Polk, PA

Census Place

2024 Population

615

US Senator

John Fetterman

Democratic Party

US Senator

Dave McCormick

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

53.4

0.187% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

35.4%

1.36% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$36,786

16.9% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$101,400

15.9% 1-year growth

Population & Diversity

Polk, PA is home to a population of 615 people, from which 99.8% are citizens.

As of 2024, 0.163% of Polk, PA residents were born outside of the country (1 people).

In 2024, there were 35.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (568 people) in Polk, PA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 16 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 16 Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.8%

2024 Citizenship

99.9%

2023 Citizenship

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

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Polk, PA

White (Non-Hispanic)
568 ± 138
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
16 ± 21
Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic)
16 ± 12

1.95%

Hispanic Population

12 people

1.95% of the people in Polk, PA are hispanic (12 people).

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

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Dominican Republic
103,235 ± 7,857 people
India
102,082 ± 7,813 people
China
73,024 ± 6,616 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Pennsylvania was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 103,235 Pennsylvania residents, followed by India with 102,082 and China with 73,024.

Foreign-Born Population

0.163%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1 people

0.145%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1 people

As of 2024, 0.163% of Polk, PA residents (1 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, PA was 0.145%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
22 ± 26
Gulf War (1990s)
16 ± 22
Gulf War (2001-)
6 ± 14

Polk, PA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.38 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Polk, PA employs 197 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Polk, PA were Health Care & Social Assistance (57 people), Manufacturing (33 people), and Other Services, Except Public Administration (22 people), and the highest paying industries were Educational Services ($71,250), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($57,708), and Health Care & Social Assistance ($57,604).

Employment

Occupations

197

2024 Value

± 78

−13.2%

1 Year decline

± 60.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Polk, PA declined at a rate of −13.2%, from 227 employees to 197 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Polk, PA, are Production Occupations (39 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (26 people), and Transportation Occupations (22 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Polk, PA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Pennsylvania (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

197

2024 Value

± 78

−13.2%

1 Year decline

± 60.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Polk, PA declined at a rate of −13.2%, from 227 employees to 197 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Polk, PA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (57 people), Manufacturing (33 people), and Other Services, Except Public Administration (22 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Polk, PA, though some of these residents may live in Polk, PA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$55,000

Median earning men ± $25,860

$28,750

Median earning women ± $9,106

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($72,656), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($62,500), and Manufacturing ($45,000).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($36,250), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($33,750), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($26,500).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Polk, PA was $101,400 in 2024, which is 0.305 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $87,500 to $101,400, a 15.9% increase. The homeownership rate in Polk, PA is 79.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Polk, PA have an average commute time of 21.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Polk, PA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$101,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$30,784

$174

Median Property Taxes

±$62

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

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

Rent vs Own

79.1%

Homeownership

2024

52.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 79.1% of the housing units in Polk, PA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 77%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Polk, PA 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.

$36,786

Median Household Income

± $33,818

220

Number of Households

± 66

In 2024, the median household income of the 220 households in Polk, PA declined from $36,786 from the previous year's value of $44,250.

The following chart displays the households in Polk, PA 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 $20k - $25k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Polk, PA is from Pennsylvania.

0.463

2024 Wage GINI in Pennsylvania

0.463

2023 Wage GINI in Pennsylvania

In 2024, the income inequality in Pennsylvania was 0.463 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0903% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Pennsylvania was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Pennsylvania in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (93.9%)
Worked At Home (3.06%)
Carpooled (1.02%)

In 2024, 93.9% of workers in Polk, PA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (3.06%) and those who carpooled to work (1.02%).

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

21.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Polk, PA have a shorter commute time (21.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.05% of the workforce in Polk, PA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Polk, PA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Polk, PA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

35.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Polk, PA (218 out of 615 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 65 - 74, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 75+.

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

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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