Polk County, Minnesota

County in MN, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

30,705

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

39.8

years ∙ half population younger than 39.8, half older

Diversity Index

28.7%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

2.1%

foreign-born population

97.9%Native

2.1% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Polk County is a county in Minnesota, United States.

Location

County in MN, US

Co-ordinates

DEC47.774254° N, 96.400027° W

DMS47° 46′ 27.31″ N, 96° 24′ 00.10″ W

Population Density & area

15.58/sq mi (6.01/km²)

Total Area

1,998 sq mi (5,174 km²)

Land Area

1,971 sq mi (5,105 km²) · 98.7%

Water Area

27 sq mi (69 km²) · 1.3%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

51.4% male

Male 51.4%

Female 48.6%

males per 100 females

Polk County 105.8

Minnesota 100.4

United States 98

Nativity

2.1%

foreign-born population

97.9%Native

2.1% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Polk County 2.1%

Minnesota 8.7%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

39.8

years ∙ half population younger than 39.8, half older

Polk County

39.8

Minnesota

38.8

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

77.2

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Polk County 77.2

Minnesota 67.1

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Polk County	Minnesota	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	24.5%	22.9%	22%
Working age (18-64)	56.4%	59.8%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	19.1%	17.3%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	77.2	67.1	64.4
Child dependency ratio	43.4	38.2	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	33.8	28.9	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

84%

Black

Asian

0.8%

Hispanic

6.9%

Other

6.3%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

28.7%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Polk County 28.7%

Minnesota 41%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Polk County population

	Polk County	Minnesota	United States
Hispanic or Latino	6.9%	6.4%	19.3%
Mexican	5.6%	3.9%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.2%	0.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	1%	2%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	93.1%	93.6%	80.7%
One race	88.4%	89.1%	76.4%
White	84%	75.9%	57.4%
Black or African American	2%	6.9%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.6%	0.7%	0.5%
Asian	0.8%	5.1%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.9%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	4.7%	4.5%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

63% family

Family 63%

Non family 37%

% family households

Polk County 63%

Minnesota 62.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.38

persons per household

Polk County

2.38

Minnesota

2.43

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Polk County population

	Polk County	Minnesota	United States
Total households	12,360	2,307,955	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.38	2.43	2.53
Family households	7,791	1,438,404	82,990,528
Average family size	3.02	3.04	3.14
Married couple family	6,327	1,129,003	60,637,388
Other families	1,464	309,401	22,353,140
Male householder	587	102,922	6,572,819
Female householder	877	206,479	15,780,321
Non-family households	4,569	869,551	46,236,968
One-person households	3,971	686,475	37,140,836
Male householder	2,065	320,418	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	632	97,557	5,225,110
Female householder	1,906	366,057	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	953	186,557	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	598	183,076	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

14,697

housing units

Polk County 14,697

Minnesota 2,545,030

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

84.1% occupied

Occupied 84.1%

Vacant 15.9%

vacancy rate

Polk County 15.9%

Minnesota 9.3%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

74.1%

Single family houses

74.1%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

20.5%

Mobile homes

5.4%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1971

Half of houses were built before 1971, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

22.1%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

26.1%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

35.5%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

16.3%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Polk County	Minnesota	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.9	6.1	5.5
1–3 rooms	13.1%	14.9%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	45.8%	41.4%	51.6%
7+ rooms	41.2%	43.7%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.7%	2.7%	2.9%
1 bedroom	8.8%	11.4%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	26.3%	24.5%	25%
3 bedrooms	35.6%	32.2%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	27.6%	29.1%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1971	1979	1981
Total housing units	14,697	2,545,030	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

71.3% owners

Renter-occupied 28.7%

Owner-occupied 71.3%

homeownership rate

Polk County 71.3%

Minnesota 72.2%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.59

Owner-occupied

1.85

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Polk County 2.59

Minnesota 2.59

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Polk County	Minnesota	United States
Total occupied units	12,360	2,307,955	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	21.1%	23.8%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	35.2%	38.9%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	18%	16.1%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	25.6%	21.2%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.1%	97.7%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1.2%	1.5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.8%	0.8%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	7.4%	6.7%	8.4%
1 vehicle	25%	30.8%	33.1%
2 vehicles	38.5%	39.5%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	29.1%	23.1%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	64.8%	75.9%	51.4%
Electricity	25.6%	19.4%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	5.3%	1.3%	3.9%
All other fuels	2.8%	2.5%	2%
No fuel used	1.6%	0.9%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.4%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	1%	0.7%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1%	0.7%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$222,800

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Polk County

$222,800

Minnesota

$329,300

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

21.7%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

21.7%

Owners without a mortgage

13.4%

Renters

55.2%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Polk County	Minnesota	United States
Property value
Median Value	$222,800	$329,300	$332,700
Under $100,000	16%	7.7%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	26.2%	13.3%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	28.4%	22.6%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	22.1%	36.9%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	6.6%	17%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0.7%	2.6%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	57.3%	64%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	42.7%	36%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,617	$1,947	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$623	$698	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$855	$1,280	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

28%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Polk County 28%

Minnesota 39.4%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

6.3%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Polk County 6.3%

Minnesota 6.1%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

7,475

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

5.9%

K–12

73.8%

College / Undergraduate

17.2%

Graduate / Professional

3.1%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

39.4%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Polk County

39.4%

Minnesota

39.1%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Polk County	Minnesota	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	7,475	1,385,086	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	5.9%	6.2%	5.7%
K–12	73.8%	69.9%	67.6%
Kindergarten	5.8%	5.2%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	21.7%	20.6%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	21.9%	21.7%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	24.5%	22.4%	21.7%
College or graduate school	20.3%	23.9%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	17.2%	18.8%	21%
Graduate, professional school	3.1%	5.1%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	39.4%	39.1%	40.9%
School type
Public school	83.1%	83.3%	82%
Private school	16.9%	16.7%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

20,733

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

9th-12th, no diploma

4.3%

HS graduate

28.4%

Some college no degree

23.5%

Associates degree

13.9%

Bachelors degree

19%

Graduate or professional degree

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

50.6% · 49.4%

9th-12th, no diploma

61% · 39%

HS graduate

55% · 45%

Some college no degree

48% · 52%

Associates degree

51.6% · 48.4%

Bachelors degree

44.2% · 55.8%

Graduate or professional degree

49.2% · 50.8%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Polk County	Minnesota	United States
Population (25+)	20,733	3,923,744	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	2%	2.7%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	4.3%	3.4%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	28.4%	23.3%	26%
Some college, no degree	23.5%	19.5%	19.1%
Associate's degree	13.9%	11.8%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	28%	39.4%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	19%	25.6%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	9%	13.8%	14.1%
High School or higher	93.8%	93.9%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$51,684

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$24,691

HS graduate

$41,100

Some college or associates

$48,294

Bachelors degree

$58,825

Graduate or professional degree

$76,898

Poverty Rate

6.6%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

34.4%

HS graduate

13.3%

Some college or associates

10.1%

Bachelors degree or higher

6.6%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Polk County	Minnesota	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$51,684	$58,615	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$24,691	$36,257	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$41,100	$42,951	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$48,294	$51,845	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$58,825	$73,301	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$76,898	$89,644	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	34.4%	23.7%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	13.3%	12.3%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	10.1%	7.8%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	6.6%	3.2%	4.5%

Insights for Polk County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

Cite this page

Citation style

Url to be used as reference

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.