Population 89,662 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Polk County
Household size in Polk County
| Period | Polk County | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.59 | 2.50 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.66 | 2.55 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.70 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.71 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.12 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
At 2.71 people per household, Polk County sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is bigger than in Oregon as a whole, where it has 2.50 people. Household size has climbed from 2.59 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 County
| Period | Polk County | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.1 | 39.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.1 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.6 | 40.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.8 | 41.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.7 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
At 38.8, 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 population here is younger than in Oregon as a whole, where the median age is 41.6. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 38.1, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.1% | 9.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.0% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Polk County as they are nationally: 11.0%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 0.5 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.0% | 36.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.2% | 38.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.7% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.3% | 36.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +0.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Polk County is about as common as it is nationally: 35.3% of households rent, against 34.8%. Among owners, 34.6% have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the south and least common in the center. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 4.3 points, as it has 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 | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.8% | 8.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.2% | 7.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Polk County: 6.2% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy has edged down 0.6 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only three of Oregon's 36 counties have a lower vacancy rate.
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 | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1983 | 1976 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Polk County has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1989, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1983 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Only three of Oregon's 36 counties have newer homes.
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 | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $800 | $870 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $923 | $982 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,024 | $1,183 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,491 | $1,601 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$690 | +$731 | +$606 |
Rent in Polk County runs $1,491 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $690 a month from 2006–10, an 86% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 32.5% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the northwest.
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 | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.3% | 29.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.1% | 30.2% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.0% | 33.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 31.0% | 36.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Polk County than nationally: 31.0% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 2.6 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the northwest.
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 | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.6% | 88.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.4% | 89.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.8% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.7% | 91.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +3.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Polk County have finished high school (91.7%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Oregon. The share with a diploma has risen 3.0 points since 2006–10, as it has 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 | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | −3.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Polk County is the same as the national rate: 5.4% of the labor force. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.3 points, as it has nationally. 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 | 2.71 | 38.8 | 11.0% | 35.3% | 6.2% | 1989 | $1,491 | 31.0% | 91.7% | 5.4% |
| Marion County | 2.76 | 38.5 | 13.3% | 37.7% | 5.3% | 1982 | $1,507 | 25.5% | 85.3% | 5.3% |
| Wheeler County | 2.09 | 56.9 | 3.3% | 28.2% | 19.0% | 1968 | $929 | 18.8% | 90.8% | 2.6% |
| Adams County | 2.66 | 53.1 | 3.5% | 15.3% | 32.1% | 1985 | $906 | 22.2% | 93.1% | 7.4% |
| Ziebach County | 3.23 | 36.5 | 27.3% | 42.9% | 16.9% | 1986 | $724 | 15.2% | 89.9% | 24.6% |
| Potter County | 2.23 | 49.3 | 3.6% | 18.5% | 32.7% | 1974 | $1,026 | 26.8% | 96.6% | 2.8% |
| Faulk County | 2.25 | 42.1 | 1.7% | 20.4% | 20.3% | 1964 | $823 | 22.2% | 91.0% | 5.6% |
| Spink County | 2.44 | 45.6 | 4.4% | 27.3% | 18.4% | 1954 | $746 | 28.2% | 93.5% | 1.3% |
| Clark County | 2.91 | 39.5 | 5.8% | 22.5% | 16.6% | 1957 | $754 | 20.8% | 91.1% | 3.6% |
| Codington County | 2.32 | 39.6 | 7.7% | 30.2% | 9.5% | 1979 | $1,052 | 23.0% | 94.4% | 2.1% |
| Lac qui Parle County | 2.25 | 46.8 | 7.4% | 17.5% | 15.3% | 1950 | $716 | 24.2% | 95.2% | 2.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Madison County, KY · Payne County, OK · Orangeburg County, SC · Orange County, TX · Oconee County, SC · Northumberland County, PA · Newport County, RI · Natrona County, WY · Nash County, NC · Monroe County, FL
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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