COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS
Polk County
Oregon · 49,541 residents · 740.924 sq mi
Time machine
VIEWING
COMPARE TO
Part of the Salem metro area
The short version
Polk County has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $26,292. Population has fallen 21% since 2000, a loss of 12,839 residents. Median home value is $63,700.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 34.3
US median: 33.0
Average education
21% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 41%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01
Population & growth
Population, 1990 – 2024
202490K
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.9%(3,394)
5 to 98%(3,940)
10 to 147.7%(3,800)
15 to 197.7%(3,793)
20 to 247.6%(3,750)
25 to 3413.4%(6,616)
35 to 4415.6%(7,745)
45 to 5410.1%(4,980)
55 to 648.3%(4,126)
65 to 748.4%(4,149)
75 to 845.2%(2,559)
85 and over1.4%(689)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$26,292
−18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $42,311 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Section 03
Housing
$63,700
−41%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $143,200 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-Hispanic85.6%(53,394)
Black0.4%(229)
Hispanic / Latino8.8%(5,480)
Asian1.1%(671)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic93.2%(46,175)
Black0.4%(189)
Hispanic / Latino5.5%(2,734)
Asian1.3%(636)
Other5.1%(2,541)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.
Hispanic origin
Mexican12.7%(11,373)
Central American1.1%(1,019)
Guatemalan0.7%(612)
South American0.4%(378)
Spaniard0.4%(336)
Puerto Rican0.4%(330)
Salvadoran0.3%(299)
Peruvian0.2%(148)
Cuban0.2%(146)
Colombian0.2%(138)
Costa Rican0.1%(91)
Dominican0.1%(55)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese0.4%(345)
Asian Indian0.4%(320)
Filipino0.3%(303)
Japanese0.2%(167)
Nepalese0.2%(156)
Korean0.1%(103)
Vietnamese0.1%(81)
Kazakh0%(30)
Thai0%(18)
Laotian0%(2)
Ancestry
German18.8%(16,854)
English14.7%(13,156)
Irish10.3%(9,242)
American4.7%(4,195)
Scottish3.3%(3,002)
Italian3.1%(2,775)
Norwegian3%(2,716)
Swedish2.6%(2,322)
French2.3%(2,057)
Dutch1.6%(1,450)
Polish1.3%(1,135)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(750)
+ 35 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.8%(698)
Danish0.7%(666)
British0.7%(629)
Welsh0.5%(451)
Ukrainian0.5%(449)
Swiss0.5%(440)
Portuguese0.4%(359)
Czech0.3%(299)
French Canadian0.3%(262)
Belgian0.3%(245)
Canadian0.2%(212)
Finnish0.2%(193)
Subsaharan African0.2%(191)
Austrian0.2%(190)
Greek0.2%(166)
Hungarian0.1%(124)
Slovak0.1%(116)
Arab0.1%(107)
Lithuanian0.1%(89)
Australian0.1%(87)
Turkish0.1%(86)
Lebanese0.1%(84)
Iranian0.1%(53)
West Indian0%(37)
Armenian0%(36)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(31)
Serbian0%(24)
Brazilian0%(23)
Croatian0%(18)
Latvian0%(17)
Nigerian0%(11)
Romanian0%(10)
Haitian0%(6)
Ethiopian0%(4)
Bulgarian0%(3)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
80.0%
−5.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 85.5% 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 married34.6%(12,478)
Married52.3%(18,864)
Widowed2.4%(855)
Divorced10.7%(3,850)
Women 15+
Never married29.5%(11,191)
Married48%(18,229)
Widowed7.8%(2,982)
Divorced14.7%(5,597)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper
Places similar to Polk County
Walton County
Pop 93,288
Fairbanks North Star
Pop 93,972
Bartholomew County
Pop 85,729
Monroe County
Pop 80,406
Places similar to Polk CountyHead to head
Compare Polk County to nearby counties
POLK COUNTY VS
Yamhill County
Income$90,063+243%
Home value$471,700+641%
Population110,024+22%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Benton County
Income$77,702+196%
Home value$513,000+705%
Population97,728+9%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Lincoln County
Income$63,165+140%
Home value$410,800+545%
Population50,636−44%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POLK COUNTY VS
Marion County
Income$77,351+194%
Home value$416,400+554%
Population355,777+295%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Polk County, Oregon?
Polk County, Oregon has about 49,541 residents according to the 1990 Census.
What is the median household income in Polk County, Oregon?
The typical household in Polk County, Oregon earns about $26,292 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Polk County, Oregon expensive?
In Polk County, Oregon, the median home is worth about $63,700, and the typical rent is about $360 a month.
How educated are people in Polk County, Oregon?
About 21.2% of adults age 25 and over in Polk County, Oregon hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Polk County, Oregon?
About 13.6% of people in Polk County, Oregon live below the federal poverty line.
Keep going
Explore from here
16 census tracts
Census Tract 203.05Census Tract 52.05Census Tract 53.01Census Tract 205Census Tract 203.04Census Tract 202.02Census Tract 204Census Tract 52.03Census Tract 203.03Census Tract 202.04Census Tract 52.04Census Tract 202.03Census Tract 51Census Tract 52.06Census Tract 53.02Census Tract 203.06Up the hierarchy
All counties in OregonDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024