Polk County, Tennessee
Located in Tennessee, Polk County has a population of 17,898 residents and a median age of 46.9 years, making it the #1,995 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.9%. The median home value is $169,900, and the median household income is $62,522, which is 17% below the national median.
Demographics
Polk County has a population of 17,898, making it the #1,995 most populous county in the US. The median age is 46.9 years, which is 20.6% 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 $62,522, ranking #1,845 out of 3,222 counties — 16.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.9% and unemployment stands at 5.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Polk County is $169,900 (-39.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $676/mo and the homeownership rate is 83.6%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Polk County, 16.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 50.8% below the national average, ranking #2,575 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Polk County is 70.7 years. 21.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
22.8% of adults in Polk County smoke , 37.6% are obese , and 18.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 22.9 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Polk County is 10.0 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 23.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 27.6 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
19.8% of children in Polk County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 32.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Polk County is 61.7%. The mean commute time is 34.1 min, which is 23.6% 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 68.2%. The vote was 15.5% Dem / 83.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.8 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Polk County, Tennessee
Polk County, Tennessee has a total population of 17,898, making it the 1,995th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Polk County is 46.9 years, which is 20.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Polk County is $62,522, which ranks #1,845 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 16.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.3%.
The median home value in Polk County is $169,900, 39.7% below the national median. Renters in Polk County pay a median gross rent of $676 per month. The homeownership rate is 83.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Polk County, 16.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 50.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 85.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 34.1 min.
Polk County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 89.1% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (7.4%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.2%).
All data for Polk County, Tennessee 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.