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COUNTY

Polk County

Florida · 874,790 residents (2025 est.) · 1,798 sq mi
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Part of the Lakeland metro area
The short version

With 790,694 people, Polk County is a county in Florida. The population has risen by half since 2000, adding 306,770 people. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 23% of adults. The typical home is worth $266,500, having more than tripled since 2000. Owners hold 70% of the housing stock. The median household earns $65,978, about 20% below the national median.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $65,978, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 110%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Polk County

What changed most since 1990

  • Hispanic share3.7% → 29.2% (+25.4 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
  • White share82.1% → 50.8% (−31.3 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Population405,382 → 790,694 (+95%)US over the same years: +35%

Among the 67 counties in Florida

  • 37th in household income$65,978
  • 37th in share with a bachelor's degree23.5%
  • 36th in home value$266,500
  • 7th in diversity score79.4
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
790,694
+63%since 2000
from 483,924 in 2000
874,790 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
440 / sq mi
+63%since 2000
from 269 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
39.5
+2%since 2000
from 38.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
1,798 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
367K482K598K714K829K19902000201020202024Polk County
2024791K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.6%(44,379)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96%(47,176)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.5%(51,365)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.4%(50,940)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.1%(48,468)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.4%(105,773)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.9%(102,257)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.7%(92,880)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.8%(93,263)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.8%(85,643)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.5%(51,623)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.1%(16,927)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$65,978
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,036 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$33,249
+82%since 2000
from $18,302 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
43.8%
+20.1 ptssince 2009
from 23.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
14.5%
+1.5 ptssince 2000
from 12.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.447
+3%since 2010
from 0.432 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information14%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade8.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance7.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical6.8%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services6.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade6.2%
US avg: 9.9%
Public administration4.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.1%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services1%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$266,500
+110%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $69,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,363
+49%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $501 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
70.5%
−2.9 ptssince 2000
from 73.4% in 2000
29.5% rent
Vacancy rate
15.1%
−3.4 ptssince 2009
from 18.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.68 people
+9%since 2009
from 2.47 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
25.6%
−4.4 ptssince 2009
from 30.0% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
49.8%
+3.3 ptssince 2009
from 46.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.0
+27%since 2009
from 3.2 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
54
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic74.7%(361,366)
Black13.3%(64,544)
Hispanic / Latino9.5%(45,933)
Asian0.9%(4,448)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic50.8%(401,528)
Black14.1%(111,326)
Hispanic / Latino29.2%(230,841)
Asian1.8%(14,071)
Other4.2%(32,928)
Diversity Score
79
+28%since 2009
from 62 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
31
−2%since 2020
from 32 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican12.1%(95,449)
Mexican7.4%(58,817)
South American3.3%(25,728)
Cuban2.4%(18,764)
Central American1.7%(13,326)
Venezuelan1.4%(11,036)
Dominican1.3%(10,189)
Colombian1.1%(8,816)
Guatemalan0.5%(3,570)
Honduran0.4%(3,181)
Nicaraguan0.3%(2,482)
Peruvian0.3%(2,335)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.2%(1,720)
Panamanian0.2%(1,657)
Spaniard0.2%(1,634)
Costa Rican0.2%(1,241)
Salvadoran0.2%(1,195)
Chilean0.1%(592)
Argentine0.1%(543)
Uruguayan0%(278)
Bolivian0%(267)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.5%(4,307)
Filipino0.5%(3,608)
Chinese0.2%(1,425)
Vietnamese0.1%(1,059)
Thai0.1%(452)
Japanese0.1%(447)
Korean0%(360)
Pakistani0%(356)
Laotian0%(330)
Burmese0%(319)
Cambodian0%(148)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Taiwanese0%(99)
Hmong0%(85)
Uzbek0%(11)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(122)
Chamorro0%(37)
Guamanian0%(24)
Ancestry
American10.6%(84,050)
German8.2%(64,993)
English8%(63,497)
Irish6.8%(53,695)
Italian3.7%(29,578)
West Indian3.1%(24,546)
Haitian1.6%(13,020)
Polish1.5%(12,069)
French1.4%(11,235)
Scottish1.4%(10,678)
Jamaican0.9%(7,341)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Scotch-Irish0.6%(4,516)
Dutch0.5%(4,276)
French Canadian0.5%(3,769)
Swedish0.5%(3,740)
Norwegian0.3%(2,697)
Portuguese0.3%(2,571)
British0.3%(2,500)
Welsh0.3%(2,420)
Canadian0.3%(2,259)
Arab0.3%(2,153)
Greek0.3%(2,114)
Hungarian0.3%(2,096)
Russian0.2%(1,863)
Brazilian0.2%(1,772)
Danish0.2%(1,204)
Guyanese0.1%(1,103)
Czech0.1%(971)
Austrian0.1%(938)
Ukrainian0.1%(935)
Finnish0.1%(874)
Lithuanian0.1%(813)
Barbadian0.1%(665)
Slovak0.1%(582)
Swiss0.1%(576)
Nigerian0.1%(523)
Belgian0.1%(492)
Romanian0.1%(475)
Lebanese0.1%(465)
Armenian0.1%(429)
Egyptian0.1%(420)
Iranian0.1%(409)
Croatian0.1%(398)
Serbian0%(202)
Australian0%(200)
Ghanaian0%(198)
Moroccan0%(191)
Turkish0%(181)
Kenyan0%(101)
Slovene0%(100)
Latvian0%(90)
Syrian0%(60)
Ethiopian0%(45)
Israeli0%(38)
Iraqi0%(24)
Somali0%(23)
Jordanian0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
23.5%
+8.5 ptssince 2000
from 14.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
87.9%
+13.1 ptssince 2000
from 74.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
7.6%
+2.7 ptssince 2000
from 4.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
30.5 min
+78%since 2000
from 17.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
75.0%
−5.7 ptssince 2009
from 80.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.8%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 12.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.4%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
12.4%
+9.4 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.4%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.8%
−5.8 ptssince 2011
from 10.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
58.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2011
from 57.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
71.1%
+3.0 ptssince 2020
from 68.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
10.6%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 12.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
32.9%
+4.5 ptssince 2009
from 28.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
Female
50.7%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
Foreign born
12.6%
+2.5 ptssince 2009
from 10.1% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.2%
−5.6 ptssince 2009
from 12.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.8%
−0.8 ptssince 2012
from 14.6% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
12.4%
−6.2 ptssince 2013
from 18.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.7%
+25.9 ptssince 2017
from 64.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.1%
+5.9 ptssince 2020
from 90.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
86.3%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 85.1% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
72.2%
−7.8 ptssince 2016
from 80.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
23.1%
+7.1 ptssince 2016
from 16.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married34.3%(108,680)
Married51.5%(163,160)
Widowed3.6%(11,272)
Divorced10.6%(33,498)
Women 15+
Never married29.8%(98,704)
Married47.2%(156,201)
Widowed9.5%(31,507)
Divorced13.5%(44,752)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
12.4%
−6.2 ptssince 2013
from 18.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
45.2%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 44.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
16.1%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 14.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
21.3%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 23.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
20.9%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 22.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 3.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
60.3%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 58.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
39.1%
−2.3 ptssince 2020
from 41.4% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)22%(9,755)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.3%(8,970)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era33.5%(14,841)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.4%(1,965)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.1%(481)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 44,258 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Polk County, decade by decade

