Polk County, OR

County

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2024 Population

89,662

US Senator

Ron Wyden

Democratic Party

US Senator

Jeff Merkley

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

37.8

0.532% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

12.7%

3.45% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$85,118

4.67% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$454,700

8.39% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

41,011

1.2% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Polk County, OR 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.

97% of the residents in Polk County, OR are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Polk County, OR are Western Oregon University (1,187 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Polk County, OR was $454,700, and the homeownership rate was 64.7%.

Most people in Polk County, OR drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Polk County, OR was 2 cars per household.

Polk County, OR borders Benton County, OR, Lincoln County, OR, Linn County, OR, Marion County, OR, Tillamook County, OR, and Yamhill County, OR.

United States Oregon Salem, OR

Population & Diversity

Polk County, OR is home to a population of 89.7k people, from which 97% are citizens. As of 2024, 6.33% of Polk County, OR residents were born outside of the country (5.68k people).

In 2024, there were 13.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (66.3k people) in Polk County, OR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.76k Other (Hispanic) and 4.13k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97%

2024 Citizenship

97.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97% of Polk County, OR residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Polk County, OR was 97.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Polk County, OR

White (Non-Hispanic)
66.3k ± 452
Other (Hispanic)
4.76k ± 928
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
4.13k ± 738

15.6%

Hispanic Population

14k people

15.6% of the people in Polk County, OR are hispanic (14k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Polk County, OR 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 Oregon.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
141,836 ± 9,090 people
Vietnam
22,252 ± 3,653 people
China
21,575 ± 3,597 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Oregon was Mexico, the natal country of 141,836 Oregon residents, followed by Vietnam with 22,252 and China with 21,575.

Foreign-Born Population

6.33%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

5.68k people

5.67%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

5.02k people

As of 2024, 6.33% of Polk County, OR residents (5.68k 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, OR was 5.67%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,993 ± 303
Gulf War (2001-)
1,631 ± 294
Gulf War (1990s)
871 ± 237

Polk County, OR has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.22 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Polk County, OR employs 41k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Polk County, OR were Health Care & Social Assistance (7,276 people), Retail Trade (5,132 people), and Educational Services (4,257 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($87,120), Wholesale Trade ($85,743), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($84,125).

Employment

Occupations

41k

2024 Value

± 1,776

1.2%

1 Year growth

± 5.94%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Polk County, OR grew at a rate of 1.2%, from 40.5k employees to 41k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Polk County, OR, are Management Occupations (4,293 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,269 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (3,695 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Polk County, OR.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Oregon (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

41k

2024 Value

± 1,776

1.2%

1 Year growth

± 5.94%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Polk County, OR grew at a rate of 1.2%, from 40.5k employees to 41k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Polk County, OR, are Health Care & Social Assistance (7,276 people), Retail Trade (5,132 people), and Educational Services (4,257 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Polk County, OR, though some of these residents may live in Polk County, OR and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$54,317

Median earning men ± $4,417

$42,133

Median earning women ± $1,650

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($87,857), Wholesale Trade ($87,067), and Public Administration ($76,392).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($70,417), Public Administration ($65,518), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($61,129).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.87%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.97M people employed in Oregon. This represents a 2.87% 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 13.1%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

177
Construction
106
Other Services (except Public Administration)
101
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

$153k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$106k
Manufacturing
$100k
Accommodation and Food 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 Oregon went to Kamala Harris with 55.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (41%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.5%).

Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are the senators currently representing the state of Oregon. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Oregon is currently represented by 6 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, OR. Showing the available data for Oregon.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (55.3%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (41%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.5%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Oregon went to Kamala Harris with 55.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (41%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.5%).

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

Senator Elections

US Senators from Oregon

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

Ron Wyden

Senator from Oregon

Assumed office on February 5, 1996
Elected to the seat following the resignation of Bob Packwood.

Jeff Merkley

Senator from Oregon

Assumed office on January 3, 2009

Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are the senators currently representing Oregon.

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Polk County, OR awarded 1,187 degrees. The student population of Polk County, OR in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,327 male students and 2,530 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Polk County, OR are White (741 and 63.7%), Hispanic or Latino (240 and 20.6%), Unknown (48 and 4.13%), and Two or More Races (41 and 3.53%).

The largest universities in Polk County, OR by number of degrees awarded are Western Oregon University (1,187 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Polk County, OR are General Education (146 and 12.3%), General Psychology (131 and 11%), and Other Multidisciplinary Studies (84 and 7.08%).

The median tuition cost in Polk County, OR for a public four year colleges is $9,000 for in-state students and $28,710 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Polk County, OR, the percentage of applicants admitted was 98.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 22.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 3,857 (34.4% men and 65.6% 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 3,857 students enrolled in Polk County, OR, 34.4% men and 65.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,294 records, of which 68.6% were women and 31.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Education
144 degrees awarded
General Psychology
131 degrees awarded
Other Multidisciplinary Studies
81 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Polk County, OR was General Education with 144 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Western Oregon University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,187 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Western Oregon University with 1,187 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 392 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Polk County, OR, which is 0.493 times less than the 795 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 741 degrees mean that there were 3.09 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 240 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

Public, 4-year or above ($9,000) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,025) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,125) 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, OR was $454,700 in 2024, which is 1.37 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $419,500 to $454,700, a 8.39% increase. The homeownership rate in Polk County, OR is 64.7%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Polk County, OR have an average commute time of 25.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Polk County, OR is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 18.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Polk County, OR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.0738%.

Housing

Property

$454,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$10,323

$21,343

Median Property Taxes

±$1,007

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

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

Rent vs Own

64.7%

Homeownership

2024

70.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 64.7% of the housing units in Polk County, OR were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 64.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Polk County, OR 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.

$85,118

Median Household Income

± $3,655

33k

Number of Households

± 1,446

In 2024, the median household income of the 33k households in Polk County, OR grew to $85,118 from the previous year's value of $81,318.

The following chart displays the households in Polk County, OR 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, OR is from Oregon.

0.461

2023 Wage GINI in Oregon

0.463

2022 Wage GINI in Oregon

In 2023, the income inequality in Oregon was 0.461 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.437% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Oregon was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Oregon in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (66.9%)
Worked At Home (17.5%)
Carpooled (10.2%)

In 2024, 66.9% of workers in Polk County, OR drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (17.5%) and those who carpooled to work (10.2%).

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

25.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Polk County, OR have a shorter commute time (25.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.53% of the workforce in Polk County, OR have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 18.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Polk County, OR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.0738%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

12.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Polk County, OR (11.1k out of 87.4k 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 18 - 24, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Males 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Polk County, OR is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

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, 11.3% of the children was living in poverty in Polk County, OR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 8.9%.

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 230 in Polk County, OR. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 17 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

95.1% of the population of Polk County, OR has health coverage, with 45.4% on employee plans, 20.8% on Medicaid, 13.3% on Medicare, 14.2% on non-group plans, and 1.42% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Polk County, OR see 1,748 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,748 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2489 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 315 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,748 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Polk County, OR

Primary care physicians in Polk County, OR see an average of 1,748 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,748 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.9% under 18 years, 22.6% between 18 and 34 years, 34.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

4.89%

Uninsured

45.4%

Employer Coverage

20.8%

Medicaid

13.3%

Medicare

14.2%

Non-Group

1.42%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Polk County, OR declined by 3.71% from 5.08% to 4.89%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Polk County, OR 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 45.9 in Polk County, OR.

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

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 34.4% in Polk County, OR.

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