Polk County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Polk County, NC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 80% of counties in North Carolina
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C
Income Below average
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 80% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Polk County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,891 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 83.5 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.26% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 53.6 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,960 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Polk County grew by 4.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 19,891 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Polk County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 28.6% of residents. That is 11.6 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,918 14.7% -7.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,001 15.1% -6.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,444 22.3% +1.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,695 28.6% +11.6 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 North Carolina, 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 52.0% of the people living in Polk County and men 48.0%.
- Women 52.0% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 48.0% North Carolina 48.9%
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 C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Polk County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,030 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.53% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Polk County is about 7% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Polk County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $425,296 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,177 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.9% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Polk County is about 30.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,177 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Polk County spend about 53 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 222 hours, about 9.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Polk County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.7 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 53.3 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 222 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,886 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.8% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,258 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 812 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
North Carolina:
Macon County (17.2 min), Watauga County (17.2 min), Dare County (17.4 min).
Slowest:
Gates County (35.9 min), Currituck County (33.9 min), Tyrrell County (33.6 min).
The average commute time in Polk County is 27 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in North Carolina.
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 C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Polk County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.5% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.18 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.5), Wake County (0.4), Durham County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hyde County (0.2), Greene County (0.2), Tyrrell County (0.2).
Health
Polk County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Polk County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.5 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.6% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.1% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.8), Wake County (0.8), Watauga County (0.8).
Lowest:
Robeson County (0.8), Lenoir County (0.8), Halifax County (0.8).
Polk County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Polk County, NC is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 19,891 residents against a local median of 118,522. The measure that sets Polk County, NC apart most is median home price: $425,296, 51% above the local median of $281,622.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 26.7 min against a local median of 21.7 min, 23% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 23% above the local median it puts Polk County, NC at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $136,143 on median home price, so Polk County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Polk County, NC has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County, NC | 19,891 | $67,030 #3/6 | $425,296 #1/6 | 26.7 min #6/6 |
| Rutherford County, NC | 64,922 | $51,879 | $290,943 | 21.7 min |
| Henderson County, NC | 118,522 | $69,064 | $294,864 | 21.0 min |
| Spartanburg County, SC | 347,752 | $66,222 | $158,720 | 22.2 min |
| McDowell County, NC | 44,809 | $57,967 | $202,989 | 22.0 min |
| Greenville County, SC | 547,972 | $77,038 | $281,622 | 21.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Polk County, North Carolina.
How many people live in Polk County, North Carolina?
About 19,891 people live in Polk County, North Carolina, in 8,960 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 53.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 16 years.
How densely populated is Polk County, North Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Polk County, North Carolina has 83 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Polk County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 6.3 times the median household income ($425,296 against $67,030), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,177 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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