
+2.8 pp (+23.5%)
Unemployment:
-2.8 pp (-40%)
Demographics
Total Population
17,702
Median Age
46.0
Female
49.3%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 2.1%
White (non-Hisp.) 90.4%
Black 0.8%
Asian 0.3%
Two or More 7.3%
Other 0.6%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Chinese
0.2%
Korean
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
1.2%
Puerto Rican
0.2%
Cuban
0.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$60,227
±$7,411
-$6,870 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$83,950
Median Family Income
$77,435
Poverty Rate
8.2%
-1.7 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
13.3%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
13.5%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
25.5%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
6.3%
$10–15k
7.4%
$15–25k
9.0%
$25–35k
8.3%
$35–50k
12.6%
$50–75k
16.9%
$75–100k
14.7%
$100–150k
12.7%
$150–200k
4.6%
$200k+
7.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
8,856
Owner-Occupied
84.1%
Renter-Occupied
15.9%
Vacancy Rate
19.3%
Median Home Value
$136,400
-$120,400 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$668
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
13.6%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
38.1%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
12.5%
$50–100k
19.9%
$100–200k
21.3%
$200–300k
15.0%
$300–500k
14.0%
$500k–$1M
4.9%
$1M+
0.3%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
18.7%
$500–1k
73.8%
$1–1.5k
6.3%
$1.5–2k
1.1%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
4.2%
1 vehicle
22.3%
2 vehicles
30.4%
3+
43.1%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
69.1%
Single-fam. att.
0.3%
2–4 units
1.4%
5–19 units
2.3%
20+ units
0.1%
Mobile home
25.3%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
7.7%
1940–1969
2.8%
1970–1999
16.7%
2000–2009
18.2%
2010+
9.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
85.7%
Bachelor's or Higher
14.7%
-15.7 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
5.5%
Some College / Associate
21.8%
Less Than High School
6.4%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
54.8%
Unemployment Rate
4.2%
-0.5 pp vs. state
Work from Home
8.0%
Self-Employed
7.1%
Government Workers
13.4%
Private For-Profit
79.5%
Industry
Edu/Health
22.3%
Manufacturing
20.0%
Prof. Services
9.1%
Transportation
8.8%
Retail
8.6%
Construction
7.0%
Arts/Entmt.
6.6%
Finance
3.4%
Public Admin
3.3%
Wholesale
2.0%
Information
1.7%
Agriculture
1.5%
Occupation
Management
30.1%
Production
19.2%
Construction
18.2%
Food Prep
17.7%
Sales
14.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
31.5 min
Drove Alone
80.4%
Carpool
9.4%
Public Transit
0.1%
Work from Home
8.0%
Walked
1.7%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
7,144
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
52.3%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
13.1%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
4.6%
5–9
4.7%
10–14
6.0%
15–19
5.6%
20–24
5.5%
25–34
10.9%
35–44
11.2%
45–54
15.0%
55–64
8.9%
65–74
6.9%
75–84
12.4%
85+
6.6%
Under 18: 19.2%
Working age (18–64): 80.8%
65 and over: 20.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
1.0%
Naturalized Citizen
81.6%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
0.3%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
42.0%
Asia
29.9%
Europe
13.8%
Africa
3.4%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
6.4%
With a Disability
20.7%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
84.3%
Uninsured
15.7%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
83.9%
Has a Computer
86.6%
Same House 1 Year Ago
87.7%
Moved from Abroad
0.0%
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.) |
|---|---|---|
| Bradley County | 188 | 359 |
| Other flows - South | 131 | 259 |
| Fannin County | 40 | 74 |
| Hamilton County | 37 | 71 |
| McMinn County | 37 | 68 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 27 | 47 |
| Other flows - West | 25 | 41 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 25 | 50 |