Polk County, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Polk County, WI 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 average
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 73% of counties in Wisconsin
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Polk County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 45,555 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 47.7 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.59% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.4 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 19,542 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Polk County grew by 3.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 45,555 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Polk County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.6% of residents. That is 2.8 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,072 17.7% -3.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,394 18.4% -2.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 10,735 23.6% +2.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 9,927 21.8% +3.9 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 Wisconsin, 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 49.5% of the people living in Polk County and men 50.5%.
- Women 49.5% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 50.5% Wisconsin 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 | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,091 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.01% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Polk County is about 1% lower than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Polk County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $329,308 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $956 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.0% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Polk County is about 28.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $956 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Polk County spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 193 hours, about 8.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Polk County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.1 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.3 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 193 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,978 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.8% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,610 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 429 | 811 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Wisconsin:
Ashland County (12.8 min), Door County (13.6 min), Eau Claire County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Oconto County (26.4 min), St. Croix County (25.3 min), Waushara County (23.9 min).
The average commute time in Polk County is 23 minutes, longer than the 19 minutes in Wisconsin.
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 | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.5% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.30 | 2.33 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Wisconsin:
Dane County (0.4), Ozaukee County (0.4), Waukesha County (0.4).
Lowest:
Clark County (0.2), Adams County (0.2), Juneau County (0.2).
Health
Polk County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Polk County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.5 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.6% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.9% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Wisconsin:
Dane County (0.8), Waukesha County (0.8), Ozaukee County (0.8).
Lowest:
Menominee County (0.8), Clark County (0.8), Forest County (0.8).
Polk County, WI Compared With Nearby Counties
Polk County, WI is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 45,555 residents against a local median of 77,015. The measure that sets Polk County, WI apart most is median home price: $329,308, 48% above the local median of $221,985.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $77,091 against a local median of $101,442, 24% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 24% below the local median it puts Polk County, WI at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $175,358 on median home price, so Polk County, WI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Polk County, WI has the highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County, WI | 45,555 | $77,091 #4/5 | $329,308 #1/5 | 23.1 min #3/5 |
| St. Croix County, WI | 96,041 | $103,525 | $234,911 | 25.3 min |
| Chisago County, MN | 57,989 | $99,358 | $234,677 | 30.9 min |
| Barron County, WI | 46,797 | $66,990 | $59,553 | 16.3 min |
| Washington County, MN | 276,224 | $115,522 | $209,293 | 22.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Polk County, Wisconsin.
How big is Polk County, Wisconsin by population?
About 45,555 people live in Polk County, Wisconsin, in 19,542 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 47.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
Is Polk County, Wisconsin urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Polk County, Wisconsin has 48 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 55% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Polk County, Wisconsin?
The median home costs 4.3 times the median household income ($329,308 against $77,091), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $956 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Polk County, Wisconsin?
Unemployment in Polk County, Wisconsin is only 3.4%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Polk County, Wisconsin?
21.5% of adults in Polk County, Wisconsin hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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