Polk County, FL

County

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2024 Population
790,694
US Senator
Rick Scott
Republican Party
US Senator
Ashley Moody
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
39.5
0.253% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
14.5%
1.67% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$65,978
3.67% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$266,500
11% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
350,702
5.14% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Polk County, FL 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.

93.3% of the residents in Polk County, FL are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Polk County, FL are Polk State College (1,966 degrees awarded in 2023), Southeastern University (1,538 degrees), and Florida Southern College (893 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Polk County, FL was $266,500, and the homeownership rate was 70.5%.

Most people in Polk County, FL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 30.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Polk County, FL was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: Path to Pinewood Bok Tower Gardensin Lake Wales, Florida
Photo by Trish Hartmann
United StatesFloridaLakeland-Winter Haven, FL

Population & Diversity

Polk County, FL is home to a population of 791k people, from which 93.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 12.5% of Polk County, FL residents were born outside of the country (99k people).

In 2024, there were 3.61 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (402k people) in Polk County, FL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 111k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 102k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

93.3%
2024 Citizenship
93.9%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 93.3% of Polk County, FL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Polk County, FL was 93.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Polk County, FL 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, FL
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    402k ± 1.2k
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    111k ± 1.75k
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    102k ± 3.59k
29.2%
Hispanic Population
231k people

In 2024, there were 3.61 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (402k people) in Polk County, FL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 111k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 102k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

29.2% of the people in Polk County, FL are hispanic (231k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Polk County, FL as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Florida.
Most Common Origin
  1. Cuba
    1,008,771 ± 24,085 people
  2. Haiti
    353,350 ± 14,476 people
  3. Colombia
    307,955 ± 13,528 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Florida was Cuba, the natal country of 1,008,771 Florida residents, followed by Haiti with 353,350 and Colombia with 307,955.

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Foreign-Born Population

12.5%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
99k people
11.5%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
87.3k people

As of 2024, 12.5% of Polk County, FL residents (99k 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, FL was 11.5%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    14,200 ± 733
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    9,755 ± 861
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    6,154 ± 633

Polk County, FL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.46 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Polk County, FL.

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Economy

The economy of Polk County, FL employs 351k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Polk County, FL were Retail Trade (48,963 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (41,870 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (29,962 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($88,397), Utilities ($67,308), and Finance & Insurance ($57,181).

Employment

Occupations

351k
2024 Value
± 5,679
5.14%
1 Year growth
± 2.17%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Polk County, FL grew at a rate of 5.14%, from 334k employees to 351k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Polk County, FL, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (43,868 people), Sales & Related Occupations (36,166 people), and Management Occupations (32,438 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Polk County, FL.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Florida (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

351k
2024 Value
± 5,679
5.14%
1 Year growth
± 2.17%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Polk County, FL grew at a rate of 5.14%, from 334k employees to 351k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Polk County, FL, are Retail Trade (48,963 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (41,870 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (29,962 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Polk County, FL, though some of these residents may live in Polk County, FL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$46,907
Median earning men ± $750
$36,071
Median earning women ± $625

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($64,879), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($57,328), and Wholesale Trade ($54,429).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,867), Public Administration ($45,560), and Wholesale Trade ($44,460).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Florida.
Y-Axis
4.23%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 9.69M people employed in Florida. This represents a 4.23% 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 12.6%.

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

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 1,121
    Construction
  2. 924
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
  3. 887
    Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $1.78M
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  2. $1.2M
    Retail Trade
  3. $1.18M
    Manufacturing

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Florida went to Donald J. Trump with 56.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (43%), followed by Jill Stein (0.396%).

Rick Scott and Ashley Moody are the senators currently representing the state of Florida. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Florida is currently represented by 26 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, FL. Showing the available data for Florida.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (56.1%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (43%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Jill Stein (0.396%)
    Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Florida went to Donald J. Trump with 56.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (43%), followed by Jill Stein (0.396%).

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

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Florida

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Florida.
Rick Scott
Senator from Florida1
Assumed office on January 8, 2019
Inauguration delayed in order to finish his term as Governor of Florida.
Ashley Moody
Senator from Florida2
Assumed office on January 21, 2025
While elections for full class 3 terms will take place in 2028, Florida will hold a special election in 2026 to elect a senator to complete the remainder of Marco Rubio's term.

