Polk County, Florida Housing Market Prices
Polk County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 26% below the Florida median$230,129
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Median rent 18% below the Florida median$1,363
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Polk County | Florida Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $230,129 | $311,338 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 17.6% | 11.2% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,363 | $1,668 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.6% | 6.2% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Polk County is about 26% lower than in Florida. Rent is about 18% lower than the Florida average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Polk County, up about 17.6% and 5.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Polk County rose about 56.8% between 2015 and 2024, from $869 to $1,363. Over the same span, rent in Florida rose about 66.5%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 3.4 yearly household incomes in Polk County.
Buying the median-priced home in Polk County costs roughly 14.1 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Polk County. The price-to-rent ratio in Florida is about 15.6.
| Metric | Polk County | Florida Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $230,129 | $311,338 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $66,901 | $74,580 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 3.4 | 4.2 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Polk County rose about 235.9%, while median household income rose about 42.5% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Polk County | Florida Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 59.9% | 57.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 25.1% | 27.7% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 15.1% | 14.6% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 13.0 | 13.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2013 | 2013 | 2011 |
Polk County has a homeownership rate of 59.9%, higher than the Florida average of 57.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 15.1%, compared with 14.6% in Florida.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Polk County | Florida Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.68 people | 2.50 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1991 | 1988 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.4 | 5.2 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Polk County was built around 1991. On average, 2.7 people live in a home with about 5.4 rooms, staying for about 13.0 years on average.
Polk County, FL Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Polk County, FL is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 790,685 residents against a local median of 427,393. The measure that sets Polk County, FL apart most is median home price: $230,129, 27% below the local median of $314,989.
Median rent tells the same story from another angle: $1,363 against a local median of $1,667, 18% below it. The counties themselves spread $347,005 on median home price, so Polk County, FL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Polk County, FL has the 4th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County, FL | 790,685 | $230,129 #4/6 | $1,363 #4/6 | 70.5% #3/6 |
| Hardee County, FL | 25,673 | $38,262 | $961 | 71.4% |
| Osceola County, FL | 427,393 | $385,267 | $1,745 | 65.3% |
| Hillsborough County, FL | 1,519,188 | $343,045 | $1,667 | 61.4% |
| Orange County, FL | 1,470,874 | $314,989 | $1,774 | 56.8% |
| Highlands County, FL | 105,700 | $103,434 | $1,034 | 78.6% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Polk County, Florida.
What is the median home price in Polk County, Florida?
The median home price in Polk County, Florida is $230,129, lower than the Florida average of $311,338.
What is the average home price in Polk County, Florida?
The typical home price in Polk County, Florida, reported as the median sale price, is $230,129. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Polk County, Florida?
The median gross rent in Polk County, Florida is $1,363 per month, lower than the Florida average of $1,668.
What was the median gross rent in Polk County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Polk County, Florida was $1,014 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Polk County, Florida?
The price-to-rent ratio in Polk County, Florida is about 14.1, meaning it would take roughly 14.1 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Polk County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Polk County, Florida?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Polk County, up about 17.6% and 5.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Polk County, Florida?
59.9% of households in Polk County, Florida own their home, higher than the Florida average of 57.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in Polk County, Florida?
The housing vacancy rate in Polk County, Florida is 15.1%, higher than the Florida average of 14.6%.
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