Polk County, Florida Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Polk County, FL 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
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Polk County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 790,685 | 22,388,905 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 393.6 | 313.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 2.73% | 1.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.2 | 40.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 289,390 | 8,743,019 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Polk County grew by 38.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 790,685 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Polk County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.3% of residents. That is 0.9 points above Florida as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 160,659 20.3% +0.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 156,215 19.8% -0.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 156,120 19.7% -0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 152,456 19.3% -0.3 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 Florida, 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 50.9% of the people living in Polk County and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% Florida 51.0%
- Men 49.1% Florida 49.0%
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 | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,901 | $74,580 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.30% | 5.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Polk County is about 10% lower than in Florida.
Housing
| Metric | Polk County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $230,129 | $311,338 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,363 | $1,668 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.5% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Polk County is about 14.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,363 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Polk County spend about 52 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 217 hours, about 9.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Polk County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.0 | 24.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 52.1 | 47.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 217 | 200 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,728 | $6,189 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.4% | 15.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,187 | 14,318 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,762 | 3,068 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Florida:
Taylor County (13.8 min), Monroe County (16.1 min), Franklin County (16.6 min).
Slowest:
Washington County (32.8 min), Osceola County (32.3 min), Liberty County (32.1 min).
The average commute time in Polk County is 26 minutes, longer than the 24 minutes in Florida.
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 D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Polk County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.8% | 30.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.68 | 2.50 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Florida:
St. Johns County (0.4), Leon County (0.4), Alachua County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hamilton County (0.1), Hendry County (0.1), Hardee County (0.1).
Health
Polk County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Polk County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.2 | 77.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.6% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.0% | 21.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Florida:
St. Johns County (0.8), Seminole County (0.8), Alachua County (0.8).
Lowest:
Glades County (0.8), Putnam County (0.8), Hendry County (0.8).
Polk County, FL 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.
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 household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County, FL | 790,685 | $66,901 #4/6 | $230,129 #4/6 | 26.0 min #3/6 |
| Hardee County, FL | 25,673 | $61,052 | $38,262 | 21.9 min |
| Osceola County, FL | 427,393 | $72,294 | $385,267 | 32.3 min |
| Hillsborough County, FL | 1,519,188 | $79,532 | $343,045 | 26.3 min |
| Orange County, FL | 1,470,874 | $80,245 | $314,989 | 26.4 min |
| Highlands County, FL | 105,700 | $55,582 | $103,434 | 17.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Polk County, Florida.
How big is Polk County, Florida by population?
About 790,685 people live in Polk County, Florida, in 289,390 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 38.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Polk County, Florida?
Averaged over its land area, Polk County, Florida has 394 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 4.6 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Polk County, Florida?
The median home costs 3.4 times the median household income ($230,129 against $66,901), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,363 a month takes about 24% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Polk County, Florida have a college degree?
19.8% of adults in Polk County, Florida hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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