Polk County (West) PUMA, IA

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

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

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

83,412

Women

49.6%

84,744

Men

50.4%

The resident population of Polk County (West) PUMA, IA in 2024 was 168,156 inhabitants, with 50.4% men, and 49.6% 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.

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.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
132k ± 2.12k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
9.98k ± 1.71k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
7.62k ± 1.05k

6.82%

Hispanic Population

11.5k people

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.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
2,307 ± 1,171 people
India
1,744 ± 1,020 people
Bosnia and Herzegovina
1,367 ± 904 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Polk County (West) PUMA, IA was Mexico, the natal country of 2,307 Polk County (West) PUMA, IA residents, followed by India with 1,744 and Bosnia and Herzegovina with 1,367.

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.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
7,069 households (4.48%)
Serbo-Croatian
2,018 households (1.28%)
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.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
2,089 ± 481
Vietnam
1,685 ± 332
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.

Economy

The economy of Polk County (West) PUMA, IA employs 87.9k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA were Elementary & secondary schools (5,053 people), Construction (4,969 people), and Insurance carriers (4,286 people), and the highest paying industries were Legal services ($210,928), Household appliances & electrical & electronic goods merchant wholesalers ($209,326), and Offices of physicians ($182,477).

Males in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA have an average income that is 1.38 times higher than the average income of females, which is $74,804. The income inequality in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA (measured using the Gini index) is 0.448, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

40,788

Women

46.4%

47,081

Men

53.6%

The workforce of Polk County (West) PUMA, IA in 2024 was 87,869 people, with 46.4% woman, and 53.6% 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.

Occupations

87.9k

2024 Value

1.43%

1 Year growth

± 1.43%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA grew at a rate of 1.43%, from 86.6k employees to 87.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA, are Software developers (2,344 people), Other managers (2,272 people), and Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (2,020 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Polk County (West) PUMA, 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

87.9k

2024 Value

1.43%

1 Year growth

± 1.43%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA grew at a rate of 1.43%, from 86.6k employees to 87.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA, are Elementary & secondary schools (5,053 people), Construction (4,969 people), and Insurance carriers (4,286 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.

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).

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.

Education

The student population of Polk County (West) PUMA, IA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 15 male students and 245 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA are White (103 and 56.6%), Hispanic or Latino (29 and 15.9%), Black or African American (24 and 13.2%), and Two or More Races (15 and 8.24%).

The largest universities in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA by number of degrees awarded are La James International College-Johnston (91 and 50%), Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines (72 and 39.6%), and Body Wisdom Massage Therapy School (19 and 10.4%).

The most popular majors in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA are Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist (80 and 44%), Massage Therapy (38 and 20.9%), and General Cosmetology (36 and 19.8%).

The median tuition cost 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 2024 there were 260 students enrolled in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA, 5.77% men and 94.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 176 records, of which 94.3% were women and 5.68% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist
80 degrees awarded
Nail Specialist & Manicurist
26 degrees awarded
Massage Therapy
12 degrees awarded

In 2024, 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 80 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.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

La James International College-Johnston
91 degrees awarded
Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines
72 degrees awarded
Body Wisdom Massage Therapy School
19 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was La James International College-Johnston with 91 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 9 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA, which is 0.052 times less than the 173 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 103 degrees mean that there were 3.55 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 29 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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2024, 1.18% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.861% of women were in the same situation.

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

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Polk County (West) PUMA, IA in 2024 were Bachelors Degree (41k), High School or Equivalent (24.1k), and Some college (23.4k).

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.

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.

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.

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.

Wage Distribution

0.448

2024 Wage GINI in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA

0.454

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

In 2024, the income inequality in Polk County (West) PUMA, IA was 0.448 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.29% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Polk County (West) PUMA, IA was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (71.8%)
Worked At Home (18.6%)
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.

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.

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.

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

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

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

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