Polk County (West) PUMA, IA

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

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2024 Population
167,983
US Senator
Chuck Grassley
Republican Party
US Senator
Joni Ernst
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
38.2
0.521% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
7.84%
7.96% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$100,259
3.61% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$318,800
6.76% 1-year growth
2023 Employed Population
86,633
9.16% 1-year growth

About

12.2% of the households in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

94.9% of the residents in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA are Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines (66 degrees awarded in 2023), La James International College-Johnston (64 degrees), and Body Wisdom Massage Therapy School (29 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA was $318,800, and the homeownership rate was 70.5%.

Most people in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA was 2 cars per household.

United StatesIowa

Population & Diversity

Polk County (West) PUMA, IA is home to a population of 168k people, from which 94.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 9.5% of Polk County (West) PUMA, IA residents were born outside of the country (16k people).

In 2024, there were 13.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (132k people) in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 9.98k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 7.62k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary language in households in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA are Spanish (7,069 households), Serbo-Croatian (2,018 households), and Other Languages of Asia (1,097 households).

Population & Diversity

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY
81,555
Women
49.3%
83,880
Men
50.7%

The resident population of United States in 2023 was 165,435 inhabitants, with 50.7% men, and 49.3% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

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Citizenship

94.9%
2024 Citizenship
95.4%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 94.9% of Polk County (West) PUMA, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA was 95.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    132k ± 2.12k
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    9.98k ± 1.71k
  3. Asian (Non-Hispanic)
    7.62k ± 1.05k
6.82%
Hispanic Population
11.5k people

In 2024, there were 13.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (132k people) in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 9.98k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 7.62k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

6.82% of the people in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA are hispanic (11.5k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    1,923 ± 1,070 people
  2. India
    1,851 ± 1,050 people
  3. Vietnam
    1,354 ± 900 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Polk County (West) PUMA, IA was Mexico, the natal country of 1,923 Polk County (West) PUMA, IA residents, followed by India with 1,851 and Vietnam with 1,354.

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Foreign-Born Population

9.5%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
16k people
9.41%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
15.6k people

As of 2024, 9.5% of Polk County (West) PUMA, IA residents (16k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA was 9.41%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages
  1. Spanish
    7,069 households (4.48%)
  2. Serbo-Croatian
    2,018 households (1.28%)
  3. Other Languages of Asia
    1,097 households (0.694%)

12.2% of the households in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is lower than the national average of 22.3%. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

In 2024, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA was Spanish. 4.48% of the households in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    2,089 ± 481
  2. Vietnam
    1,685 ± 332
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    1,341 ± 335

Polk County (West) PUMA, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.24 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA.

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Economy

The economy of Polk County (West) PUMA, IA employs 86.6k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA were Elementary & secondary schools (5,085 people), Construction (4,250 people), and Insurance carriers (4,186 people), and the highest paying industries were Household appliances & electrical & electronic goods merchant wholesalers ($202,023), Legal services ($199,466), and Other professional, scientific & technical services ($161,440).

Males in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA have an average income that is 1.42 times higher than the average income of females, which is $73,426. The income inequality in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA (measured using the Gini index) is 0.454, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure
RACE/ETHNICITY
40,055
Women
46.2%
46,578
Men
53.8%

The workforce of Polk County (West) PUMA, IA in 2023 was 86,633 people, with 46.2% woman, and 53.8% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

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Occupations

86.6k
2023 Value
9.16%
1 Year growth
± 9.16%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA grew at a rate of 9.16%, from 79.4k employees to 86.6k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA, are Other managers (2,176 people), Software developers (2,080 people), and Registered nurses (1,996 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Polk County (West) PUMA, IA.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Iowa (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

86.6k
2023 Value
9.16%
1 Year growth
± 9.16%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA grew at a rate of 9.16%, from 79.4k employees to 86.6k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA, are Elementary & secondary schools (5,085 people), Construction (4,250 people), and Insurance carriers (4,186 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Polk County (West) PUMA, IA, though some of these residents may live in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$68,100
Median earning men ± $3,150
$50,878
Median earning women ± $1,636

