Polk County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Polk County, AR Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Polk County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,361 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 22.5 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.58% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.2 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,897 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Polk County declined by 3.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 19,361 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Polk County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 24.0% of residents. That is 5.9 points above Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,534 18.3% -3.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,259 16.8% -4.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,925 20.3% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,642 24.0% +5.9 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Arkansas, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.2% of the people living in Polk County and men 48.8%.
- Women 51.2% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 48.8% Arkansas 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Polk County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Polk County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Polk County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,512 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.18% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.3% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Polk County is about 19% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Polk County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $171,969 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $710 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.9% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Polk County is about 20.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $710 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Polk County spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 132 hours, about 5.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Polk County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.9 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.7 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 132 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,095 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.8% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,151 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 162 | 912 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Arkansas:
Arkansas County (11.9 min), Phillips County (13.2 min), Howard County (13.4 min).
Slowest:
Perry County (32.2 min), Newton County (31.6 min), Madison County (31.1 min).
The average commute time in Polk County is 16 minutes, shorter than the 19 minutes in Arkansas.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Polk County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Polk County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.7% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Arkansas:
Pulaski County (0.3), Benton County (0.3), Washington County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lee County (0.2), Lincoln County (0.2), Scott County (0.2).
Health
Polk County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Polk County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.8 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.8% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.0% | 23.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Arkansas:
Benton County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Newton County (0.8).
Lowest:
Phillips County (0.7), Chicot County (0.7), Desha County (0.8).
Polk County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
How Polk County, AR compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County, AR | 19,361 | $49,512 #2/2 | $171,969 #1/2 | 15.9 min #1/2 |
| Le Flore County, OK | 49,055 | $51,814 | $101,786 | 20.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Polk County, Arkansas.
What is the population of Polk County, Arkansas?
About 19,361 people live in Polk County, Arkansas, in 7,897 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Polk County, Arkansas mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Polk County, Arkansas has 22 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 26% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Polk County, Arkansas?
The median home costs 3.5 times the median household income ($171,969 against $49,512), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $710 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Polk County, Arkansas?
Unemployment in Polk County, Arkansas is 7.3%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Polk County, Arkansas?
14.7% of adults in Polk County, Arkansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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