Polk County Demographics

A map of Polk County's Population by Race

Polk County, Iowa had a population of 492,401 in 2020. It was 73.6% White, 7.1% Black, 4.9% Asian, 9.8% Hispanic, 0.6% Native American/Other, and 4.0% Multiracial. This map presents the population of Polk County, with one dot drawn for each person counted in the 2020 Census, color-coded by race.

Polk County is the most populous county of the 99 counties in Iowa.

Polk County's White Population

362,260 residents of Polk County identify as White, or 73.6%. This makes the White share of the population of Polk County slightly less than the White share of the population of Iowa (82.7% White). Of the 99 counties in Iowa, Polk County is ranked #95 in terms of White residents as a share of the population.

Polk County is less White than neighboring Warren County (91.4% White), Story County (81.1% White), Dallas County (82% White), Boone County (92.5% White), and Jasper County (91.1% White).

Polk County's Black Population

34,990 residents of Polk County identify as Black, or 7.1%. This makes the Black share of the population of Polk County roughly similar to the Black share of the population of Iowa (4.1% Black). Of the 99 counties in Iowa, Polk County is ranked #4 in terms of Black residents as a share of the population.

Polk County is more Black than neighboring Warren County (0.9% Black), Story County (3% Black), Dallas County (2.7% Black), Boone County (1.1% Black), and Jasper County (1.8% Black).

Polk County's Asian Population

24,313 residents of Polk County identify as Asian, or 4.9%. This makes the Asian share of the population of Polk County roughly similar to the Asian share of the population of Iowa (2.4% Asian). Of the 99 counties in Iowa, Polk County is ranked #5 in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population.

Polk County is more Asian than neighboring Warren County (0.7% Asian), Boone County (0.4% Asian), and Jasper County (0.6% Asian). Polk County is less Asian than neighboring Story County (5.5% Asian), and Dallas County (5% Asian).

Polk County's Hispanic Population

48,055 residents of Polk County identify as Hispanic, or 9.8%. This makes the Hispanic share of the population of Polk County roughly similar to the Hispanic share of the population of Iowa (6.8% Hispanic). Of the 99 counties in Iowa, Polk County is ranked #13 in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population.

Polk County is more Hispanic than neighboring Warren County (3.2% Hispanic), Story County (5.1% Hispanic), Dallas County (6.5% Hispanic), Boone County (2.7% Hispanic), and Jasper County (2.9% Hispanic).

Polk County's Native American/Other Population

3,074 residents of Polk County identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other, or 0.6%. This makes the Native American/Other share of the population of Polk County roughly similar to the Native American/Other share of the population of Iowa (0.7% Native American/Other). Of the 99 counties in Iowa, Polk County is ranked #23 in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population.

Polk County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Warren County (0.5% Native American/Other), Dallas County (0.5% Native American/Other), and Boone County (0.4% Native American/Other).

Polk County's Multiracial Population

19,709 residents of Polk County identify as Multiracial, or 4.0%. This makes the Multiracial share of the population of Polk County roughly similar to the Multiracial share of the population of Iowa (3.4% Multiracial). Of the 99 counties in Iowa, Polk County is ranked #7 in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population.

Polk County is more Multiracial than neighboring Warren County (3.3% Multiracial), Dallas County (3.3% Multiracial), Boone County (3% Multiracial), and Jasper County (3.1% Multiracial). Polk County is less Multiracial than neighboring Story County (4.6% Multiracial).

Source: 2020 Census State Redistricting Data and Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.