Polk County, Iowa's estimated 2024 population is 509,326 with a growth rate of 0.81% in the past year according to the most recent United States census data. Polk County, Iowa is the largest county in Iowa. The 2010 population was 432,360 and has seen a growth of 17.8% since that time.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 529,681 | 4,071 | 0.77% |
| 2028 | 525,610 | 4,071 | 0.78% |
| 2027 | 521,539 | 4,071 | 0.79% |
| 2026 | 517,468 | 4,071 | 0.79% |
| 2025 | 513,397 | 4,071 | 0.8% |
| 2024 | 509,326 | 4,071 | 0.81% |
| 2023 | 505,255 | 4,071 | 0.81% |
| 2022 | 501,184 | 3,342 | 0.67% |
| 2021 | 497,842 | 4,820 | 0.98% |
| 2020 | 493,022 | 1,991 | 0.41% |
| 2019 | 491,031 | 4,809 | 0.99% |
| 2018 | 486,222 | 5,260 | 1.09% |
| 2017 | 480,962 | 6,369 | 1.34% |
| 2016 | 474,593 | 7,076 | 1.51% |
| 2015 | 467,517 | 6,448 | 1.4% |
| 2014 | 461,069 | 8,289 | 1.83% |
| 2013 | 452,780 | 8,027 | 1.8% |
| 2012 | 444,753 | 5,970 | 1.36% |
| 2011 | 438,783 | 6,423 | 1.49% |
| 2010 | 432,360 | 0 | 0% |
| 1990 | 327,140 | 23,970 | 7.91% |
| 1980 | 303,170 | 17,069 | 5.97% |
| 1970 | 286,101 | 19,786 | 7.43% |
| 1960 | 266,315 | 40,305 | 17.83% |
| 1950 | 226,010 | 30,175 | 15.41% |
| 1940 | 195,835 | 22,998 | 13.31% |
| 1930 | 172,837 | 18,808 | 12.21% |
| 1920 | 154,029 | 43,591 | 39.47% |
| 1910 | 110,438 | 27,814 | 33.66% |
| 1900 | 82,624 | 17,214 | 26.32% |
| 1890 | 65,410 | 23,015 | 54.29% |
| 1880 | 42,395 | 14,538 | 52.19% |
| 1870 | 27,857 | 16,232 | 139.63% |
| 1860 | 11,625 | 7,112 | 157.59% |
| 1850 | 4,513 | -525,168 | -99.15% |
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 393,717 | 79.8% |
| Black or African American | 35,994 | 7.3% |
| Two or more races | 26,562 | 5.38% |
| Asian | 24,325 | 4.93% |
| Other race | 11,630 | 2.36% |
| Native American | 1,057 | 0.21% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 93 | 0.02% |
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Asian
Other race
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 199,013 | 2.44 | 67.1 | 32.9 |
| Married | 91,042 | 3.14 | 86.3 | 13.7 |
| Non Family | 77,107 | 1.27 | 47.8 | 52.2 |
| Female | 22,003 | 3.34 | 54.2 | 45.8 |
| Male | 8,861 | 3.09 | 68.5 | 31.5 |
3.09
Average Family Size
2.44
Average Household Size
67.1%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 12,349 | 3.76% |
| Associates Degree | 33,699 | 10.26% |
| Bachelors Degree | 87,045 | 26.5% |
| Graduate Degree | 40,800 | 12.42% |
| High School Graduate | 81,094 | 24.69% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 11,668 | 3.55% |
| Some College | 61,856 | 18.83% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 265,905 | 257,215 | 112,742 |
| Hispanic | 21,068 | 14,378 | 3,094 |
| Black | 19,448 | 15,975 | 3,764 |
| Asian | 15,618 | 11,022 | 5,715 |
| 2+ Races | 10,901 | 8,940 | 3,349 |
| Other Race | 6,096 | 3,658 | 785 |
| Native American | 589 | 544 | 109 |
| Islander | 45 | 43 | 25 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 96.73%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among islander people with a rate of 55.56%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $65,811 | $76,848 | $57,072 |
| Graduate Degree | $82,024 | $99,850 | $72,132 |
| High School Graduate | $39,295 | $45,567 | $30,378 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $32,382 | $38,275 | $25,702 |
| Overall | $52,600 | $60,267 | $45,527 |
| Some College | $47,263 | $56,234 | $39,574 |
$52,600
Average Earnings
$60,267
Average Male
$45,527
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
85.93% of Polk County, Iowa residents speak only English, while 14.07% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 6.04% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 365,776 | 26,405 | 7.22% |
| Black | 34,928 | 11,433 | 32.73% |
| Hispanic | 43,413 | 6,785 | 15.63% |
| Multiple | 26,223 | 3,885 | 14.82% |
| Asian | 24,162 | 3,196 | 13.23% |
| Other | 11,575 | 1,992 | 17.21% |
| Native | 1,015 | 152 | 14.98% |
| Islander | 86 | 1 | 1.16% |
10.33%
Overall Poverty Rate
9.65%
Male Poverty Rate
11.01%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Polk County, Iowa is Black, with 32.73% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Polk County, Iowa is Islander, with 1.16% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.06%. Among those working part-time, it was 14.99%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 19.18%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 23.45% |
| High School | 11.7% |
| Some College | 7.4% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 3.38% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Female Unemployed | 31.44% |
| Male Unemployed | 25.29% |
| Female Employed | 6.23% |
| Male Employed | 4.1% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $99,161 | $122,574 |
| Households | $78,827 | $101,787 |
| Married Families | $117,244 | $141,659 |
| Non Families | $50,958 | $64,507 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
48.9%
Overall Marriage Rate
50.6%
Male Marriage Rate
47.2%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
22,629
Number of Veterans
20,894
Male Veterans
1,735
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 7,042 |
| First Gulf War | 5,125 |
| Second Gulf War | 4,982 |
| Korea | 1,305 |
| World War II | 379 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 35 to 54 | 5,480 |
| 65 to 74 | 5,441 |
| 75+ | 4,750 |
| 55 to 64 | 4,482 |
| 18 to 34 | 2,476 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 20,863 | 6.79% |
| Black | 854 | 3.69% |
| Hispanic | 688 | 2.59% |
| 2+ Races | 372 | 2.51% |
| Asian | 232 | 1.28% |
| Other Race | 180 | 2.47% |
| Native American | 102 | 14.07% |
| Islander | 26 | 50% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
6.63%
Veteran Poverty Rate
27.22%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
71.1%
Labor Force Participation
67.7%
Employment Rate
4.5%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
67.54%
Born in Polk County, Iowa
90.29%
Native Born
9.71%
Foreign Born
5.12%
Non Citizen
4.59%
Naturalized
90.29% of Polk County, Iowa residents were born in the United States, with 67.54% having been born in Iowa. 5.12% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.