COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Polk County

Wisconsin · 34,773 residents · 914 sq mi

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The short version

With 34,773 people, Polk County is a county in Wisconsin. 78% of homes are owner-occupied. About 11% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $53,500. Getting to work takes 31 minutes on average. Households here earn about 18% less than in Wisconsin as a whole.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Mid-age

median age 34.6

US median: 33.0

Less educated

11% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 30%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

34,773

−16%vs 2000

vs 41,319 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

34.6

−10%vs 2000

vs 38.7 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

914 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202446K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 57.3%(2,542)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 98.7%(3,020)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 147.9%(2,760)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 196.8%(2,378)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 244.5%(1,558)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3415.3%(5,328)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4415.1%(5,236)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 549.8%(3,404)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 648.6%(2,998)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 748.4%(2,909)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 845.6%(1,956)

US avg: 4%

85 and over2%(684)

US avg: 1.2%

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Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$24,267

−22%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $41,183 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$11,291

−41%vs 2000

vs $19,129 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

11.8%

+4.7 ptsvs 2000

vs 7.1% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$53,500

−30%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $100,200 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$318

−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $440 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

77.9%

−2.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 80.2% in 2000

22.1% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic97.1%(40,131)

Black0.1%(56)

Hispanic / Latino0.8%(329)

Asian0.3%(105)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic98.8%(34,367)

Black0%(16)

Hispanic / Latino0.3%(119)

Asian0.1%(43)

Other1%(347)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin

Mexican1.5%(672)

Puerto Rican0.3%(122)

Cuban0.1%(55)

South American0.1%(46)

Central American0.1%(33)

Colombian0.1%(33)

Salvadoran0%(21)

Nicaraguan0%(12)

Peruvian0%(8)

Argentine0%(3)

Ecuadorian0%(2)

Asian origin

Hmong0.1%(64)

Filipino0.1%(61)

Korean0.1%(26)

Japanese0.1%(25)

Vietnamese0%(9)

Asian Indian0%(6)

Cambodian0%(4)

Okinawan0%(2)

Pacific Islander origin

Native Hawaiian0%(9)

Ancestry

German33.9%(15,443)

Norwegian14.3%(6,502)

Swedish10.2%(4,651)

Irish9.9%(4,530)

English7.1%(3,213)

American4.7%(2,127)

French3.3%(1,506)

Polish3.1%(1,414)

Danish2.8%(1,291)

Italian2.8%(1,282)

French Canadian1.6%(737)

Czech1.2%(525)

+ 32 more ancestry groups with data

Dutch1.1%(494)

Scottish0.9%(419)

Finnish0.8%(346)

Russian0.4%(192)

Hungarian0.4%(175)

Swiss0.3%(151)

Welsh0.3%(139)

Scotch-Irish0.2%(112)

Belgian0.2%(94)

Austrian0.2%(93)

Arab0.2%(83)

Croatian0.1%(57)

British0.1%(54)

Subsaharan African0.1%(37)

Ukrainian0.1%(35)

Lebanese0.1%(34)

Slovak0.1%(32)

Canadian0.1%(31)

Greek0.1%(31)

Slovene0.1%(29)

Nigerian0.1%(25)

Syrian0%(21)

West Indian0%(17)

Jamaican0%(17)

Latvian0%(14)

Lithuanian0%(6)

Portuguese0%(6)

Moroccan0%(4)

Egyptian0%(3)

Armenian0%(3)

Australian0%(3)

Serbian0%(3)

RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Norwegian population · Largest Swedish population · Largest Irish population · Largest English population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

11.4%

−4.1 ptsvs 2000

vs 15.6% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

78.0%

−7.9 ptsvs 2000

vs 85.9% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

3.4%

−1.5 ptsvs 2000

vs 4.9% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

31.1 min

+38%vs 2000

vs 22.5 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

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 married28.5%(5,551)

Married56.2%(10,937)

Widowed3.1%(600)

Divorced12.2%(2,365)

Women 15+

Never married20.4%(3,853)

Married58.4%(11,038)

Widowed8.1%(1,538)

Divorced13.1%(2,485)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

6.2%

−4.3 ptssince 2013

from 10.5% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

53.7%

−2.8 ptssince 2020

from 56.5% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

19.7%

+2.0 ptssince 2020

from 17.7% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

23.9%

+1.2 ptssince 2020

from 22.7% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

18.1%

+1.0 ptssince 2020

from 17.1% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

3.1%

+0.1 ptssince 2020

from 3.0% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

71.9%

−0.7 ptssince 2020

from 72.6% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

39.1%

+2.1 ptssince 2020

from 37.0% 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)18.3%(521)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)17.1%(485)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era40.9%(1,163)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War3.9%(112)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0.9%(26)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,842 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.

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