Polk County, Arkansas
Located in Arkansas, Polk County has a population of 19,361 residents and a median age of 44.3 years, making it the #1,920 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.9%. The median home value is $138,400, and the median household income is $49,191, which is 35% below the national median.
Demographics
Polk County has a population of 19,361, making it the #1,920 most populous county in the US. The median age is 44.3 years, which is 13.9% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Polk County is $49,191, ranking #2,815 out of 3,222 counties — 34.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.9% and unemployment stands at 7.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Polk County is $138,400 (-50.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $711/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Polk County, 17.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 47.3% below the national average, ranking #2,388 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Polk County is 72.2 years. 23.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
21.8% of adults in Polk County smoke , 37.0% are obese , and 18.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 17.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Polk County is 7.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 34.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 31.7 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
26.2% of children in Polk County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 32.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Polk County is 57.1%. The mean commute time is 22.6 min, which is 18.3% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Polk County voted Republican with a margin of 70.5%. The vote was 13.8% Dem / 84.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.3 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Polk County, Arkansas
Polk County, Arkansas has a total population of 19,361, making it the 1,920th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Polk County is 44.3 years, which is 13.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Polk County is $49,191, which ranks #2,815 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 34.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.3%.
The median home value in Polk County is $138,400, 50.9% below the national median. Renters in Polk County pay a median gross rent of $711 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Polk County, 17.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 47.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.6 min.
Polk County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 86.3% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.0%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
All data for Polk County, Arkansas comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.