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COUNTY · 2000 CENSUS

Polk County

Minnesota · 31,369 residents · 1,970.999 sq mi
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The short version

Polk County has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $35,105. Population has declined 3% since 1990. Median home value has risen by half since 1990, reaching $72,700. Households here earn about 25% less than the Minnesota median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Older
median age 38.2
US median: 35.2
Less educated
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
31,369
−3%since 1990
from 32,498 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
38.2
+10%since 1990
from 34.7 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
31K31K32K32K33K1990201020202024Polk County
202431K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56%(1,868)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 96.8%(2,146)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.8%(2,444)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 199%(2,812)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 246.1%(1,898)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3410%(3,140)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4414.8%(4,636)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5413.2%(4,154)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 649%(2,808)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 747.7%(2,413)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 846.6%(2,069)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over3.1%(981)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$35,105
+18%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $22,559 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$17,279
+69%since 1990
from $10,199 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
10.9%
−3.4 ptssince 1990
from 14.4% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$72,700
+17%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $47,000 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$396
+3%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $293 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
74.1%
−0.5 ptssince 1990
from 74.7% in 1990
25.9% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Polk County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic97.1%(31,541)
Black0.2%(71)
Hispanic / Latino3%(968)
Asian0.3%(97)
2000
White, non-Hispanic92.4%(28,994)
Black0.3%(86)
Hispanic / Latino4.8%(1,502)
Asian0.3%(91)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.6%(1,733)
Spaniard0.4%(126)
Puerto Rican0.2%(63)
Ecuadorian0.1%(45)
Panamanian0.1%(32)
Venezuelan0.1%(24)
Costa Rican0.1%(16)
Chilean0%(11)
Cuban0%(7)
+ 1 more hispanic origin group with data
Asian origin
Chinese0.2%(57)
Asian Indian0.2%(54)
Filipino0.1%(41)
Hmong0.1%(38)
Korean0.1%(33)
Laotian0.1%(20)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
Norwegian33.5%(10,296)
German26.5%(8,130)
Irish7.3%(2,234)
Swedish7.3%(2,228)
French5%(1,521)
English3.9%(1,208)
American3.2%(972)
Polish3.1%(949)
Czech2.3%(712)
Russian1.3%(391)
Italian1.1%(339)
+ 36 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish1%(314)
Dutch1%(299)
Finnish0.9%(269)
Danish0.5%(164)
Swiss0.5%(156)
Arab0.4%(127)
Turkish0.4%(118)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(83)
Lebanese0.2%(75)
Canadian0.2%(55)
Serbian0.2%(54)
Ethiopian0.2%(47)
Austrian0.1%(44)
Croatian0.1%(42)
Ukrainian0.1%(42)
Guyanese0.1%(34)
Iraqi0.1%(31)
West Indian0.1%(27)
Haitian0.1%(26)
Greek0.1%(25)
Brazilian0.1%(23)
Syrian0.1%(21)
Portuguese0.1%(20)
Hungarian0.1%(19)
Ghanaian0.1%(17)
Nigerian0.1%(16)
Slovak0%(11)
Belgian0%(6)
British0%(4)
Slovene0%(1)
RANKED:Largest Norwegian population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Swedish population · Largest Mexican population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
17.6%
+4.7 ptssince 1990
from 12.9% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
82.0%
+9.0 ptssince 1990
from 73.0% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
5.3%
+2.2 ptssince 1990
from 3.1% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
12.1 min
−48%since 1990
from 23.4 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married30.9%(3,743)
Married59.4%(7,199)
Widowed2.9%(348)
Divorced6.8%(821)
Women 15+
Never married21.9%(2,793)
Married55.9%(7,133)
Widowed14.1%(1,796)
Divorced8.1%(1,030)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Drill deeper

Places similar to Polk County

Morgan County
Pop 30,306
Peach County
Pop 29,877
White County
Pop 29,802
Haralson County
Pop 33,066
Places similar to Polk County
Head to head

Compare Polk County to nearby counties

POLK COUNTY VS
Red Lake County
Income$77,188+120%
Home value$162,000+123%
Population3,940−87%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Pennington County
Income$77,325+120%
Home value$195,500+169%
Population13,686−55%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Norman County
Income$72,260+106%
Home value$147,100+102%
Population6,336−79%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Marshall County
Income$72,543+107%
Home value$164,500+126%
Population8,798−71%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Polk County, Minnesota?

Polk County, Minnesota has about 31,369 residents according to the 2000 Census.

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

The typical household in Polk County, Minnesota earns about $35,105 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Polk County, Minnesota expensive?

In Polk County, Minnesota, the median home is worth about $72,700, and the typical rent is about $396 a month.

How educated are people in Polk County, Minnesota?

About 17.6% of adults age 25 and over in Polk County, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Polk County, Minnesota?

About 10.9% of people in Polk County, Minnesota live below the federal poverty line.

Has Polk County, Minnesota grown since 1990?

Yes, Polk County, Minnesota has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 1,129 residents, a change of about -3 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

10 census tracts
Census Tract 206Census Tract 201Census Tract 209Census Tract 210Census Tract 203Census Tract 205Census Tract 207Census Tract 204Census Tract 208Census Tract 202
16 ZIP codes
ZIP 56721ZIP 56716ZIP 56542ZIP 56762ZIP 56540ZIP 56556ZIP 56535ZIP 56723ZIP 56736ZIP 56592ZIP 56523ZIP 56722ZIP 56684ZIP 56646ZIP 56517ZIP 56568
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →