Polk County, Missouri
Located in Missouri, Polk County has a population of 32,444 residents and a median age of 38.1 years, making it the #1,410 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.3%. The median home value is $205,800, and the median household income is $59,647, which is 21% below the national median.
Demographics
Polk County has a population of 32,444, making it the #1,410 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.1 years, which is 2.1% below 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 $59,647, ranking #2,109 out of 3,222 counties — 20.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.3% and unemployment stands at 4.0%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Polk County is $205,800 (-27.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $814/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.6%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Polk County, 22.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 33.3% below the national average, ranking #1,579 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Polk County is 74.6 years. 23.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
24.5% of adults in Polk County smoke , 42.0% are obese , and 20.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 15.4 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 23.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 16.9 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
18.1% of children in Polk County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 20.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Polk County is 61.4%. The mean commute time is 30.0 min, which is 8.7% 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 61.6%. The vote was 18.6% Dem / 80.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.1 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Polk County, Missouri
Polk County, Missouri has a total population of 32,444, making it the 1,410th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Polk County is 38.1 years, which is 2.1% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Polk County is $59,647, which ranks #2,109 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 20.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.3%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.0%.
The median home value in Polk County is $205,800, 27.0% below the national median. Renters in Polk County pay a median gross rent of $814 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Polk County, 22.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 33.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 85.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 30.0 min.
Polk County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.9% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.0%).
All data for Polk County, Missouri 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.