Polk County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990405,382$60,520$145,68412.9%38.3
2000483,924$65,645$127,15214.9%51.9
2010602,095$63,219$204,13318.0%66.4
2020725,046$62,462$196,83520.6%77.4
2024790,694$65,978$266,50023.5%79.4

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Polk County to nearby counties

POLK COUNTY VS
Hardee County
Income$60,489−8%
Home value$153,600−42%
Population25,932−97%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Osceola County
Income$72,637+10%
Home value$353,300+33%
Population481,718−45%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Hillsborough County
Income$79,540+21%
Home value$371,500+39%
Population1,574,115+80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Orange County
Income$79,719+21%
Home value$390,100+46%
Population1,528,002+75%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Polk County, Florida?

Polk County, Florida has about 790,694 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Polk County, Florida?

The typical household in Polk County, Florida earns about $65,978 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Polk County, Florida expensive?

In Polk County, Florida, the median home is worth about $266,500, and the typical rent is about $1,363 a month.

How educated are people in Polk County, Florida?

About 23.5% of adults age 25 and over in Polk County, Florida hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Polk County, Florida?

About 14.5% of people in Polk County, Florida live below the federal poverty line.

Has Polk County, Florida grown since 1990?

Yes, Polk County, Florida has grown since 1990. The population has added about 385,312 residents, a change of about 95 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →