CensusEasy
COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Polk County

Iowa · 492,401 residents · 572 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Des Moines metro area
Compare
The short version

With 492,401 people, Polk County is a county in Iowa. The population is up 31% since 2000. Getting to work takes 20 minutes on average. The typical home is worth $190,400, having more than doubled since 2000. About 38% of adults have finished a four-year degree. Households earn $69,747 at the median, near the US median.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 36.0
US median: 38.8
More educated
38% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 27%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
492,401
+31%since 2000
from 374,601 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
36.0
+5%since 2000
from 34.4 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
572 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
310K362K415K468K521K19902000201020202024Polk County
2024503K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56.5%(32,234)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.9%(33,807)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 147.1%(34,812)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.6%(32,493)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.5%(32,108)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.8%(72,979)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4413.7%(67,555)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5411.9%(58,751)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6411.8%(58,258)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 748.6%(42,148)
US avg: 10%
75 to 843.9%(19,100)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.7%(8,156)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$69,747
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $46,116 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$36,290
+53%since 2000
from $23,654 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
46.2%
+11.7 ptssince 2009
from 34.5% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
10.4%
+2.4 ptssince 2000
from 7.9% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Other services15.3%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration13.7%
US avg: 4.7%
Information11.4%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade8.5%
US avg: 10%
Wholesale trade6.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance4.8%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical4.1%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing3.3%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food2.1%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.1%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction1.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$190,400
+27%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $100,100 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$938
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $574 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
65.7%
−3.2 ptssince 2000
from 68.8% in 2000
34.3% rent
Persons per household
2.49 people
+4%since 2009
from 2.39 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
2.7
+3%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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic73.6%(362,260)
Black7.1%(34,990)
Hispanic / Latino9.8%(48,055)
Asian4.9%(24,313)
Other3%(14,708)
Segregation Score
36
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
Mexican6.5%(31,476)
Central American0.9%(4,451)
Salvadoran0.5%(2,310)
Puerto Rican0.4%(2,055)
South American0.2%(1,100)
Guatemalan0.2%(1,075)
Honduran0.1%(491)
Spaniard0.1%(461)
Cuban0.1%(434)
Ecuadorian0.1%(424)
Panamanian0.1%(334)
Peruvian0%(218)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Colombian0%(197)
Dominican0%(193)
Nicaraguan0%(107)
Argentine0%(95)
Chilean0%(41)
Bolivian0%(30)
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.9%(4,267)
Asian Indian0.8%(3,676)
Burmese0.6%(3,121)
Chinese0.5%(2,310)
Laotian0.4%(1,821)
Thai0.2%(1,200)
Filipino0.2%(1,043)
Nepalese0.2%(957)
Korean0.1%(674)
Bhutanese0.1%(582)
Cambodian0.1%(554)
Japanese0.1%(305)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Pakistani0%(175)
Hmong0%(108)
Taiwanese0%(76)
Malaysian0%(11)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(42)
Samoan0%(32)
Ancestry
German24.8%(120,555)
Irish12.9%(62,597)
English8.9%(43,369)
Norwegian4.2%(20,568)
American3.9%(18,900)
Italian3.5%(16,849)
Dutch3.1%(15,191)
Swedish2.7%(13,263)
Subsaharan African2.3%(11,179)
Scottish1.6%(7,876)
French1.6%(7,803)
Polish1.3%(6,409)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Danish1.2%(5,713)
Czech1%(4,989)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(4,388)
Welsh0.8%(4,019)
British0.6%(2,842)
Russian0.4%(1,941)
Swiss0.3%(1,446)
Croatian0.3%(1,235)
French Canadian0.2%(1,164)
Austrian0.2%(1,000)
Somali0.2%(896)
Greek0.2%(886)
Ethiopian0.1%(702)
Hungarian0.1%(661)
Iraqi0.1%(550)
West Indian0.1%(550)
Belgian0.1%(549)
Canadian0.1%(495)
Ukrainian0.1%(462)
Lithuanian0.1%(450)
Nigerian0.1%(349)
Serbian0.1%(333)
Finnish0.1%(328)
Kenyan0.1%(308)
Portuguese0.1%(297)
Lebanese0.1%(260)
Jamaican0.1%(257)
Latvian0%(242)
Slovak0%(242)
Bulgarian0%(219)
Egyptian0%(169)
Ghanaian0%(168)
Romanian0%(164)
Moroccan0%(161)
Arab0%(150)
Brazilian0%(137)
Haitian0%(137)
Slovene0%(113)
Barbadian0%(110)
Syrian0%(93)
Jordanian0%(66)
Iranian0%(36)
Turkish0%(34)
Israeli0%(28)
Guyanese0%(23)
Armenian0%(19)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
37.6%
+7.8 ptssince 2000
from 29.7% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
92.1%
+3.8 ptssince 2000
from 88.3% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
11.6%
+2.9 ptssince 2000
from 8.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.6 min
+83%since 2000
from 10.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
81.3%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 82.0% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
6.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.6%
−1.2 ptssince 2011
from 5.8% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
71.7%
−2.1 ptssince 2011
from 73.8% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.1%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
42.6%
+4.8 ptssince 2009
from 37.8% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.3%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
Female
50.7%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
Foreign born
9.1%
+2.1 ptssince 2009
from 7.0% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
4.6%
−3.7 ptssince 2013
from 8.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
93.9%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
84.0%
US average: 86.2%
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

Uninsured
4.6%
−3.7 ptssince 2013
from 8.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
63.9%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
12.3%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
14.3%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
20.7%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.1%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
74.3%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
33.5%
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)20.4%(4,738)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)20.8%(4,815)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era31.6%(7,337)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War7.1%(1,639)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II3.1%(725)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 23,183 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

Sarasota County
Pop 479,958
Ramsey County
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+47%
Home value$355,600+87%
Population118,457−77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Warren County
Income$94,588+36%
Home value$269,600+42%
Population57,331−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Story County
Income$69,685same
Home value$258,700+36%
Population101,291−80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Jasper County
Income$71,311+2%
Home value$186,300−2%
Population38,153−93%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Polk County, Iowa?

Polk County, Iowa has about 492,401 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Polk County, Iowa earns about $69,747 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 $190,400, and the typical rent is about $938 a month.

How educated are people in Polk County, Iowa?

About 37.6% 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 10.4% 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 165,261 residents, a change of about 51 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

Up the hierarchy
All counties in Iowa

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →