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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Polk County

Florida · 725,046 residents · 1,798.119 sq mi
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The short version

Polk County has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $51,535. Population has grown 50% since 2000. 21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 33%. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $162,400.

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
Population, 1990 – 2024
367K482K598K714K829K1990201020202024Polk 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
Afford Score
3.2
−1%since 2009
from 3.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Polk County on RentDataNow
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)
RANKED:Largest American population · Largest Puerto Rican population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest English population
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%
Management & professional
29.9%
−29.4 ptssince 2009
from 59.3% 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%
−68.4 ptssince 2013
from 81.4% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
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
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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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Explore from here

174 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 125.02Census Tract 124.05Census Tract 125.14Census Tract 125.06Census Tract 148.04Census Tract 145.01Census Tract 124.13Census Tract 124.11Census Tract 141.27Census Tract 121.27Census Tract 125.15Census Tract 144.01Census Tract 115.02Census Tract 124.12Census Tract 118.34Census Tract 149.06Census Tract 141.23Census Tract 129Census Tract 128.04Census Tract 141.28
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

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