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($117,500), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($99,810), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($89,679).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($80,037), Wholesale Trade ($71,182), and Public Administration ($70,759).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.
Y-Axis
1.48%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.57M people employed in Iowa. This represents a 1.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Iowa.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing the state of Iowa. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Polk County (West) PUMA, IA. Showing the available data for Iowa.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (55.7%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (42.5%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (0.789%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Iowa for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Iowa

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.
Chuck Grassley
Senator from Iowa3
Assumed office on January 3, 1981
Joni Ernst
Senator from Iowa2
Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing Iowa.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Iowa over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA awarded 159 degrees. The student population of Polk County (West) PUMA, IA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 15 male students and 208 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA are White (115 and 72.8%), Hispanic or Latino (19 and 12%), Black or African American (14 and 8.86%), and Asian (5 and 3.16%).

The largest universities in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA by number of degrees awarded are Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines (66 and 41.5%), La James International College-Johnston (64 and 40.3%), and Body Wisdom Massage Therapy School (29 and 18.2%).

The most popular majors in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA are Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist (66 and 41.5%), General Cosmetology (35 and 22%), and Massage Therapy (35 and 22%).

The median tuition cost in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA for a public four year colleges is $13,356 for in-state students and $13,356 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 223 students enrolled in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA, 6.73% men and 93.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 148 records, of which 94.6% were women and 5.41% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist
    66 degrees awarded
  2. Nail Specialist & Manicurist
    23 degrees awarded
  3. Massage Therapy
    4 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years recipients in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA was Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist with 66 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years from schools in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines
    66 degrees awarded
  2. La James International College-Johnston
    64 degrees awarded
  3. Body Wisdom Massage Therapy School
    29 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines with 66 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

In 2023, 7 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA, which is 0.0461 times less than the 152 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 115 degrees mean that there were 6.05 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 19 degrees awarded.

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Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 4-year or above ($13,356) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2018.

Public, 4-year or above ($987) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2018.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2023, 0.811% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.08% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

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Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Polk County (West) PUMA, IA in 2023 were Bachelors Degree (40.4k), High School or Equivalent (23.5k), and Some college (22.8k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA was $318,800 in 2024, which is 0.958 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $298,600 to $318,800, a 6.76% increase. The homeownership rate in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA is 70.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA have an average commute time of 19.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$318,800
Median Property Value 2024
±$6,465
$47,894
Median Property Taxes
±$1,470

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Polk County (West) PUMA, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

70.5%
Homeownership
2024
67.2%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 70.5% of the housing units in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 70.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$100,259
Median Household Income
± $2,764
67.9k
Number of Households
± 2,094

In 2024, the median household income of the 67.9k households in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA grew to $100,259 from the previous year's value of $96,770.

The following chart displays the households in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

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Wage Distribution

0.454
2023 Wage GINI in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA
0.437
2022 Wage GINI in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA

In 2023, the income inequality in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA was 0.454 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 3.72% growth from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Polk County (West) PUMA, IA was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (71.8%)
  2. Worked At Home (18.6%)
  3. Carpooled (7.35%)

In 2024, 71.8% of workers in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (18.6%) and those who carpooled to work (7.35%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

19.2 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA have a shorter commute time (19.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.28% of the workforce in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

7.84% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA (13.1k out of 167k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Males 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Health

95.6% of the population of Polk County (West) PUMA, IA has health coverage, with 60.6% on employee plans, 11.9% on Medicaid, 11.5% on Medicare, 10.2% on non-group plans, and 1.35% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Iowa see 1,385 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,385 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1411 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 466 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.2% were men and 49.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.
1,385 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Iowa

Primary care physicians in Iowa see an average of 1,385 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,385 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Iowa in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.9% under 18 years, 19.5% between 18 and 34 years, 39.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 15% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.2% were men and 49.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

4.4%
Uninsured
60.6%
Employer Coverage
11.9%
Medicaid
11.5%
Medicare
10.2%
Non-Group
1.35%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA grew by 11.4% from 3.95% to 4.4%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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