Polk County, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Polk County, MN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around averageLess healthy than 73% of counties in Minnesota
-
B
Income Around average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Polk County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,705 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 15.4 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.34% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.7 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,360 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Polk County grew by 0.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 30,705 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Polk County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.5% of residents. That is 0.8 points below Minnesota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,288 20.5% -0.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,829 19.0% -2.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,120 19.9% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,595 18.2% +1.7 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 Minnesota, 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 48.8% of the people living in Polk County and men 51.2%.
- Women 48.8% Minnesota 50.0%
- Men 51.2% Minnesota 50.0%
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 B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Polk County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,256 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.10% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Polk County is about 18% lower than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | Polk County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $252,273 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $854 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.3% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Polk County is about 24.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $854 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Polk County spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 115 hours, about 4.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Polk County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.7 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 27.5 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 115 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,550 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.8% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,645 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 681 | 854 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Minnesota:
Brown County (10.6 min), Pennington County (10.8 min), Cottonwood County (10.9 min).
Slowest:
Chisago County (30.9 min), Wright County (28.8 min), Sherburne County (28.8 min).
The average commute time in Polk County is 14 minutes, shorter than the 20 minutes in Minnesota.
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 | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.6% | 35.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Minnesota:
Hennepin County (0.4), Olmsted County (0.4), Carver County (0.4).
Lowest:
Nobles County (0.2), Mahnomen County (0.2), Watonwan County (0.2).
Health
Polk County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Polk County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.4 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.2% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.4% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Minnesota:
Carver County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Stevens County (0.8).
Lowest:
Mahnomen County (0.8), Clearwater County (0.8), Beltrami County (0.8).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Polk County, Minnesota.
What is the population of Polk County, Minnesota?
About 30,705 people live in Polk County, Minnesota, in 12,360 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.7, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Polk County, Minnesota?
Averaged over its land area, Polk County, Minnesota has 15 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 18% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Polk County, Minnesota an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.4 times the median household income ($252,273 against $73,256), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $854 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Polk County, Minnesota?
Unemployment in Polk County, Minnesota is only 3.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →