Polk County, Minnesota Demographics 2026

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

Polk County, Minnesota has a population of 30,705, the 35th most populous county in Minnesota. The median household income is $73,107 and the median home value is $222,800. The poverty rate is 11.9%.

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

Polk County Quick Facts

Population 30,705

Median Household Income $73,107

Median Home Value $222,800

Poverty Rate 11.9%

Unemployment Rate 3.6%

Median Age 39.8 years

Homeownership Rate 71.3%

Affordability Ratio 3.0x

Bachelor's Degree+ 28.0%

High School Graduation 93.8%

Cities/Places 15

Population 30,705 35th of 87

Median Income $73,107 18% lower than state

Poverty Rate 11.9%

Unemployment 3.6%

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	30,905	30,705	-0.6%
Median household income	$69,136	$73,107	+5.7%
Median home value	$211,100	$222,800	+5.5%

Median Household Income

Polk

$73,107

$89,062

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Polk

$222,800

$329,300

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 18.0%

$25K-$50K 18.1%

$50K-$100K 27.6%

$100K+ 36.3%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

6.3%

$10K-$15K

4.6%

$15K-$20K

3.2%

$20K-$25K

4.0%

$25K-$30K

3.2%

$30K-$35K

3.5%

$35K-$40K

3.9%

$40K-$45K

4.0%

$45K-$50K

3.5%

$50K-$60K

7.4%

$60K-$75K

7.4%

$75K-$100K

12.8%

$100K-$125K

11.3%

$125K-$150K

7.8%

$150K-$200K

10.5%

$200K+

6.7%

Employment

3.6% Unemployment Rate State: 4.1%|National: 5.2%

66.3% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 71.3%

Renter 28.7%

Affordability Index Affordable

3.0x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $855/mo 14.0% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

24.5%

18-34

19.3%

35-54

23.7%

55-74

24.1%

75+

8.4%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Low Diversity

A less diverse community where one racial or ethnic group represents a large majority.

State average: 41 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Polk County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
East Grand Forks	9,028	$77,549	12.4%	$255,600
Crookston	7,344	$57,315	15.6%	$185,600
Fosston	1,374	$52,500	25.6%	$151,700
McIntosh	847	$56,944	21.7%	$103,600
Fertile	803	$67,125	8.7%	$129,500
Erskine	427	$44,844	9.4%	$117,100
Fisher	396	$93,542	5.8%	$179,000
Climax	209	$50,500	16.3%	$113,600
Winger	157	$48,229	6.4%	$91,300
Mentor	131	$41,667	10.7%	$80,700
Nielsville	102	$32,500	53.9%	$37,000
Beltrami	72	$78,125	20.8%	$85,000
Gully	53	$40,735	25.5%	N/A
Lengby	43	$50,833	44.2%	$60,000
Trail	16	$60,000	0.0%	$32,500

Explore Minnesota 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 Minnesota with a total population of 30,705. It is the 35th most populous county out of 87 in Minnesota. The county encompasses 15 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Polk County is 39.8 years. This is 3% higher than the state median of 38.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Polk County is $73,107. This is 18% lower than the state median of $89,062. It is also 9% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 11.9%. This is 28% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.3%. The unemployment rate is 3.6%. This is 12% lower than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $222,800. Housing costs are 32% lower than the state median of $329,300. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.0x. 71.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 1% lower than the state average of 72.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Polk County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 84.0% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 6.9%. The Black or African American population (2.0%) is well below the state average of 7.0%. The Asian population (0.8%) is well below the state average of 5.1%.

Education

28.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 29% lower than the state rate of 39.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 93.8%.

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 Minnesota 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, Minnesota?

Polk County has a population of 30,705, making it the 35th most populous county in Minnesota.

What is the median income in Polk County?

The median household income in Polk County is $73,107 with a poverty rate of 11.9%.

How many cities are in Polk County, Minnesota?

Polk County contains 15 Census-designated places.