Polk County, IA

County

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2024 Population

503,175

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Poverty Rate

10.3%

2.48% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$83,576

2.4% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$262,100

5.52% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

268,627

1.61% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Polk County, 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.

94.6% of the residents in Polk County, IA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Polk County, IA are Des Moines Area Community College (4,718 degrees awarded in 2023), Drake University (1,539 degrees), and Grand View University (530 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Polk County, IA was $262,100, and the homeownership rate was 67.4%.

Most people in Polk County, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 20 minutes. The average car ownership in Polk County, IA was 2 cars per household.

Polk County, IA borders Boone County, IA, Dallas County, IA, Jasper County, IA, Madison County, IA, Marion County, IA, Story County, IA, and Warren County, IA.

About the photo: The pedestrian bridge just south of Court Ave in downtown Des Moines.

Photo by Jason Mrachina

United States Iowa Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

Population & Diversity

Polk County, IA is home to a population of 503k people, from which 94.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 9.72% of Polk County, IA residents were born outside of the country (48.9k people).

In 2024, there were 10 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (368k people) in Polk County, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 36.7k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 24.8k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94.6%

2024 Citizenship

94.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 94.6% of Polk County, 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, IA was 94.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Polk County, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
368k ± 948
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
36.7k ± 1.25k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
24.8k ± 588

10.4%

Hispanic Population

52.3k people

10.4% of the people in Polk County, IA are hispanic (52.3k people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Iowa.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
42,808 ± 5,046 people
India
12,283 ± 2,716 people
China
7,889 ± 2,178 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 42,808 Iowa residents, followed by India with 12,283 and China with 7,889.

Foreign-Born Population

9.72%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

48.9k people

9.63%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

47.9k people

As of 2024, 9.72% of Polk County, IA residents (48.9k 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, IA was 9.63%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
5,862 ± 495
Gulf War (2001-)
5,689 ± 753
Gulf War (1990s)
3,619 ± 585

Polk County, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.03 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Polk County, IA employs 269k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Polk County, IA were Health Care & Social Assistance (35,381 people), Finance & Insurance (32,411 people), and Retail Trade (30,003 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($87,632), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($83,750), and Management of Companies & Enterprises ($82,336).

Employment

Occupations

269k

2024 Value

± 4,409

1.61%

1 Year growth

± 2.29%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Polk County, IA grew at a rate of 1.61%, from 264k employees to 269k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Polk County, IA, are Management Occupations (30,513 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (28,697 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (25,033 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Polk County, IA.

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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

269k

2024 Value

± 4,409

1.61%

1 Year growth

± 2.29%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Polk County, IA grew at a rate of 1.61%, from 264k employees to 269k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Polk County, IA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (35,381 people), Finance & Insurance (32,411 people), and Retail Trade (30,003 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Polk County, IA, though some of these residents may live in Polk County, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$60,243

Median earning men ± $1,106

$45,913

Median earning women ± $977

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($85,792), Public Administration ($79,938), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($76,455).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($70,838), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($68,463), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($67,136).

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.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

1,057
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
848
Other Services (except Public Administration)
774
Construction

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.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$4.12M
Finance and Insurance
$2.36M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$1.9M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

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

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

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Polk County, IA. Showing the available data for Iowa.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (55.7%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (42.5%)
Democratic Party
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.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Iowa

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Chuck Grassley

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 1981

Joni Ernst

Senator from Iowa

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.

Education

In 2023, universities in Polk County, IA awarded 7,514 degrees. The student population of Polk County, IA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 13,744 male students and 18,706 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Polk County, IA are White (5,338 and 71.7%), Hispanic or Latino (667 and 8.96%), Unknown (445 and 5.98%), and Black or African American (444 and 5.97%).

The largest universities in Polk County, IA by number of degrees awarded are Des Moines Area Community College (4,718 and 62.8%), Drake University (1,539 and 20.5%), and Grand View University (530 and 7.05%).

The most popular majors in Polk County, IA are Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training (1,216 and 16.2%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (856 and 11.4%), and Registered Nursing (515 and 6.85%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $27,580.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Polk County, IA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 70%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 17.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 32,450 (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.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 32,450 students enrolled in Polk County, IA, 42.4% men and 57.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 21,768 records, of which 57.9% were women and 42.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
819 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
188 degrees awarded
General Studies
115 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Polk County, IA was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 819 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Des Moines Area Community College
4,718 degrees awarded
Drake University
1,539 degrees awarded
Grand View University
530 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Des Moines Area Community College with 4,718 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 2,708 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Polk County, IA, which is 0.563 times less than the 4,806 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 5,338 degrees mean that there were 8 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 667 degrees awarded.

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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($27,580) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($650) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,262) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Polk County, IA was $262,100 in 2024, which is 0.788 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $248,400 to $262,100, a 5.52% increase. The homeownership rate in Polk County, IA is 67.4%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Polk County, IA have an average commute time of 20 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Polk County, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 12.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Polk County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.809%.

Housing

Property

$262,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$3,486

$138,309

Median Property Taxes

±$2,478

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

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

Rent vs Own

67.4%

Homeownership

2024

62.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 67.4% of the housing units in Polk County, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 67.1%.

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

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$83,576

Median Household Income

± $1,283

205k

Number of Households

± 3,935

In 2024, the median household income of the 205k households in Polk County, IA grew to $83,576 from the previous year's value of $81,621.

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

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Polk County, IA is from Iowa.

0.441

2023 Wage GINI in Iowa

0.442

2022 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2023, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.441 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.304% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Iowa in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (72.4%)
Worked At Home (15.7%)
Carpooled (8.4%)

In 2024, 72.4% of workers in Polk County, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (15.7%) and those who carpooled to work (8.4%).

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.

Commute Time

20 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Polk County, IA have a shorter commute time (20 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.28% of the workforce in Polk County, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Polk County, 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, IA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 12.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Polk County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.809%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

10.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Polk County, IA (51k out of 494k 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 18 - 24 and then Females 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Polk County, 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.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 15.3% of the children was living in poverty in Polk County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.6%.

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

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 392 in Polk County, IA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 59.9 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

94.7% of the population of Polk County, IA has health coverage, with 55.4% on employee plans, 17% on Medicaid, 10.6% on Medicare, 10.5% on non-group plans, and 1.29% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Polk County, IA see 1,073 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,073 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1259 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 285 patients per year.

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

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,073 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Polk County, IA

Primary care physicians in Polk County, IA see an average of 1,073 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,073 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.8% under 18 years, 22.8% between 18 and 34 years, 37.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 13.7% over 64 years.

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

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

Uninsured People

5.26%

Uninsured

55.4%

Employer Coverage

17%

Medicaid

10.6%

Medicare

10.5%

Non-Group

1.29%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Polk County, IA grew by 7.67% from 4.89% to 5.26%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 53.7 in Polk County, IA.

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

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 38.9% in Polk County, IA.

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