Polk County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Polk County, TN 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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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 72% of counties in Tennessee
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Polk County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,897 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 40.4 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.88% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.3 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,423 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Polk County grew by 13.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 17,897 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Polk County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 24.5% of residents. That is 4.3 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,212 18.0% -3.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,236 18.1% -3.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,393 24.5% +4.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,031 22.5% +5.2 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 Tennessee, 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 49.6% of the people living in Polk County and men 50.4%.
- Women 49.6% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 50.4% Tennessee 49.1%
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 | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,323 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.13% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Polk County is about 11% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Polk County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $169,999 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $675 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.6% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Polk County is about 21.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $675 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Polk County spend about 61 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 254 hours, about 10.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Polk County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.5 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 60.9 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 254 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,871 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.3% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,879 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 989 | 1,225 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Tennessee:
Dyer County (15.9 min), Henry County (16.7 min), Obion County (17.1 min).
Slowest:
Cannon County (33.3 min), Union County (33.2 min), Fayette County (33.1 min).
The average commute time in Polk County is 30 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Tennessee.
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 | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.3% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.4), Davidson County (0.3), Knox County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.1), Van Buren County (0.1), Lauderdale County (0.1).
Health
Polk County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Polk County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.2 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.1% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 26.3% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.8), Rutherford County (0.8), Wilson County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.8), Lake County (0.8), Hancock County (0.8).
Polk County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
Polk County, TN is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 17,897 residents against a local median of 47,695. Polk County, TN's commute, at 30.5 min, runs 48% above the 20.6 min typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $169,999 against a local median of $223,495, 24% below it. The counties themselves spread 7.7 min on commute, so Polk County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Polk County, TN has the 6th lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County, TN | 17,897 | $62,323 #3/6 | $169,999 #5/6 | 30.5 min #6/6 |
| McMinn County, TN | 54,884 | $60,991 | $146,249 | 20.6 min |
| Fannin County, GA | 25,731 | $58,441 | $434,538 | 18.9 min |
| Bradley County, TN | 110,691 | $67,551 | $223,495 | 18.9 min |
| Murray County, GA | 40,562 | $68,048 | $219,722 | 26.6 min |
| Monroe County, TN | 47,695 | $56,619 | $279,032 | 25.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Polk County, Tennessee.
What is the population of Polk County, Tennessee?
About 17,897 people live in Polk County, Tennessee, in 7,423 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 47.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
Is Polk County, Tennessee urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Polk County, Tennessee has 40 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 47% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Polk County, Tennessee?
The median home costs 2.7 times the median household income ($169,999 against $62,323), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $675 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Polk County, Tennessee?
12.3% of adults in Polk County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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