Demographics of Polk County, Missouri

Polk County, Missouri had 33,604 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: +1,989 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Polk County, in four figures

33,604
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; +6.3%
Change since July 2020: +1,989 people.; 38.1 ±0.8
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $59,647 ±$3,036
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

Polk County, Missouri's population grew 6.3% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Polk County, Missouri's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

Polk County, Missouri's population grew 6.3% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Polk County, Missouri's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	31,615	100.0	100.0
2021	32,043	101.4	100.2
2022	32,665	103.3	100.7
2023	32,921	104.1	101.6
2024	33,211	105.0	102.5
2025	33,604	106.3	103.1

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Population of Polk County, Missouri on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	31,615	+95	+16	0	+75
2021	32,043	+428	−103	+6	+531
2022	32,665	+622	−50	+33	+624
2023	32,921	+256	+62	+73	+128
2024	33,211	+290	+48	+41	+199
2025	33,604	+393	+39	+21	+334

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 38.1 ±0.8: for men 36.6 ±1.3 and for women 39.5 ±0.7. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

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People in Polk County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	Missouri	United States
Under 5	2,059 ±122	6.3% ±0.4	5.8% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	5,536 ±339	17.1% ±1.0	16.6% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	3,563 ±334	11.0% ±1.0	9.1% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	7,603 ±320	23.4% ±1.0	26.0% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	7,752 ±374	23.9% ±1.2	24.6% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	5,931 ±428	18.3% ±1.3	17.9% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $59,647 ±$3,036, and income per person $31,140 ±$1,884, in 2024 dollars. The median is $70,702 ±$325 in Missouri and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

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Households in Polk County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	Missouri	United States
Under $25,000	2,493 ±385	20.7% ±3.2	15.8% ±0.2	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	2,619 ±374	21.7% ±3.1	19.6% ±0.2	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	2,191 ±334	18.2% ±2.7	17.4% ±0.2	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	1,459 ±229	12.1% ±1.9	13.2% ±0.2	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	1,788 ±300	14.8% ±2.5	17.1% ±0.2	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	934 ±252	7.7% ±2.1	8.2% ±0.1	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	575 ±190	4.8% ±1.6	8.7% ±0.1	13.4% ±0.1

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

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Poverty rate in Polk County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	Missouri	United States
All ages	5,093 ±874	16.3% ±2.8	12.6% ±0.2	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	1,394 ±297	18.6% ±3.8	15.8% ±0.4	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	2,581 ±510	16.3% ±3.1	12.0% ±0.2	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	1,118 ±259	14.1% ±3.2	10.9% ±0.2	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

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Housing in Polk County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Polk County	Missouri	United States
Housing units	13,482 ±86	2,825,287 ±1,043	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	89.4% ±2.1	88.8% ±0.2	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	10.6% ±2.3	11.2% ±0.2	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	71.6% ±3.0	68.1% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	28.4% ±2.9	31.9% ±0.2	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$205,800 ±$12,213	$230,300 ±$880	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$814 ±$53	$1,033 ±$6	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1987 ±3	1978 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

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People in Polk County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	Missouri	United States
Hispanic or Latino	970 ±0	3.0% ±<0.1	5.2% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	29,507 ±214	90.9% ±0.7	76.3% ±0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	239 ±88	0.7% ±0.3	10.9% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	119 to 399	0.4% to 1.2%	2.1% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	37 to 113	0.1% to 0.3%	0.2% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 26	0% to 0.1%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	137 to 487	0.4% to 1.5%	0.4% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	1,082 ±227	3.3% ±0.7	4.8% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

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People in Polk County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	Missouri	United States
Born in the state	21,728 ±693	67.0% ±2.1	65.6% ±0.2	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	10,110 ±678	31.2% ±2.1	29.1% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	90 to 298	0.3% to 0.9%	0.8% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	412 ±140	1.3% ±0.4	4.5% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	248 ±113	0.8% ±0.3	2.3% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	83 to 245	0.3% to 0.8%	2.2% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Polk County among the counties of Missouri

35th of 115 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the Missouri page.

Counties of Missouri near Polk County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Lawrence County	39,401	+3.7%
Warren County	39,016	+9.2%
Scott County	37,975	−0.1%
Laclede County	36,943	+2.5%
Barry County	36,200	+4.8%
Polk County	33,604	+6.3%
Lafayette County	33,531	+1.4%
Stone County	32,503	+4.1%
Marion County	28,525	+0.2%
Stoddard County	28,284	−1.3%
Dunklin County	26,855	−4.8%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026