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COUNTY · 2010 ACS

Polk County

Florida · 602,095 residents · 1,798 sq mi
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With 602,095 people, Polk County is a county in Florida. About 18% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The population is up 24% since 2000. The typical home is worth $141,900, having more than doubled since 2000. Owners hold 71% of the housing stock. The median household earns $43,946, about 17% below the national median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Older
median age 39.8
US median: 37.2
Less educated
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 61%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
602,095
+24%since 2000
from 483,924 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
39.8
+3%since 2000
from 38.6 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
1,798 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
367K482K598K714K829K19902000201020202024Polk County
2024791K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 56.5%(38,839)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 96.5%(39,316)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 146.5%(39,282)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 196.8%(40,847)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246.1%(36,499)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3411.8%(71,248)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4412.2%(73,447)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5413.3%(80,077)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6412.3%(74,244)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 7410.1%(60,758)
US avg: 7%
75 to 845.9%(35,544)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over2%(11,994)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$43,946
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,036 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$21,881
+20%since 2000
from $18,302 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
23.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 23.7% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
15.2%
+2.2 ptssince 2000
from 12.9% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.432
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information14.3%
US avg: 11.5%
Wholesale trade9.3%
US avg: 7.2%
Retail trade7.1%
US avg: 10.9%
Other services6.4%
US avg: 7%
Finance & insurance5.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Professional, scientific, technical4.8%
US avg: 4.2%
Public administration4%
US avg: 4.9%
Transportation & warehousing3.3%
US avg: 3.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction2.1%
US avg: 1.4%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
US avg: 2.4%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.5%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$141,900
+61%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $69,800 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$835
+32%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $501 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
70.5%
−2.9 ptssince 2000
from 73.4% in 2000
29.5% rent
Vacancy rate
19.4%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 18.4% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.58 people
+4%since 2009
from 2.47 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
31.0%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 30.0% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
48.3%
+1.7 ptssince 2009
from 46.6% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
3.2
+2%since 2009
from 3.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
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%
2010
White, non-Hispanic64.6%(388,769)
Black14.2%(85,336)
Hispanic / Latino17.7%(106,532)
Asian1.6%(9,567)
Other1.9%(11,519)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican7.2%(42,658)
Puerto Rican5.3%(31,379)
Cuban1.3%(7,874)
Central American0.9%(5,277)
South American0.8%(4,793)
Dominican0.4%(2,385)
Colombian0.3%(1,998)
Guatemalan0.3%(1,880)
Honduran0.2%(1,205)
Salvadoran0.2%(1,123)
Venezuelan0.2%(886)
Ecuadorian0.1%(729)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.1%(690)
Spaniard0.1%(654)
Nicaraguan0.1%(539)
Panamanian0.1%(344)
Uruguayan0%(172)
Argentine0%(150)
Bolivian0%(114)
Chilean0%(43)
Ancestry
German12.2%(72,038)
American11.6%(68,453)
English11.2%(66,052)
Irish10.8%(63,723)
Italian4.1%(24,234)
French2.6%(15,518)
Polish2.1%(12,427)
Scotch-Irish2%(11,854)
West Indian1.9%(10,976)
Scottish1.8%(10,704)
Dutch1.5%(8,875)
Swedish0.8%(4,772)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
Haitian0.8%(4,734)
French Canadian0.8%(4,561)
Jamaican0.7%(4,274)
Norwegian0.5%(3,226)
Welsh0.5%(3,000)
Russian0.4%(2,605)
Hungarian0.4%(2,229)
British0.4%(2,188)
Arab0.3%(2,014)
Greek0.3%(1,897)
Canadian0.3%(1,834)
Portuguese0.3%(1,556)
Czech0.2%(1,364)
Danish0.2%(1,203)
Swiss0.2%(1,183)
Slovak0.2%(1,056)
Ukrainian0.2%(1,039)
Austrian0.2%(983)
Finnish0.1%(846)
Lithuanian0.1%(700)
Brazilian0.1%(693)
Lebanese0.1%(450)
Moroccan0.1%(420)
Egyptian0.1%(354)
Belgian0.1%(353)
Croatian0.1%(335)
Guyanese0.1%(318)
Armenian0.1%(304)
Romanian0%(274)
Nigerian0%(261)
Iranian0%(238)
Australian0%(195)
Turkish0%(189)
Barbadian0%(146)
Slovene0%(144)
Israeli0%(131)
Serbian0%(119)
Syrian0%(114)
Kenyan0%(92)
Bulgarian0%(88)
Latvian0%(57)
Jordanian0%(20)
Iraqi0%(12)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
18.0%
+3.0 ptssince 2000
from 14.9% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
81.9%
+7.2 ptssince 2000
from 74.8% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
5.6%
+0.7 ptssince 2000
from 4.9% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.4 min
+48%since 2000
from 17.1 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
80.7%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 80.7% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
11.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 12.0% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
0.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
3.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
1.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
5.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 5.6% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
12.6%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 12.5% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
28.4%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 28.4% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
Female
50.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
Foreign born
10.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 10.1% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
12.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 12.7% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Polk County to nearby counties

POLK COUNTY VS
Hardee County
Income$60,489+38%
Home value$153,600+8%
Population25,932−97%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Osceola County
Income$72,637+65%
Home value$353,300+149%
Population481,718−45%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Hillsborough County
Income$79,540+81%
Home value$371,500+162%
Population1,574,115+80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Orange County
Income$79,719+81%
Home value$390,100+175%
Population1,528,002+75%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Polk County, Florida?

Polk County, Florida has about 602,095 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Polk County, Florida earns about $43,946 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 $141,900, and the typical rent is about $835 a month.

How educated are people in Polk County, Florida?

About 18.0% 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 15.2% 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 196,713 residents, a change of about 49 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 →