COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS
Polk County
Iowa · 327,140 residents · 572.381 sq mi
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Part of the Des Moines metro area
The short version
Polk County has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $31,221. Population has declined 13% since 2000. Median home value is $59,300.
At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 32.5
US median: 33.0
More educated
24% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 22%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01
Population & growth
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024503K
Age distribution, 1990
Under 57.6%(24,816)
5 to 97.3%(23,978)
10 to 146.5%(21,390)
15 to 196.6%(21,639)
20 to 248%(26,152)
25 to 3418.7%(61,259)
35 to 4415.5%(50,834)
45 to 5410.2%(33,259)
55 to 648%(26,274)
65 to 746.5%(21,258)
75 to 843.8%(12,316)
85 and over1.2%(3,965)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$31,221
−11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $46,116 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Section 03
Housing
$59,300
−22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $100,100 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
RELATED:See current rent listings in Polk County on RentDataNow
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%
1990
White, non-Hispanic92.8%(303,450)
Black4.4%(14,510)
Hispanic / Latino2%(6,452)
Asian1.7%(5,709)
Other1.1%(3,471)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.
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)
Panamanian0%(94)
Chilean0%(61)
Costa Rican0%(35)
Uruguayan0%(7)
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)
Bangladeshi0%(46)
Pakistani0%(33)
Taiwanese0%(23)
Indonesian0%(21)
Pacific Islander origin
Marshallese0%(206)
Native Hawaiian0%(172)
Chamorro0%(80)
Samoan0%(65)
Tongan0%(15)
Guamanian0%(2)
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)
Subsaharan African3%(14,954)
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)
French Canadian0.2%(898)
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)
Australian0%(81)
Israeli0%(42)
Armenian0%(32)
Jordanian0%(19)
Syrian0%(18)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(15)
Moroccan0%(5)
Palestinian0%(5)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
85.4%
−2.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 88.3% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
No data for the years selected.
Section 08
People & community
No data for the years selected.
Marital status (2024)
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
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Compare Polk County to nearby counties
POLK COUNTY VS
Dallas County
Income$102,379+228%
Home value$355,600+500%
Population118,457−77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Warren County
Income$94,588+203%
Home value$269,600+355%
Population57,331−89%
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POLK COUNTY VS
Story County
Income$69,685+123%
Home value$258,700+336%
Population101,291−80%
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POLK COUNTY VS
Jasper County
Income$71,311+128%
Home value$186,300+214%
Population38,153−93%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Polk County, Iowa?
Polk County, Iowa has about 327,140 residents according to the 1990 Census.
What is the median household income in Polk County, Iowa?
The typical household in Polk County, Iowa earns about $31,221 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 $59,300, and the typical rent is about $437 a month.
How educated are people in Polk County, Iowa?
About 23.9% 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 9.2% of people in Polk County, Iowa live below the federal poverty line.
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112 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 102.16Census Tract 101.02Census Tract 102.14Census Tract 102.05Census Tract 108.05Census Tract 115Census Tract 113.03Census Tract 106.02Census Tract 51.01Census Tract 110.27Census Tract 105Census Tract 107.02Census Tract 102.15Census Tract 107.08Census Tract 114.06Census Tract 102.09Census Tract 108.04Census Tract 8.01Census Tract 101.01Census Tract 117.0333 ZIP codes (top 30 by population)
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All counties in IowaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024