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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Polk County

Iowa · 492,401 residents · 572.381 sq mi
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The short version

Polk County has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $69,747. Population has grown 31% since 2000. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $190,400.

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
Population, 1990 – 2024
310K362K415K468K521K1990201020202024Polk 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
Afford Score
2.7
+3%since 2009
from 2.6 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-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)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest English population · Largest Mexican population · Largest Norwegian population
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%
Management & professional
42.6%
−23.7 ptssince 2009
from 66.3% 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%
−87.1 ptssince 2013
from 91.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
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
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+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.

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

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