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 $59,066 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Polk County?
- The poverty rate in Polk County is 15.5% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Polk County?
- $154,000 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Polk County?
- The median gross rent in Polk County is $1,009 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Polk County residents have a college degree?
- 13.4% of adults in Polk County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
51,780
Median Income
$59,066
Median Home Value
$154,000
Poverty Rate
15.5%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
9.0%
Median Age
43.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$9,787 (+19.9%)
Home Value:
+$43,800 (+39.7%)
Poverty Rate:
+0.6 pp (+4%)
Bachelor's+:
+0.3 pp (+2.3%)
Unemployment:
+1.6 pp (+21.6%)
Demographics
Total Population
51,780
Median Age
43.0
Female
46.2%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 15.1%
White (non-Hisp.) 71.4%
Black 7.9%
Asian 0.6%
Two or More 10.8%
Other 2.0%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Chinese
0.1%
Filipino
0.1%
Korean
0.1%
Vietnamese
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
12.8%
Puerto Rican
0.6%
Cuban
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$59,066
±$3,522
-$17,226 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$74,779
Median Family Income
$68,025
Poverty Rate
15.5%
+5.0 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
29.1%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
16.5%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
28.8%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
6.3%
$10–15k
4.6%
$15–25k
9.2%
$25–35k
8.4%
$35–50k
14.9%
$50–75k
19.2%
$75–100k
12.7%
$100–150k
14.5%
$150–200k
5.4%
$200k+
4.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
25,677
Owner-Occupied
77.5%
Renter-Occupied
22.5%
Vacancy Rate
27.7%
Median Home Value
$154,000
-$106,400 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,009
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
22.8%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
31.3%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
14.9%
$50–100k
18.0%
$100–200k
15.9%
$200–300k
19.8%
$300–500k
11.8%
$500k–$1M
5.3%
$1M+
1.1%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
10.0%
$500–1k
39.0%
$1–1.5k
40.0%
$1.5–2k
8.8%
$2–2.5k
2.0%
$2.5–3.5k
0.1%
$3.5k+
0.2%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
3.4%
1 vehicle
34.0%
2 vehicles
38.9%
3+
23.6%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
68.2%
Single-fam. att.
0.6%
2–4 units
2.5%
5–19 units
0.7%
20+ units
0.7%
Mobile home
24.4%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
2.4%
1940–1969
1.8%
1970–1999
20.6%
2000–2009
17.6%
2010+
13.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
81.8%
Bachelor's or Higher
13.4%
-19.7 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
4.3%
Some College / Associate
24.1%
Less Than High School
7.1%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
48.2%
Unemployment Rate
9.0%
+3.9 pp vs. state
Work from Home
5.4%
Self-Employed
7.9%
Government Workers
18.6%
Private For-Profit
72.8%
Industry
Edu/Health
19.0%
Construction
13.7%
Retail
11.5%
Prof. Services
9.4%
Manufacturing
8.9%
Transportation
7.6%
Public Admin
7.6%
Arts/Entmt.
6.7%
Finance
4.2%
Agriculture
3.6%
Wholesale
2.2%
Information
0.8%
Occupation
Management
27.1%
Sales
22.1%
Production
19.6%
Construction
15.6%
Food Prep
15.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
30.5 min
Drove Alone
81.2%
Carpool
9.0%
Public Transit
0.1%
Work from Home
5.4%
Walked
1.5%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
18,575
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
51.0%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
15.8%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
5.1%
5–9
5.2%
10–14
6.6%
15–19
5.3%
20–24
5.6%
25–34
11.2%
35–44
12.2%
45–54
12.7%
55–64
7.0%
65–74
10.2%
75–84
13.7%
85+
3.9%
Under 18: 20.4%
Working age (18–64): 79.6%
65 and over: 18.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
4.6%
Naturalized Citizen
46.4%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
3.8%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
78.7%
Asia
6.9%
Europe
6.9%
Africa
1.1%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
9.3%
With a Disability
23.7%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
84.2%
Uninsured
15.8%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
85.1%
Has a Computer
93.2%
Same House 1 Year Ago
80.0%
Moved from Abroad
0.1%
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.) |
|---|---|---|
| Other flows - South | 455 | 949 |
| Other flows - West | 402 | 769 |
| Harris County | 394 | 808 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 254 | 476 |
| Montgomery County | 218 | 449 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 101 | 199 |
| Liberty County | 99 | 219 |
| San Jacinto County | 83 | 183 |
| Angelina County | 64 | 119 |
| Travis County | 56 | 96 |