Polk County, Oregon Demographics 2026

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

Polk County, Oregon has a population of 89,662, the 12th most populous county in Oregon. The median household income is $85,118 and the median home value is $454,700. The poverty rate is 12.7%.

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

Polk County Quick Facts

Population 89,662

Median Household Income $85,118

Median Home Value $454,700

Poverty Rate 12.7%

Unemployment Rate 5.7%

Median Age 37.8 years

Homeownership Rate 64.7%

Affordability Ratio 5.3x

Bachelor's Degree+ 31.2%

High School Graduation 91.7%

Cities/Places 5

Population 89,662 12th of 36

Median Income $85,118 3% higher than state

Poverty Rate 12.7%

Unemployment 5.7%

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	88,553	89,662	+1.3%
Median household income	$81,318	$85,118	+4.7%
Median home value	$419,500	$454,700	+8.4%

Median Household Income

Polk

$85,118

$83,011

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Polk

$454,700

$477,600

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 14.7%

$25K-$50K 14.0%

$50K-$100K 28.1%

$100K+ 43.1%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

4.8%

$10K-$15K

4.9%

$15K-$20K

2.1%

$20K-$25K

2.9%

$25K-$30K

2.3%

$30K-$35K

2.8%

$35K-$40K

2.6%

$40K-$45K

3.8%

$45K-$50K

2.5%

$50K-$60K

7.2%

$60K-$75K

8.7%

$75K-$100K

12.3%

$100K-$125K

10.5%

$125K-$150K

9.5%

$150K-$200K

11.9%

$200K+

11.3%

Employment

5.7% Unemployment Rate State: 5.4%|National: 5.2%

59.8% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 64.7%

Renter 35.3%

Affordability Index Expensive

5.3x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,299/mo 18.3% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

21.6%

18-34

24.6%

35-54

23.6%

55-74

22.1%

75+

8.1%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

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

State average: 46 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Polk County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Dallas	17,531	$71,549	15.5%	$389,100
Monmouth	11,428	$69,170	16.1%	$413,200
Independence	10,199	$85,375	12.5%	$378,800
Falls City	1,222	$51,250	19.8%	$302,900
Rickreall	52	N/A	26.9%	N/A

Explore Oregon 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 Oregon with a total population of 89,662. It is the 12th most populous county out of 36 in Oregon. The county encompasses 5 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Polk County is 37.8 years. This is 6% lower than the state median of 40.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Polk County is $85,118. This is 3% higher than the state median of $83,011. It is also 5% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.7%. This is 6% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.9%. The unemployment rate is 5.7%. This is 5% higher than the state rate of 5.4%. The median home value is $454,700. Housing costs are 5% lower than the state median of $477,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 5.3x. 64.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 2% higher than the state average of 63.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Polk County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 73.9% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 15.6%. The Black or African American population (0.7%) is well below the state average of 1.8%. The Asian population (1.9%) is well below the state average of 4.4%.

Education

31.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 15% lower than the state rate of 36.8%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 91.7%.

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 Oregon 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, Oregon?

Polk County has a population of 89,662, making it the 12th most populous county in Oregon.

What is the median income in Polk County?

The median household income in Polk County is $85,118 with a poverty rate of 12.7%.

How many cities are in Polk County, Oregon?

Polk County contains 5 Census-designated places.