Polk County, NC
Demographics & Statistics
Updated: 2025-10-25
Updated: 2025-10-25
Life in Polk County research summary. HomeSnacks has been researching the quality of life in Polk County over the past eight years using Census data, FBI crime data, cost of living data, and other primary sources. Based on the most recently available data, we found the following about life in Polk County:
The population in Polk County is 19,689.
The median home value in Polk County is $311,504.
The median income in Polk County is $61,005.
The median rent in Polk County is $1,089.
The unemployment rate in Polk County is 4.3%.
The poverty rate in Polk County is 13.7%.
The average high in Polk County is 74.3° and there are 121.0 inches of rainfall annually.
The average high in Polk County is 74.3°.
There are 92.4 nice days each year.
Expect an average of 121.0 inches of rain each year with 2.9 inches of snow.
There is an average of 5:19 hours of sun each day in Polk County.
| Stat | Polk County |
|---|---|
| Mean High | 74.3 |
| Nice Days | 92.4 |
| Rainfall | 121.0 |
| Snowfall | 2.9 |
| Sunny Hours | 5:19 |
The current population in Polk County is 19,689. The population has decreased -5.6% from 2019.
| Year | Population | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 19,413 | -6.1% |
| 2022 | 20,682 | 0.6% |
| 2021 | 20,557 | - |
Polk County is 52.4% female with 10,325 female residents.
Polk County is 47.6% male with 9,364 male residents.
| Gender | Polk County | NC | USA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 52.4% | 51.1% | 50.5% |
| Male | 47.6% | 48.9% | 49.5% |
Polk County is:
87.2% White with 17,159 White residents.
5.1% African American with 1,002 African American residents.
0.2% American Indian with 34 American Indian residents.
0.1% Asian with 20 Asian residents.
0.0% Hawaiian with 0 Hawaiian residents.
0.2% Other with 48 Other residents.
1.8% Two Or More with 351 Two Or More residents.
5.5% Hispanic with 1,075 Hispanic residents.
| Race | Polk County | NC | USA |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.2% | 60.6% | 58.2% |
| African American | 5.1% | 20.3% | 12.0% |
| American Indian | 0.2% | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Asian | 0.1% | 3.1% | 5.7% |
| Hawaiian | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Other | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Two Or More | 1.8% | 3.7% | 3.9% |
| Hispanic | 5.5% | 10.9% | 19.0% |
4.8% of households in Polk County earn Less than $10,000.
4.5% of households in Polk County earn $10,000 to $14,999.
10.8% of households in Polk County earn $15,000 to $24,999.
8.7% of households in Polk County earn $25,000 to $34,999.
13.0% of households in Polk County earn $35,000 to $49,999.
16.6% of households in Polk County earn $50,000 to $74,999.
13.6% of households in Polk County earn $75,000 to $99,999.
14.8% of households in Polk County earn $100,000 to $149,999.
6.5% of households in Polk County earn $150,000 to $199,999.
6.8% of households in Polk County earn $200,000 or more.
| Income | Polk County | NC | USA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than $10,000 | 4.8% | 5.0% | 4.9% |
| $10,000 to $14,999 | 4.5% | 3.9% | 3.6% |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 10.8% | 7.6% | 6.6% |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 8.7% | 7.8% | 6.8% |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 13.0% | 12.0% | 10.4% |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 16.6% | 17.0% | 15.7% |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 13.6% | 13.0% | 12.7% |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 14.8% | 16.5% | 17.4% |
| $150,000 to $199,999 | 6.5% | 7.8% | 9.3% |
| $200,000 or more | 6.8% | 9.5% | 12.6% |
3.0% of adults in Polk County completed < 9th grade.
6.0% of adults in Polk County completed 9-12th grade.
27.0% of adults in Polk County completed high school / ged.
21.0% of adults in Polk County completed some college.
10.0% of adults in Polk County completed associate's degree.
20.0% of adults in Polk County completed bachelor's degree.
8.0% of adults in Polk County completed master's degree.
3.0% of adults in Polk County completed professional degree.
2.0% of adults in Polk County completed doctorate degree.
| Education | Polk County | NC | USA |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 9th Grade | 3% | 3% | 5% |
| 9-12th Grade | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| High School / GED | 27% | 25% | 26% |
| Some College | 21% | 20% | 19% |
| Associate's Degree | 10% | 10% | 9% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 20% | 22% | 21% |
| Master's Degree | 8% | 9% | 10% |
| Professional Degree | 3% | 2% | 2% |
| Doctorate Degree | 2% | 2% | 2% |
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