Polk County, Missouri Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Polk County is located in Missouri with a total population of 32,109. It is the 36th most populous county out of 115 in Missouri. The county encompasses 8 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Polk County is 38.9 years. This is about the same as the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Polk County is $56,686. This is 18% lower than the state median of $68,920. It is also 28% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 17.9%. This is 42% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate is 3.5%. This is 16% lower than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $189,600. Housing costs are 12% lower than the state median of $215,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.3x. 71.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 5% higher than the state average of 67.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Polk County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 92.2% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.8%. The Black or African American population (0.8%) is well below the state average of 11.0%. The Asian population (0.7%) is well below the state average of 2.1%.

Education

21.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 34% lower than the state rate of 31.9%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 88.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Polk County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Missouri 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.