Polk County, Wisconsin Demographics 2026

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

Polk County, Wisconsin has a population of 45,555, the 32nd most populous county in Wisconsin. The median household income is $77,219 and the median home value is $271,900. The poverty rate is 8.2%.

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

Polk County Quick Facts

Population 45,555

Median Household Income $77,219

Median Home Value $271,900

Poverty Rate 8.2%

Unemployment Rate 3.4%

Median Age 46.7 years

Homeownership Rate 81.0%

Affordability Ratio 3.5x

Bachelor's Degree+ 24.3%

High School Graduation 94.1%

Cities/Places 12

Population 45,555 32nd of 72

Median Income $77,219 about the same as state

Poverty Rate 8.2%

Unemployment 3.4%

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	45,327	45,555	+0.5%
Median household income	$76,208	$77,219	+1.3%
Median home value	$241,200	$271,900	+12.7%

Median Household Income

Polk

$77,219

$77,485

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Polk

$271,900

$266,500

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 11.3%

$25K-$50K 18.8%

$50K-$100K 34.5%

$100K+ 35.4%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

3.6%

$10K-$15K

2.5%

$15K-$20K

2.5%

$20K-$25K

2.8%

$25K-$30K

3.6%

$30K-$35K

3.4%

$35K-$40K

3.4%

$40K-$45K

3.4%

$45K-$50K

5.1%

$50K-$60K

8.1%

$60K-$75K

10.4%

$75K-$100K

16.0%

$100K-$125K

12.4%

$125K-$150K

6.6%

$150K-$200K

8.9%

$200K+

7.4%

Employment

3.4% Unemployment Rate State: 3.3%|National: 5.2%

61.1% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 81.0%

Renter 19.0%

Affordability Index Affordable

3.5x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $957/mo 14.9% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

19.9%

18-34

16.6%

35-54

24.1%

55-74

30.7%

75+

8.7%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Very Low Diversity

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

State average: 37 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Polk County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Amery	2,959	$59,219	5.9%	$183,000
Osceola	2,849	$53,361	14.1%	$230,600
St. Croix Falls	2,423	$65,300	3.4%	$249,400
Frederic	1,140	$52,800	16.0%	$153,500
Luck	1,124	$68,606	9.9%	$167,500
Dresser	1,028	$80,114	8.1%	$196,100
Clear Lake	957	$74,000	17.3%	$198,700
Milltown	861	$42,083	17.6%	$123,100
Centuria	806	$49,821	23.2%	$145,600
Balsam Lake	754	$52,011	11.2%	$210,200
Clayton	370	$58,750	16.2%	$135,700
Lewis	170	$111,667	3.0%	$210,000

Explore Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin with a total population of 45,555. It is the 32nd most populous county out of 72 in Wisconsin. The county encompasses 12 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Polk County is 46.7 years. This is 16% higher than the state median of 40.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Polk County is $77,219. This is about the same as the state median of $77,485. It is also 4% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 8.2%. This is 23% lower than the state poverty rate of 10.5%. The unemployment rate is 3.4%. This is 6% higher than the state rate of 3.3%. The median home value is $271,900. Housing costs are 2% higher than the state median of $266,500. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.5x. 81.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 19% higher than the state average of 67.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

Polk County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 93.0% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.2%. The Black or African American population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 5.9%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.2%) is well below the state average of 8.0%. The Asian population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 2.9%.

Education

24.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 27% lower than the state rate of 33.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 94.1%.

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 Wisconsin 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, Wisconsin?

Polk County has a population of 45,555, making it the 32nd most populous county in Wisconsin.

What is the median income in Polk County?

The median household income in Polk County is $77,219 with a poverty rate of 8.2%.

How many cities are in Polk County, Wisconsin?

Polk County contains 12 Census-designated places.