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COUNTY

Polk County

Iowa · 516,546 residents (2025 est.) · 572 sq mi
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Part of the Des Moines metro area
The short version

With 503,175 people, Polk County is a county in Iowa. Few US counties rank higher on income. The population is up 34% since 2000. The typical home is worth $262,100, having more than doubled since 2000. Getting to work takes 20 minutes on average. About 40% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 36.2
US median: 38.9
More educated
40% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 44%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
503,175
+34%since 2000
from 374,601 in 2000
516,546 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
879 / sq mi
+21%since 2009
from 727 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
36.2
+5%since 2000
from 34.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
572 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
310K362K415K468K521K19902000201020202024Polk County
2024503K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.5%(32,692)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.6%(33,452)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147%(35,419)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.6%(33,037)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.4%(32,188)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3415.2%(76,592)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.2%(71,626)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412%(60,270)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.5%(57,624)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.5%(43,014)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.9%(19,680)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.5%(7,581)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$83,576
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $46,116 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$45,622
+93%since 2000
from $23,654 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
54.8%
+20.4 ptssince 2009
from 34.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
10.3%
+2.4 ptssince 2000
from 7.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.437
+1%since 2010
from 0.432 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Other services13.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration12.1%
US avg: 4.8%
Information11.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade9%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade7.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5.1%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.1%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$262,100
+44%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $100,100 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,149
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $574 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
67.4%
−1.5 ptssince 2000
from 68.8% in 2000
32.6% rent
Vacancy rate
6.0%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.41 people
+1%since 2009
from 2.39 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
18.3%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 22.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
44.3%
+3.3 ptssince 2009
from 41.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.1
+19%since 2009
from 2.6 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.
Gentrification Score
56
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic86.4%(323,785)
Black4.8%(17,874)
Hispanic / Latino4.4%(16,490)
Asian2.6%(9,765)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic73.2%(368,110)
Black7.3%(36,704)
Hispanic / Latino10.4%(52,317)
Asian4.9%(24,778)
Other4.2%(21,266)
Diversity Score
56
+51%since 2009
from 37 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
33
−9%since 2020
from 36 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
Mexican7%(35,389)
Central American1.7%(8,515)
Salvadoran0.9%(4,692)
Puerto Rican0.6%(3,190)
Honduran0.4%(1,915)
South American0.3%(1,624)
Guatemalan0.3%(1,612)
Spaniard0.2%(1,033)
Cuban0.1%(720)
Colombian0.1%(550)
Ecuadorian0.1%(471)
Dominican0%(181)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0%(177)
Venezuelan0%(172)
Nicaraguan0%(153)
Argentine0%(153)
Chilean0%(61)
Asian origin
Burmese0.9%(4,468)
Asian Indian0.8%(4,171)
Vietnamese0.6%(2,853)
Laotian0.5%(2,657)
Chinese0.4%(1,864)
Nepalese0.2%(1,246)
Korean0.2%(1,214)
Filipino0.2%(825)
Bhutanese0.1%(611)
Kazakh0.1%(574)
Thai0.1%(486)
Cambodian0.1%(321)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Hmong0%(206)
Japanese0%(178)
Sri Lankan0%(124)
Malaysian0%(92)
Pakistani0%(33)
Taiwanese0%(23)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(80)
Samoan0%(65)
Tongan0%(15)
Ancestry
German24.5%(123,418)
Irish13.3%(66,949)
English11.8%(59,452)
Norwegian3.7%(18,785)
American3.3%(16,737)
Italian3.2%(16,108)
Dutch2.6%(13,123)
Swedish2.5%(12,383)
Scottish2%(9,998)
French1.4%(6,944)
Polish1.3%(6,587)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Danish1.3%(6,313)
Czech0.8%(4,185)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(3,882)
Welsh0.7%(3,729)
British0.4%(2,073)
Russian0.4%(1,952)
Hungarian0.3%(1,324)
Somali0.3%(1,299)
West Indian0.2%(1,244)
Arab0.2%(1,199)
Swiss0.2%(1,187)
Croatian0.2%(1,142)
Ethiopian0.2%(1,041)
Austrian0.2%(841)
Nigerian0.2%(813)
Greek0.2%(758)
Jamaican0.1%(653)
Ukrainian0.1%(587)
Lithuanian0.1%(495)
Lebanese0.1%(456)
Latvian0.1%(451)
Haitian0.1%(426)
Belgian0.1%(409)
