Polk County, Oregon

OR · FIPS 41053 Republican

Located in Oregon, Polk County has a population of 89,662 residents and a median age of 37.8 years, making it the #671 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.7%. The median home value is $454,700, and the median household income is $85,118, which is 13% above the national median.

89,662
Population
#671 of 3,222
$85,118
Median Income
+13.3% #418 of 3,222
37.8 years
Median Age
-2.8% #2,622 of 3,222
12.7%
Poverty Rate
+0.5% #1,438 of 3,222

Demographics

Polk County has a population of 89,662, making it the #671 most populous county in the US. The median age is 37.8 years, which is 2.8% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

93.7%
Native Born
6.3%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Polk County is $85,118, ranking #418 out of 3,222 counties — 13.3% above the national median. The poverty rate is 12.7% and unemployment stands at 5.6%.

Income#418
$85,118
+13.3%
vs nation
87th percentile
Per Capita#758
$40,635
-1.5%
vs nation
76th percentile
Poverty#1,438
12.7%
+0.5%
vs nation
55th percentile
Unemployment#2,367
5.6%
+6.3%
vs nation
27th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Polk County is $454,700 (+61.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,299/mo and the homeownership rate is 64.7%.

Home Value#186
$454,700
+61.3%
vs nation
94th percentile
Rent#425
$1,299
+11.7%
vs nation
87th percentile
Homeownership#2,759
64.7%
+0.5%
vs nation
14th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Polk County, 31.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 7.4% below the national average, ranking #678 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
31.2% −7.4% vs nation
Rank #678 of 3,222
79th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Polk County is 79.0 years. 18.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#408
79.0
+5.1%
vs nation
87th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,559
18.8%
-3.9%
vs nation
50th percentile
Diabetes#1,122
9.9%
-11.1%
vs nation
64th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#856
34.6%
-7.3%
vs nation
73th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,700
5.7
+1.0%
vs nation
46th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,068
4.1
-7.1%
vs nation
66th percentile
Uninsured Rate#922
7.3%
-30.5%
vs nation
71th percentile
Physical Inactivity#593
21.8%
-17.4%
vs nation
81th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,070
12.7%
-11.8%
vs nation
66th percentile

Substance Use

15.2% of adults in Polk County smoke , 34.4% are obese , and 20.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 15.4 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#712
15.2%
-15.4%
vs nation
77th percentile
Adult Obesity#627
34.4%
-9.3%
vs nation
80th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,675
20.2%
+1.8%
vs nation
47th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#271
15.4
-52.4%
vs nation
87th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Polk County is 1.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 15.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 12.9 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#59
1.7
-79.3%
vs nation
96th percentile
Suicide Rate#828
15.4
-21.9%
vs nation
68th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#555
11.7
-34.8%
vs nation
78th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#689
12.9
-36.1%
vs nation
76th percentile

Families & Children

11.3% of children in Polk County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.6 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 8.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#732
6.6
-2.8%
vs nation
46th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#317
8.8
-59.7%
vs nation
90th percentile
Child Poverty#495
11.3%
-40.5%
vs nation
84th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Polk County is 77.1%. The mean commute time is 28.1 min, which is 1.9% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
77.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
28.1 min +1.9% vs nation
Rank #1,234 of 3,222
62th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Polk County voted Republican with a margin of 3.8%. The vote was 46.6% Dem / 50.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.2 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +3.8%
46.6% 50.4%
Dem 47,025 votes Rep
2020 REP +1.6%
47.5% 49.1%
Dem 48,291 votes Rep
2016 REP +7.0%
42.5% 49.5%
Dem 37,030 votes Rep
2012 REP +4.7%
46.4% 51.1%
Dem 33,996 votes Rep
2008 REP +0.5%
48.4% 48.9%
Dem 36,207 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Polk County, Oregon

Polk County, Oregon has a total population of 89,662, making it the 671st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Polk County is 37.8 years, which is 2.8% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Polk County is $85,118, which ranks #418 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 13.3% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.6%.

The median home value in Polk County is $454,700, 61.3% above the national median. Renters in Polk County pay a median gross rent of $1,299 per month. The homeownership rate is 64.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Polk County, 31.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 7.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.1 min.

Polk County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 73.9% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.6%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).

All data for Polk County, Oregon 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.