Polk County, Wisconsin
Located in Wisconsin, Polk County has a population of 45,555 residents and a median age of 46.7 years, making it the #1,088 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 8.2%. The median home value is $271,900, and the median household income is $77,219, which is 3% above the national median.
Demographics
Polk County has a population of 45,555, making it the #1,088 most populous county in the US. The median age is 46.7 years, which is 20.1% 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 $77,219, ranking #716 out of 3,222 counties — 2.8% above the national median. The poverty rate is 8.2% and unemployment stands at 3.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Polk County is $271,900 (-3.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $957/mo and the homeownership rate is 81.0%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Polk County, 24.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 27.8% below the national average, ranking #1,320 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Polk County is 77.8 years. 17.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.6% of adults in Polk County smoke , 40.0% are obese , and 26.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 11.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 18.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 23.9 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
12.2% of children in Polk County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 9.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Polk County is 77.0%. The mean commute time is 31.9 min, which is 15.7% 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 31.0%. The vote was 33.9% Dem / 64.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.5 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Polk County, Wisconsin
Polk County, Wisconsin has a total population of 45,555, making it the 1,088th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Polk County is 46.7 years, which is 20.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Polk County is $77,219, which ranks #716 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 2.8% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.
The median home value in Polk County is $271,900, 3.5% below the national median. Renters in Polk County pay a median gross rent of $957 per month. The homeownership rate is 81.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Polk County, 24.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 27.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 31.9 min.
Polk County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.0% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.2%).
All data for Polk County, Wisconsin 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.