Canadian0.1%(322)
Egyptian0.1%(308)
Finnish0.1%(305)
Kenyan0.1%(257)
Romanian0%(240)
Slovak0%(228)
Ghanaian0%(190)
Iraqi0%(187)
Serbian0%(182)
Portuguese0%(176)
Slovene0%(144)
Turkish0%(130)
Bulgarian0%(96)
Iranian0%(88)
Brazilian0%(86)
Israeli0%(42)
Armenian0%(32)
Jordanian0%(19)
Syrian0%(18)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
40.3%
+10.5 ptssince 2000
from 29.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.5%
+4.1 ptssince 2000
from 88.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
13.1%
+4.4 ptssince 2000
from 8.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.0 min
+86%since 2000
from 10.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
72.4%
−9.6 ptssince 2009
from 82.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.4%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 10.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.5%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
15.7%
+12.4 ptssince 2009
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.4%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.8%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.4%
−1.5 ptssince 2011
from 5.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
71.4%
−2.4 ptssince 2011
from 73.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
81.4%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 80.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
11.8%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
45.1%
+7.3 ptssince 2009
from 37.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.8%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
Female
50.2%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
Foreign born
10.1%
+3.1 ptssince 2009
from 7.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.6%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 9.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.4%
+1.0 ptssince 2012
from 10.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.3%
−3.0 ptssince 2013
from 8.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.9%
+10.5 ptssince 2017
from 81.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.9%
+3.0 ptssince 2020
from 93.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
85.7%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 84.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
85.3%
−2.3 ptssince 2016
from 87.6% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
7.0%
+1.3 ptssince 2016
from 5.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married36.6%(72,793)
Married51.9%(103,053)
Widowed2.2%(4,298)
Divorced9.3%(18,549)
Women 15+
Never married31.4%(63,659)
Married48.5%(98,407)
Widowed7.4%(15,041)
Divorced12.7%(25,812)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.3%
−3.0 ptssince 2013
from 8.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
61.8%
−2.1 ptssince 2020
from 63.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
11.8%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 12.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
15.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 14.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
20.4%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 20.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.1%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 2.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
71.9%
−2.4 ptssince 2020
from 74.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
34.0%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 33.5% 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)26.6%(5,689)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.9%(4,903)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era28.8%(6,165)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.4%(943)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1%(220)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 21,413 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

Places similar to Polk County

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Pop 479,958
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Pop 541,623
Seminole County
Pop 491,884
York County
Pop 473,197
Places similar to Polk County
Head to head

Compare Polk County to nearby counties

POLK COUNTY VS
Dallas County
Income$102,379+22%
Home value$355,600+36%
Population118,457−77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Warren County
Income$94,588+13%
Home value$269,600+3%
Population57,331−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Story County
Income$69,685−17%
Home value$258,700−1%
Population101,291−80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Jasper County
Income$71,311−15%
Home value$186,300−29%
Population38,153−93%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Polk County, Iowa?

Polk County, Iowa has about 503,175 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Polk County, Iowa earns about $83,576 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Polk County, Iowa expensive?

In Polk County, Iowa, the median home is worth about $262,100, and the typical rent is about $1,149 a month.

How educated are people in Polk County, Iowa?

About 40.3% of adults age 25 and over in Polk County, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Polk County, Iowa?

About 10.3% of people in Polk County, Iowa live below the federal poverty line.

Has Polk County, Iowa grown since 1990?

Yes, Polk County, Iowa has grown since 1990. The population has added about 176,035 residents, a change of about 54 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 →