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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Polk County

Florida · 725,046 residents · 1,798 sq mi
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With 725,046 people, Polk County is a county in Florida. The population is up 50% since 2000. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 21% of adults. The typical home is worth $162,400, having more than doubled since 2000. Owners hold 69% of the housing stock. The median household earns $51,535, about 22% below the national median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 40.8
US median: 38.8
Less educated
21% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 55%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
725,046
+50%since 2000
from 483,924 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
40.8
+6%since 2000
from 38.6 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
1,798 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
367K482K598K714K829K19902000201020202024Polk County
2024791K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.4%(38,868)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.1%(43,975)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.6%(47,708)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.4%(46,227)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.1%(44,450)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.3%(88,981)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4411.8%(85,753)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5411.8%(85,584)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6413%(94,359)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7411.9%(86,299)
US avg: 10%
75 to 846.6%(48,091)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2%(14,751)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$51,535
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,036 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$25,820
+41%since 2000
from $18,302 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
31.9%
+8.2 ptssince 2009
from 23.7% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
15.1%
+2.2 ptssince 2000
from 12.9% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information15.2%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade8.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance6.7%
US avg: 5.5%
Other services6.4%
US avg: 6.6%
Retail trade6.2%
US avg: 10%
Professional, scientific, technical5.8%
US avg: 4.7%
Public administration4.3%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.5%
US avg: 2.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.4%
US avg: 1.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 2%
Construction1.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$162,400
+55%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $69,800 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,014
+35%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $501 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
69.2%
−4.1 ptssince 2000
from 73.4% in 2000
30.8% rent
Persons per household
2.88 people
+17%since 2009
from 2.47 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.2
−1%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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic54.2%(392,621)
Black13.9%(100,950)
Hispanic / Latino25.9%(187,695)
Asian1.8%(13,181)
Other2.7%(19,247)
Segregation Score
32
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 Rican9.7%(68,564)
Mexican7.4%(52,028)
Cuban1.8%(12,754)
South American1.7%(11,932)
Dominican0.8%(5,750)
Venezuelan0.5%(3,491)
Colombian0.5%(3,401)
Spaniard0.3%(2,306)
Peruvian0.3%(1,924)
Guatemalan0.2%(1,626)
Nicaraguan0.2%(1,569)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Honduran0.2%(1,329)
Salvadoran0.2%(1,248)
Ecuadorian0.2%(1,100)
Chilean0.1%(1,021)
Costa Rican0.1%(581)
Uruguayan0.1%(532)
Panamanian0.1%(479)
Argentine0%(295)
Bolivian0%(157)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.6%(3,981)
Filipino0.4%(2,505)
Chinese0.3%(1,886)
Vietnamese0.2%(1,170)
Korean0.1%(569)
Hmong0.1%(428)
Thai0.1%(367)
Laotian0%(241)
Japanese0%(227)
Pakistani0%(210)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(59)
Cambodian0%(34)
Nepalese0%(15)
Taiwanese0%(13)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(104)
Chamorro0%(59)
Ancestry
American12.9%(90,862)
German8.7%(61,723)
Irish7.4%(52,539)
English7.4%(52,408)
Italian3.6%(25,521)
West Indian2.6%(18,389)
French1.8%(12,948)
Polish1.6%(11,622)
Scottish1.4%(9,883)
Haitian1.3%(9,081)
Dutch0.9%(6,154)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(5,735)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Jamaican0.7%(5,256)
British0.6%(4,302)
French Canadian0.6%(3,920)
Swedish0.5%(3,459)
Welsh0.5%(3,307)
Norwegian0.5%(3,241)
Portuguese0.3%(2,419)
Canadian0.3%(2,249)
Russian0.3%(2,167)
Hungarian0.3%(2,091)
Greek0.2%(1,374)
Brazilian0.2%(1,120)
Danish0.2%(1,113)
Czech0.2%(1,099)
Swiss0.2%(1,087)
Ukrainian0.2%(1,066)
Finnish0.1%(982)
Romanian0.1%(941)
Lithuanian0.1%(656)
Moroccan0.1%(633)
Austrian0.1%(613)
Guyanese0.1%(599)
Belgian0.1%(578)
Croatian0.1%(553)
Slovak0.1%(449)
Barbadian0.1%(411)
Arab0.1%(388)
Lebanese0.1%(363)
Syrian0%(271)
Nigerian0%(263)
Iranian0%(191)
Turkish0%(174)
Armenian0%(151)
Egyptian0%(132)
Serbian0%(118)
Bulgarian0%(81)
Iraqi0%(67)
Israeli0%(52)
Slovene0%(47)
Jordanian0%(41)
Ghanaian0%(39)
Latvian0%(35)
Ethiopian0%(13)
Kenyan0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
20.6%
+5.7 ptssince 2000
from 14.9% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
85.4%
+10.7 ptssince 2000
from 74.8% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
7.1%
+2.2 ptssince 2000
from 4.9% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
28.4 min
+66%since 2000
from 17.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
82.2%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 80.7% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
5.4%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 5.6% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.4%
−5.2 ptssince 2011
from 10.6% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
55.3%
−2.5 ptssince 2011
from 57.8% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
68.1%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
29.9%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 28.4% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
Female
51.0%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
Foreign born
10.5%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 10.1% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
13.0%
−5.6 ptssince 2013
from 18.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
90.2%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
85.1%
US average: 86.2%
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

Uninsured
13.0%
−5.6 ptssince 2013
from 18.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
44.9%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
14.1%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
23.0%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
22.2%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
3.1%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
58.4%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
41.4%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)15.5%(7,403)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)17%(8,084)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era36.8%(17,555)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War8.3%(3,970)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II3.9%(1,836)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 47,663 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+17%
Home value$153,600−5%
Population25,932−97%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Osceola County
Income$72,637+41%
Home value$353,300+118%
Population481,718−45%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Hillsborough County
Income$79,540+54%
Home value$371,500+129%
Population1,574,115+80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Orange County
Income$79,719+55%
Home value$390,100+140%
Population1,528,002+75%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Polk County, Florida?

Polk County, Florida has about 725,046 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Polk County, Florida earns about $51,535 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 $162,400, and the typical rent is about $1,014 a month.

How educated are people in Polk County, Florida?

About 20.6% 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 15.1% 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 319,664 residents, a change of about 79 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 →