Rick Scott and Ashley Moody are the senators currently representing Florida.

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 Florida over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Polk County, FL awarded 5,822 degrees. The student population of Polk County, FL in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 11,106 male students and 15,112 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Polk County, FL are White (3,142 and 55.5%), Hispanic or Latino (1,312 and 23.2%), Black or African American (796 and 14%), and Two or More Races (169 and 2.98%).

The largest universities in Polk County, FL by number of degrees awarded are Polk State College (1,966 and 33.8%), Southeastern University (1,538 and 26.4%), and Florida Southern College (893 and 15.3%).

The most popular majors in Polk County, FL are Liberal Arts & Sciences (1,049 and 18%), Divinity & Ministry (376 and 6.46%), and General Business Administration & Management (348 and 5.98%).

The median tuition costs in Polk County, FL are $29,406 for private four year colleges, and $2,818 and $6,543 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Polk County, FL, the percentage of applicants admitted was 61.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 21.2%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 26,218 (42.4% men and 57.6% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 26,218 students enrolled in Polk County, FL, 42.4% men and 57.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 13,086 records, of which 57.7% were women and 42.3% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Other Business Administration, Management, & Operations
    224 degrees awarded
  2. Divinity & Ministry
    205 degrees awarded
  3. General Business Administration & Management
    182 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Polk County, FL was Other Business Administration, Management, & Operations with 224 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Polk County, FL according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. Polk State College
    1,966 degrees awarded
  2. Southeastern University
    1,538 degrees awarded
  3. Florida Southern College
    893 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Polk State College with 1,966 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 2,376 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Polk County, FL, which is 0.689 times less than the 3,446 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 3,142 degrees mean that there were 2.39 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 1,312 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

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($29,406) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,336) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,600) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Polk County, FL was $266,500 in 2024, which is 0.801 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $240,000 to $266,500, a 11% increase. The homeownership rate in Polk County, FL is 70.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Polk County, FL have an average commute time of 30.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Polk County, FL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 16.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Polk County, FL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.45%.

Housing

Property

$266,500
Median Property Value 2024
±$3,458
$203,945
Median Property Taxes
±$3,715

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, FL the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Polk County, FL compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

70.5%
Homeownership
2024
67.4%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 70.5% of the housing units in Polk County, FL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 70%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Polk County, FL 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.
$65,978
Median Household Income
± $1,143
289k
Number of Households
± 4,805

In 2024, the median household income of the 289k households in Polk County, FL grew to $65,978 from the previous year's value of $63,644.

The following chart displays the households in Polk County, FL 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 $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Polk County, FL is from Florida.
0.473
2023 Wage GINI in Florida
0.474
2022 Wage GINI in Florida

In 2023, the income inequality in Florida was 0.473 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.136% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Florida was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Florida in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Florida across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (75%)
  2. Worked At Home (12.4%)
  3. Carpooled (8.82%)

In 2024, 75% of workers in Polk County, FL drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12.4%) and those who carpooled to work (8.82%).

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

30.5 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Polk County, FL have a longer commute time (30.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.58% of the workforce in Polk County, FL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Polk County, FL 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, FL distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Polk County, FL have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 16.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Polk County, FL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.45%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

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Poverty & Diversity

14.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Polk County, FL (112k out of 774k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 6 - 11.

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

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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Children in Poverty

In 2025, 18.1% of the children was living in poverty in Polk County, FL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 9.4%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

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Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 341 in Polk County, FL. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 86.1 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

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Health

87.6% of the population of Polk County, FL has health coverage, with 38.9% on employee plans, 17.3% on Medicaid, 14.7% on Medicare, 15.2% on non-group plans, and 1.55% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Polk County, FL see 2,172 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,172 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2822 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 813 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,172 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Polk County, FL

Primary care physicians in Polk County, FL see an average of 2,172 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,172 patients).

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

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.6% under 18 years, 20.6% between 18 and 34 years, 36.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

12.4%
Uninsured
38.9%
Employer Coverage
17.3%
Medicaid
14.7%
Medicare
15.2%
Non-Group
1.55%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Polk County, FL declined by 4.26% from 13% to 12.4%.

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

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Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 63.4 in Polk County, FL.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Polk County, FL.

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 41.6% in Polk County, FL.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Polk County, FL.

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Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 14.7% in Polk County, FL.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Polk County, FL.

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