Polk County, Iowa Demographics 2026

Name: Polk County, Iowa Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Polk County, Iowa has a population of 503,175, the 1st most populous county in Iowa. The median household income is $83,576 and the median home value is $262,100. The poverty rate is 10.3%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Polk County Quick Facts

Population 503,175

Median Household Income $83,576

Median Home Value $262,100

Poverty Rate 10.3%

Unemployment Rate 4.3%

Median Age 36.2 years

Homeownership Rate 67.3%

Affordability Ratio 3.1x

Bachelor's Degree+ 40.3%

High School Graduation 92.5%

Cities/Places 21

Population 503,175 1st of 99

Median Income $83,576 11% higher than state

Poverty Rate 10.3%

Unemployment 4.3%

How Polk County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	497,441	503,175	+1.2%
Median household income	$81,621	$83,576	+2.4%
Median home value	$248,400	$262,100	+5.5%

Median Household Income

Polk

$83,576

$75,059

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Polk

$262,100

$208,000

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 11.2%

$25K-$50K 17.2%

$50K-$100K 30.4%

$100K+ 41.2%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

3.1%

$10K-$15K

2.7%

$15K-$20K

2.5%

$20K-$25K

2.8%

$25K-$30K

2.8%

$30K-$35K

3.5%

$35K-$40K

3.7%

$40K-$45K

3.6%

$45K-$50K

3.7%

$50K-$60K

6.8%

$60K-$75K

9.9%

$75K-$100K

13.6%

$100K-$125K

10.6%

$125K-$150K

8.2%

$150K-$200K

10.8%

$200K+

11.6%

Employment

4.3% Unemployment Rate State: 3.6%|National: 5.2%

71.4% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 67.3%

Renter 32.6%

Affordability Index Affordable

3.1x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,149/mo 16.5% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

24.4%

18-34

24.0%

35-54

26.2%

55-74

20.0%

75+

5.4%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 31 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Polk County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Des Moines	212,421	$65,932	14.9%	$194,700
Ankeny	72,615	$108,198	4.2%	$331,000
West Des Moines	71,083	$86,594	8.4%	$309,000
Urbandale	46,595	$112,795	6.8%	$335,500
Johnston	24,384	$106,551	10.2%	$369,100
Altoona	21,495	$86,114	8.3%	$274,600
Clive	19,012	$132,121	7.3%	$401,100
Grimes	16,366	$120,037	4.4%	$304,700
Norwalk	14,183	$102,722	4.2%	$303,100
Pleasant Hill	11,136	$90,508	8.9%	$295,100
Bondurant	8,560	$135,674	6.2%	$318,800
Polk City	6,037	$164,389	6.8%	$414,800
Windsor Heights	5,143	$91,707	6.2%	$267,900
Carlisle	4,255	$109,191	3.1%	$234,300
Saylorville	3,366	$117,821	3.7%	$314,300
Mitchellville	2,579	$81,172	10.3%	$206,600
Granger	1,979	$112,404	3.4%	$329,400
Elkhart	899	$84,554	11.7%	$253,900
Runnells	440	$101,500	8.0%	$231,600
Alleman	429	$121,875	0.7%	$299,200
Sheldahl	361	$80,938	5.1%	$184,700

Explore Iowa Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Polk County is located in Iowa with a total population of 503,175. It is the 1st most populous county out of 99 in Iowa. The county encompasses 21 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Polk County is 36.2 years. This is 6% lower than the state median of 38.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Polk County is $83,576. This is 11% higher than the state median of $75,059. It is also 4% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 10.3%. This is 7% lower than the state poverty rate of 11.1%. The unemployment rate is 4.3%. This is 22% higher than the state rate of 3.6%. The median home value is $262,100. Housing costs are 26% higher than the state median of $208,000. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.1x. 67.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 6% lower than the state average of 71.7%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Polk County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 73.2% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 10.4%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (7.3% vs 3.8%). The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (4.9% vs 2.5%).

Education

40.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Polk County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 28% higher than the state rate of 31.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Polk County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Iowa and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Polk County, Iowa?

Polk County has a population of 503,175, making it the 1st most populous county in Iowa.

What is the median income in Polk County?

The median household income in Polk County is $83,576 with a poverty rate of 10.3%.

How many cities are in Polk County, Iowa?

Polk County contains 21 Census-designated places.