Population 43,785 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Polk County
Household size in Polk County
| Period | Polk County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.77 | 2.70 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.80 | 2.77 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.80 | 2.75 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.79 | 2.73 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.02 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Polk County average 2.79 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Georgia as a whole looks much the same. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the south.
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 County
| Period | Polk County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.0 | 36.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.8 | 36.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.2 | 38.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.9 | 38.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.9 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
At 38.9, the median age in Polk County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has crept up from 38.0 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the west, the oldest in the southeast.
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 County
| Period | Polk County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.2% | 13.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.9% | 13.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.7% | 13.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.6% | 13.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Polk County: 17.6% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has risen 2.4 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Polk County has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Georgia counties.
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 County
Renters in Polk County
| Period | Polk County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.5% | 32.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 31.1% | 35.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.4% | 36.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.0% | 34.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in Polk County rent their homes (34.0%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Just over half of owners (51.9%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the west; owners are most common in the north. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 4.5 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 County
| Period | Polk County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.5% | 13.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.3% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.2 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Polk County as nationally: 9.4%, against 9.6%. Vacancy is down 5.2 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 County
| Period | Polk County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1985 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1987 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Polk County are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1983, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in Georgia as a whole, where the median home dates to 1991. The median year built has moved up from 1976 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the north, the oldest in the east.
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 County
| Period | Polk County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $623 | $910 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $668 | $977 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $723 | $1,112 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $983 | $1,520 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$359 | +$609 | +$606 |
Rent in Polk County runs $983 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $359 a month since 2006–10, up 58%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 32.8% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 County
Bachelor's degrees in Polk County
| Period | Polk County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 28.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.3% | 28.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.9% | 31.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.9% | 35.1% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Polk County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 15.9%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 4.5 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 County
| Period | Polk County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.3% | 84.1% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 75.0% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 78.9% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.4% | 89.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +13.1 pts | +5.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Polk County never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 13.1 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 County
| Period | Polk County | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.9% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 10.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.4 pts | −3.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.5%, unemployment in Polk County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 5.4 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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 County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 2.79 | 38.9 | 17.6% | 34.0% | 9.4% | 1983 | $983 | 15.9% | 85.4% | 5.5% |
| Paulding County | 3.03 | 37.4 | 13.3% | 19.2% | 7.0% | 2002 | $1,805 | 30.2% | 92.6% | 4.5% |
| Cherokee County | 2.57 | 47.6 | 7.8% | 18.9% | 28.9% | 1984 | $851 | 17.1% | 82.5% | 4.4% |
| Cobb County | 2.69 | 38.9 | 10.7% | 33.0% | 6.7% | 1989 | $1,934 | 50.1% | 92.6% | 4.4% |
| Cherokee County | 2.80 | 41.0 | 9.4% | 22.7% | 5.8% | 2000 | $1,840 | 41.8% | 92.2% | 3.3% |
| Etowah County | 2.62 | 42.4 | 12.3% | 26.1% | 16.5% | 1977 | $928 | 18.0% | 85.4% | 6.3% |
| Forsyth County | 3.03 | 40.2 | 8.0% | 15.6% | 4.5% | 2004 | $2,242 | 57.3% | 94.5% | 3.5% |
| Gwinnett County | 3.09 | 36.6 | 13.2% | 33.7% | 5.5% | 1996 | $2,020 | 38.6% | 87.6% | 4.2% |
| Blount County | 2.69 | 42.1 | 11.5% | 19.0% | 11.5% | 1988 | $851 | 16.4% | 83.3% | 4.8% |
| Barrow County | 2.95 | 36.4 | 13.0% | 21.5% | 5.0% | 2000 | $1,488 | 21.4% | 88.9% | 3.7% |
| Jackson County | 3.01 | 38.5 | 8.2% | 20.7% | 7.6% | 2002 | $1,375 | 29.4% | 89.6% | 3.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Santa Cruz County, AZ · Franklin County, VT · Fremont County, CO · Fremont County, WY · Fulton County, OH · Gadsden County, FL · Geary County, KS · Gibson County, TN · Gloucester County, VA · Goodhue County, MN
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 County. 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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