Polk County, North Carolina

Polk County, North Carolina, had an estimated population of 20,533 in 2025 across 616 km². The figures below come from the US Census Bureau's population estimates and the American Community Survey, each shown with its own vintage and its rank among North Carolina's counties and nationally.

Population
20,533
2025 estimate
Area
616 km²
Density
33
per km²
Median income
$67,758
household, ACS 2024
Median age
54.9
years, ACS 2024
How North Carolina's counties spread
Amenities & Infrastructure
IndicatorValue
Households with Broadband202484.8%
Median Gross Rent2024$1,178
Median Home Value2024$315,000
Owner-Occupied Homes202476.9%
Vacant Homes202418.7%
Demography
IndicatorValue
Aged 65 and Over202432.6%
American Indian & Alaska Native20240.1%
Asian, non-Hispanic20240.8%
Average Household Size2024people2.2
Black, non-Hispanic20244.4%
Foreign-Born20244.5%
Hispanic or Latino20245.6%
Median Age2024years54.9
Sex Ratio2024per 1,000 males1,087
Speak a Language Other Than English20245.5%
Under 18202415.3%
Veterans20248.6%
White, non-Hispanic202486.6%
Economy
IndicatorValue
Below Poverty Line202414.0%
Households on SNAP20249.7%
Income Inequality2024index0.498
Median Household Income2024$67,758
Per Capita Income2024$43,211
Unemployment Rate20245.1%
Education
IndicatorValue
Bachelor's Degree or Higher202436.2%
High School or Higher202493.4%
Health Coverage
IndicatorValue
No Health Insurance20249.9%
With a Disability202417.1%
Population & Density
IndicatorValue
Population202520,533
Population Density2025/km²33
Work & Commute
IndicatorValue
Commute by Public Transit20240.0%
Households with No Vehicle20244.0%
Mean Commute Time2024minutes28.4
Work from Home202415.8%
Compare Polk County against every other county on a map, add layers and run a scatter — open the atlas. Sources and vintages for every figure on this page are listed under datasets, or browse all 3,144 counties.