Polk County, TN

County

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2024 Population

17,898

US Senator

Marsha Blackburn

Republican Party

US Senator

Bill Hagerty

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

46.9

1.52% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

13.9%

4.53% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$62,522

3.81% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$169,900

24.6% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

7,546

2.18% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Polk County, TN 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.

99.9% of the residents in Polk County, TN are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Polk County, TN was $169,900, and the homeownership rate was 83.6%.

Most people in Polk County, TN drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 31.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Polk County, TN was 2 cars per household.

Polk County, TN borders Fannin County, GA, Murray County, GA, Cherokee County, NC, Bradley County, TN, McMinn County, TN, and Monroe County, TN.

United States Tennessee Cleveland, TN

Population & Diversity

Polk County, TN is home to a population of 17.9k people, from which 99.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.01% of Polk County, TN residents were born outside of the country (180 people).

In 2024, there were 16.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (15.9k people) in Polk County, TN than any other race or ethnicity. There were 965 Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) and 362 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.9%

2024 Citizenship

99.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.9% of Polk County, TN residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Polk County, TN was 99.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Polk County, TN

White (Non-Hispanic)
15.9k ± 549
Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic)
965 ± 542
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
362 ± 77

2.17%

Hispanic Population

388 people

2.17% of the people in Polk County, TN are hispanic (388 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Polk County, TN 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 Tennessee.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
96,695 ± 7,581 people
Guatemala
27,777 ± 4,084 people
India
24,683 ± 3,850 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Tennessee was Mexico, the natal country of 96,695 Tennessee residents, followed by Guatemala with 27,777 and India with 24,683.

Foreign-Born Population

1.01%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

180 people

0.983%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

174 people

As of 2024, 1.01% of Polk County, TN residents (180 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, TN was 0.983%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
465 ± 118
Gulf War (2001-)
180 ± 79
Gulf War (1990s)
77 ± 49

Polk County, TN has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.58 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Polk County, TN employs 7.55k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Polk County, TN were Manufacturing (1,322 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,105 people), and Retail Trade (821 people), and the highest paying industries were Manufacturing ($67,434), Construction ($63,438), and Information ($58,417).

Employment

Occupations

7.55k

2024 Value

± 615

−2.18%

1 Year decline

± 11.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Polk County, TN declined at a rate of −2.18%, from 7.71k employees to 7.55k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Polk County, TN, are Installation, Maintenance, & Repair Occupations (838 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (816 people), and Management Occupations (741 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Polk County, TN.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Tennessee (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

7.55k

2024 Value

± 615

−2.18%

1 Year decline

± 11.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Polk County, TN declined at a rate of −2.18%, from 7.71k employees to 7.55k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Polk County, TN, are Manufacturing (1,322 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,105 people), and Retail Trade (821 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Polk County, TN, though some of these residents may live in Polk County, TN and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$55,797

Median earning men ± $5,636

$35,000

Median earning women ± $5,897

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Construction ($74,375), Manufacturing ($73,207), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($67,841).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($57,819), Manufacturing ($50,742), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($42,386).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

3.15%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.29M people employed in Tennessee. This represents a 3.15% 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 10.8%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

32
Other Services (except Public Administration)
24
Retail Trade
17
Retail Trade

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

$10.6k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$7.38k
Retail Trade
$7.14k
Manufacturing

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

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Tennessee went to Donald J. Trump with 64.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.703%).

Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty are the senators currently representing the state of Tennessee. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Tennessee is currently represented by 9 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, TN. Showing the available data for Tennessee.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (64.2%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (34.5%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.703%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Tennessee went to Donald J. Trump with 64.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.703%).

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

Senator Elections

US Senators from Tennessee

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

Marsha Blackburn

Senator from Tennessee

Assumed office on January 3, 2019

Bill Hagerty

Senator from Tennessee

Assumed office on January 3, 2021

Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty are the senators currently representing Tennessee.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Polk County, TN was $169,900 in 2024, which is 0.511 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $136,400 to $169,900, a 24.6% increase. The homeownership rate in Polk County, TN is 83.6%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Polk County, TN have an average commute time of 31.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Polk County, TN is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 11.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Polk County, TN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.51%.

Housing

Property

$169,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$13,999

$6,206

Median Property Taxes

±$529

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, TN the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

83.6%

Homeownership

2024

65.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 83.6% of the housing units in Polk County, TN were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 84.1%.

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

$62,522

Median Household Income

± $6,119

7.42k

Number of Households

± 597

In 2024, the median household income of the 7.42k households in Polk County, TN grew to $62,522 from the previous year's value of $60,227.

The following chart displays the households in Polk County, TN 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, TN is from Tennessee.

0.459

2023 Wage GINI in Tennessee

0.462

2022 Wage GINI in Tennessee

In 2023, the income inequality in Tennessee was 0.459 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.619% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Tennessee was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Tennessee in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (79.9%)
Carpooled (9.37%)
Worked At Home (8.34%)

In 2024, 79.9% of workers in Polk County, TN drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.37%) and those who worked at home (8.34%).

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

31.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Polk County, TN have a longer commute time (31.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.57% of the workforce in Polk County, TN have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Polk County, TN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.51%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

13.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Polk County, TN (2.45k out of 17.6k 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 Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Polk County, TN is White, followed by Two Or More 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, 19.8% of the children was living in poverty in Polk County, TN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 8.8%.

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 224 in Polk County, TN. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 8.33 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

85.1% of the population of Polk County, TN has health coverage, with 39% on employee plans, 15.1% on Medicaid, 17.3% on Medicare, 12.2% on non-group plans, and 1.6% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Polk County, TN see 2,963 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,963 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2977 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 3607 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

2,963 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Polk County, TN

Primary care physicians in Polk County, TN see an average of 2,963 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,963 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.8% under 18 years, 17% between 18 and 34 years, 42.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.9% 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.

Uninsured People

14.9%

Uninsured

39%

Employer Coverage

15.1%

Medicaid

17.3%

Medicare

12.2%

Non-Group

1.6%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Polk County, TN declined by 4.97% from 15.7% to 14.9%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Polk County, TN 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 68.3 in Polk County, TN.

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

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 37.6% in Polk County, TN.

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