Polk County, Iowa


Polk County is located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 492,401. making it the most populous county in Iowa, and was estimated to be 516,185 in 2024. The county seat is Des Moines, which is also the capital city of Iowa. Polk County is included in the Des Moines–[West Des Moines, Iowa|Des Moines, Iowa|West Des Moines], IA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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History

On January 13, 1846, the legislative body of the Iowa Territory authorized the creation of twelve counties in the Territory, with general descriptions of their boundaries. On January 17 they further enacted a resolution setting the effective date of the county government for Jasper and Polk Counties as March 1, 1846. Polk County's name referred to United States President James K. Polk, who served from 1845 to 1849.
The first courthouse, a two-story structure, was built in Des Moines in 1846. Rapid settlement and commercial growth in the county soon rendered this building insufficient, so construction of a larger building was initiated in 1858. Due to construction delays and the onset of the Civil War, the structure was not completed until 1866. The present courthouse was erected in 1906, and in 1962 it was extensively renovated and enlarged.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The county is bisected by the Des Moines River.

Major highways

Transit

Demographics

As of the third quarter of 2024, the median home value in Polk County was $285,410.
As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 202,404 estimated households in Polk County with an average of 2.41 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $81,621. Approximately 11.5% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Polk County has an estimated 71.0% employment rate, with 39.5% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 83.7% holding a high school diploma.
The top five reported ancestries were English, Spanish, Indo-European, Asian and Pacific Islander, and Other.
The median age in the county was 36.8 years.

Racial and ethnic composition

Race / ethnicity Pop. 1980Pop. 1990Pop. 2000Pop. 2010
White alone 280,143
299,469
323,785
347,710
362,260
Black or African American alone 13,570
14,618
17,874
25,344
34,990
Native American or Alaska Native alone 712
834
878
894
1,081
Asian alone 2,204
5,871
9,765
15,118
24,313
Pacific Islander alone ——178
228
280
Other race alone 1,962
187
554
605
1,713
Mixed race or multiracial ——5,077
8,094
19,709
Hispanic or Latino 4,579
6,161
16,490
32,647
48,055
Total303,170
327,140
374,601
430,640
492,401

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 492,401 people, 196,891 households, and 121,993 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 210,184 housing units at an average density of.
The median age was 36.0 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.6 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 75.9% White, 7.2% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 5.0% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.9% from some other race, and 7.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 9.8% of the population.
95.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 4.5% lived in rural areas.
There were 196,891 households in the county, of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.9% were married-couple households, 19.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 210,184 housing units, of which 6.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 65.7% were owner-occupied and 34.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.4%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 430,640 people, 170,197 households, and _ families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 182,262 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 84.73% White, 6.00% African American, 0.32% Native American, 3.53% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.93% from some other races and 2.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 7.58% of the population.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 374,601 people, 149,112 households, and 96,624 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 156,447 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 88.34% White, 4.84% African American, 0.27% Native American, 2.63% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.22% from some other races and 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.40% of the population. 25.9% were of German, 10.6% Irish, 9.0% English and 8.4% American ancestry.
Of the 149,112 households 32.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.00% were married couples living together, 10.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.20% were non-families. 28.10% of households were one person and 8.60% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.04.
Age spread: 25.70% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 32.20% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 11.10% 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.70 males.
The median household income was $46,116 and the median family income was $56,560. Males had a median income of $37,182 versus $28,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,654. About 5.30% of families and 7.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.70% of those under age 18 and 6.40% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

The Iowa Department of Corrections Iowa Correctional Institution for Women is in Mitchellville and in Polk County.

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Polk County.
† county seat
RankCity/Town/etc.Municipal typePopulation Population
1Des Moines † City214,133209,232
2AnkenyCity67,88776,435
3West Des Moines City68,72373,300
4Urbandale City45,58047,112
5JohnstonCity24,06424,816
6AltoonaCity19,56522,372
7Clive City18,60119,122
8Grimes City15,39216,615
9Norwalk City12,79915,524
10Pleasant HillCity10,14712,092
11BondurantCity7,3659,465
12Polk CityCity5,5436,537
13Windsor HeightsCity5,2525,009
14Carlisle City4,1604,379
15SaylorvilleCDP3,5842,760
16Mitchellville City2,4852,661
17Granger City1,6542,142
18ElkhartCity8821,090
19RunnellsCity457449
20AllemanCity423434
21Sheldahl City297315

Education

School districts include:

Attractions

Communities

Cities

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Townships