Polk County, Florida
Located in Florida, Polk County has a population of 790,694 residents and a median age of 39.5 years, making it the #82 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.5%. The median home value is $266,500, and the median household income is $65,978, which is 12% below the national median.
Demographics
Polk County has a population of 790,694, making it the #82 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.5 years, which is 1.5% 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 $65,978, ranking #1,543 out of 3,222 counties — 12.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.5% and unemployment stands at 4.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Polk County is $266,500 (-5.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,363/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Polk County, 23.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 30.4% below the national average, ranking #1,436 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Polk County is 76.1 years. 21.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 14.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.3% of adults in Polk County smoke , 41.6% are obese , and 18.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 30.0 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Polk County is 5.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.7 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
18.1% of children in Polk County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.5 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 20.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Polk County is 66.8%. The mean commute time is 33.1 min, which is 20.0% above 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 20.7%. The vote was 39.2% Dem / 59.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.3 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Polk County, Florida
Polk County, Florida has a total population of 790,694, making it the 82nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Polk County is 39.5 years, which is 1.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Polk County is $65,978, which ranks #1,543 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 12.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.8%.
The median home value in Polk County is $266,500, 5.5% below the national median. Renters in Polk County pay a median gross rent of $1,363 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Polk County, 23.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 30.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 33.1 min.
Polk County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 50.8% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (29.2%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (14.1%).
All data for Polk County, Florida 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.