Population 14,043 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Polk City
Household size in Polk City
| Period | Polk City | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.70 | 2.64 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.83 | 2.79 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.89 | 2.93 | 2.75 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.92 | 2.80 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.22 | +0.16 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Polk City is a place of big households: 2.92 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 2.70 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Polk City
| Period | Polk City | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.7 | 40.6 | 40.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.9 | 41.4 | 42.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.6 | 41.7 | 43.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.8 | 40.5 | 43.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.1 | −0.1 | +2.7 | +2.3 |
Polk City skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.8, against 40.1 nationally. Residents skew youngest in the north and oldest in the south.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Polk City
| Period | Polk City | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 12.7% | 12.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.0% | 13.2% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.2% | 12.7% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.1% | 13.1% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | +0.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Polk City than nationally: 9.1%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 1.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Polk City
Renters in Polk City
| Period | Polk City | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.1% | 27.9% | 30.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.1% | 30.4% | 33.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.4% | 31.1% | 34.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 10.3% | 29.5% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.8 pts | +1.6 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Polk City is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 10.3% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 39.4% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. The renter share is down 5.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Polk City
| Period | Polk City | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.0% | 19.0% | 17.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.2% | 20.9% | 17.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 22.0% | 19.3% | 15.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.2% | 14.4% | 12.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −4.6 pts | −4.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Polk City: 13.2% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is down 0.8 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Polk City
| Period | Polk City | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1991 | 1985 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1990 | 1986 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1993 | 1987 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1998 | 1992 | 1989 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +7 | +5 | +6 |
Polk City has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1998, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1991 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Polk City has newer homes than the great majority of Florida cities.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Polk City
| Period | Polk City | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $887 | $916 | $1,092 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,034 | $958 | $1,123 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $907 | $1,094 | $1,323 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,410 | $1,499 | $1,816 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$523 | +$583 | +$724 | +$606 |
Rent in Polk City runs $1,410 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $523 a month from 2006–10, a 59% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 28.9% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the south and lowest in the north.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Polk City
Bachelor's degrees in Polk City
| Period | Polk City | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.4% | 18.2% | 26.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 18.8% | 27.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.1% | 20.2% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.2% | 23.4% | 34.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +5.2 pts | +8.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Polk City have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 18.2%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.8 points, in line with the national trend.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Polk City
| Period | Polk City | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.8% | 82.1% | 85.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.6% | 83.3% | 86.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 80.0% | 85.0% | 88.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.0% | 87.7% | 90.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Polk City never finished high school, more than nationally: 86.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 3.1 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Polk City
| Period | Polk City | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 9.4% | 8.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.9% | 11.9% | 11.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 5.9% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 4.9% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.2 pts | −4.5 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.2%, unemployment in Polk City is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 8.2 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Polk City compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk City | 2.92 | 42.8 | 9.1% | 10.3% | 13.2% | 1998 | $1,410 | 18.2% | 86.0% | 5.2% |
| Holiday Manor | 3.08 | 39.0 | 12.2% | 20.9% | 14.9% | 2002 | $1,571 | 20.0% | 81.2% | 4.6% |
| Davenport | 2.98 | 37.6 | 14.6% | 26.9% | 18.8% | 2007 | $1,724 | 27.0% | 91.6% | 4.4% |
| Four Corners | 2.69 | 36.4 | 14.6% | 48.6% | 28.6% | 2011 | $1,935 | 39.2% | 95.3% | 3.3% |
| Haines City | 2.96 | 40.8 | 13.8% | 28.7% | 16.5% | 1997 | $1,319 | 18.5% | 84.0% | 4.5% |
| Celebration | 2.54 | 40.1 | 6.3% | 41.8% | 21.1% | 2004 | $2,045 | 58.3% | 98.3% | 3.3% |
| Intercession City | 4.09 | 44.5 | 21.2% | 9.5% | 27.2% | 2003 | $1,962 | 16.8% | 88.4% | 2.6% |
| Zephyrhills South | 1.90 | 61.4 | 8.0% | 11.2% | 31.9% | 1985 | $1,036 | 11.5% | 90.0% | 6.6% |
| Crystal Springs | 2.88 | 50.1 | 7.1% | 7.7% | 21.5% | 1993 | $1,238 | 20.7% | 92.4% | 2.3% |
| Poinciana | 3.32 | 40.4 | 18.6% | 22.4% | 14.1% | 2004 | $1,966 | 20.5% | 86.4% | 6.1% |
| Zephyrhills West | 2.01 | 60.8 | 7.4% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 1983 | $1,057 | 16.8% | 89.1% | 3.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Fort Mitchell, KY · Finneytown, OH · Fleetwood, PA · Flint, TX · Florence, OR · Florham Park, NJ · Florida, PR · Floyds Knobs, IN · Fords, NJ · Forest Hill, TX
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Polk City. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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