Polk County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Polk County has a population of 19,891 residents and a median age of 54.9 years, making it the #1,888 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.0%. The median home value is $315,000, and the median household income is $67,758, which is 10% below the national median.
Demographics
Polk County has a population of 19,891, making it the #1,888 most populous county in the US. The median age is 54.9 years, which is 41.1% 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 $67,758, ranking #1,359 out of 3,222 counties — 9.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.0% and unemployment stands at 5.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Polk County is $315,000 (+11.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,178/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Polk County, 36.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 7.5% above the national average, ranking #417 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Polk County is 76.5 years. 13.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
11.9% of adults in Polk County smoke , 32.2% are obese , and 21.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 31.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 27.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.0 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
19.8% of children in Polk County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 15.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Polk County is 73.2%. The mean commute time is 31.3 min, which is 13.4% 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 25.2%. The vote was 37% Dem / 62.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +0.4 toward Democrats .
Vote Share Over Time
About Polk County, North Carolina
Polk County, North Carolina has a total population of 19,891, making it the 1,888th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Polk County is 54.9 years, which is 41.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Polk County is $67,758, which ranks #1,359 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 9.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.1%.
The median home value in Polk County is $315,000, 11.7% above the national median. Renters in Polk County pay a median gross rent of $1,178 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Polk County, 36.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 7.5% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 31.3 min.
Polk County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 86.6% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (5.6%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (4.4%).
All data for Polk County, North Carolina 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.