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COUNTY · 2010 ACS

Polk County

Iowa · 430,640 residents · 572 sq mi
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The short version

With 430,640 people, Polk County is a county in Iowa. The typical home is worth $149,700. The average commute runs 19 minutes. That is roughly 15% ahead of the Iowa median. About 33% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The population is up 15% since 2000.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $52,703
Younger
median age 34.7
US median: 37.2
More educated
33% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
430,640
+15%since 2000
from 374,601 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
34.7
+1%since 2000
from 34.4 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
572 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
310K362K415K468K521K19902000201020202024Polk County
2024503K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 57.6%(32,816)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 97.2%(30,863)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 146.8%(29,445)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 196.5%(27,808)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246.7%(28,867)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3415.7%(67,498)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4413.8%(59,525)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5414%(60,299)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6410.9%(46,974)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 745.7%(24,750)
US avg: 7%
75 to 843.5%(15,081)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over1.6%(6,714)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$56,094
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $46,116 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$29,246
+24%since 2000
from $23,654 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
35.3%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 34.5% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
10.3%
+2.4 ptssince 2000
from 7.9% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.432
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Other services16.9%
US avg: 7%
Public administration15.1%
US avg: 4.9%
Information11.3%
US avg: 11.5%
Retail trade8%
US avg: 10.9%
Wholesale trade6.3%
US avg: 7.2%
Finance & insurance4.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Professional, scientific, technical3.8%
US avg: 4.2%
Transportation & warehousing3.5%
US avg: 3.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2.9%
US avg: 2.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction0.9%
US avg: 1.4%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$149,700
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $100,100 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$714
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $574 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
69.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2000
from 68.8% in 2000
30.9% rent
Vacancy rate
6.6%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.44 people
+2%since 2009
from 2.39 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
23.1%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 22.4% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
43.5%
+2.4 ptssince 2009
from 41.1% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
2.7
+1%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.
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%
2010
White, non-Hispanic80.7%(347,710)
Black5.9%(25,344)
Hispanic / Latino7.6%(32,647)
Asian3.5%(15,118)
Other2.2%(9,306)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.7%(24,005)
Central American0.7%(3,057)
Salvadoran0.3%(1,376)
Guatemalan0.2%(896)
Puerto Rican0.1%(462)
Ecuadorian0.1%(359)
Honduran0.1%(336)
Colombian0%(200)
Cuban0%(198)
Nicaraguan0%(191)
Spaniard0%(143)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0%(102)
Dominican0%(58)
Argentine0%(43)
Chilean0%(43)
Bolivian0%(30)
Ancestry
German30.6%(128,107)
Irish15.3%(64,297)
English10.6%(44,468)
Norwegian5.1%(21,282)
Dutch4.6%(19,263)
American4.5%(18,978)
Italian4.3%(17,969)
Swedish3.4%(14,435)
French2.5%(10,382)
Scottish1.9%(7,920)
Scotch-Irish1.6%(6,677)
Danish1.6%(6,632)
+ 46 more ancestry groups with data
Polish1.4%(5,765)
Czech1.1%(4,663)
Welsh0.9%(3,877)
Russian0.4%(1,838)
British0.3%(1,411)
Swiss0.3%(1,290)
Greek0.3%(1,272)
Arab0.3%(1,143)
Belgian0.2%(990)
Croatian0.2%(868)
Austrian0.2%(742)
Lithuanian0.2%(697)
Canadian0.1%(525)
Hungarian0.1%(493)
Finnish0.1%(469)
Slovak0.1%(455)
Lebanese0.1%(454)
Portuguese0.1%(379)
Kenyan0.1%(374)
Serbian0.1%(367)
West Indian0.1%(311)
Latvian0.1%(302)
Jamaican0.1%(270)
Ukrainian0.1%(261)
Iraqi0.1%(250)
Romanian0%(201)
Somali0%(195)
Nigerian0%(192)
Australian0%(166)
Ethiopian0%(140)
Bulgarian0%(136)
Syrian0%(94)
Armenian0%(94)
Iranian0%(71)
Slovene0%(57)
Turkish0%(51)
Moroccan0%(29)
Brazilian0%(28)
Ghanaian0%(17)
Egyptian0%(13)
Guyanese0%(10)
Israeli0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
32.8%
+3.1 ptssince 2000
from 29.7% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
90.9%
+2.5 ptssince 2000
from 88.3% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
9.5%
+0.8 ptssince 2000
from 8.7% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.6 min
+73%since 2000
from 10.7 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
81.5%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 82.0% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
10.4%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 10.0% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
1.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
3.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
1.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
6.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
11.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
37.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 37.8% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.0%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
Female
51.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
Foreign born
7.8%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 7.0% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
9.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 9.4% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
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
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

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
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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+83%
Home value$355,600+138%
Population118,457−77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Warren County
Income$94,588+69%
Home value$269,600+80%
Population57,331−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Story County
Income$69,685+24%
Home value$258,700+73%
Population101,291−80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Jasper County
Income$71,311+27%
Home value$186,300+24%
Population38,153−93%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Polk County, Iowa?

Polk County, Iowa has about 430,640 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Polk County, Iowa earns about $56,094 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 $149,700, and the typical rent is about $714 a month.

How educated are people in Polk County, Iowa?

About 32.8% 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 103,500 residents, a change of about 32 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 →