← Map/Iowa/Counties/Polk

Polk
Iowa

493K

Population

$79K

Median Income

$283K

Median Home

D+15

Politics

Economy

Median Household Income$79K
This county
national avg ~$75K
Poverty Rate10.2%
This county
national avg ~11.5%
Unemployment Rate2.7%
This county
national avg ~3.8%
GDP per Capita$117,869
Federal Spending per Capita$1,919
Median Individual Earnings$50K
This county
national avg $45K
Professional/Management Workers44.0%
Average Adjusted Gross Income$94K
Avg Credit Score698
Work From Home %12.4%
This county
national avg 17.0%
Population Under 1824.5%
This county
national avg 22.0%
Single-Person Households30.3%
This county
national avg 28.0%
Banks & Finance Firms341
Income (20th Percentile)$37K
Income (80th Percentile)$146K
Income (95th Percentile)$250K
Bachelor's Degree or Higher31.3%
This county
national avg 35.0%
Less Than High School7.3%
This county
national avg 11.0%
Knowledge Economy GDP %16.7%
Dependency Ratio1.04
Medicare Spending / Person$1,918
SS Benefits / Person$3,290
Education Wage Premium2.09x
Median Earnings (Bachelor's)$66K
Median Earnings (Graduate)$82K
Median Earnings (HS Diploma)$39K
Public Assistance Recipients2.4%
Average Annual Wage$73K
Professional Services Concentration1.04x national
This county
1.0 = national average share

Housing

Median Home Value$281K
This county
$215K state avg
$303K national
Median Sale Price$263K
This county
$303K national
Market Rent (ZORI)$1232/mo
This county
$1050/mo state avg
$1400/mo national
Property Tax Rate1.81%
This county
1.42% state avg
1.10% national

Annual tax on median home: $4,208

Affordability & Supply

HUD Fair Market Rent (2BR)$1,318/mo
Home Price Change (1 yr)+1.7%
Home Value to Income Ratio2.3x income
Severely Cost-Burdened Households10.0%
Homeownership Rate67.1%
This county
national avg ~65%

Market Activity

Sale-to-List RatioBuyers market — homes selling below list
97.5%
Listings with Price CutsHigh — sellers are negotiating
25.9%
Sold Above List Price
12.7%
Median Days to Close
35 days
Active Listings
2,176
New Listings / Month
730

Source: Zillow Research · Updated monthly

Days on Market (Redfin)Average pace
29 days
Months of Supply (Redfin)Low inventory — sellers market
2.5 mo
Sold Above List (Redfin)
23.3%

Sale-to-List Cross-Reference

Zillow 97.5%  ·  Redfin 98.9%

Source: Redfin · Updated monthly

Health

Life Expectancy77.5 yrs
This county
national avg ~78.5 years
Hospital Rating2.8 / 5
This county
national avg 3.0 stars
Food Insecurity7.4%
This county
national avg ~11%
Food Environment Index8.8 / 10
This county
higher = better access
Primary Care Shortage Score19
This county
national avg 5
Mental Health Shortage Score20
Dental Care Shortage Score25
Healthcare Shortage Score21.3
Healthcare Offices1,067
Obesity Rate (BRFSS)36.9%
This county
national avg 32.0%
Smoking Rate (BRFSS)13.3%
This county
national avg 14.0%
Poor Health Rate (BRFSS)17.0%
This county
national avg 18.0%
Physical Inactivity (BRFSS)23.5%
This county
national avg 24.0%
High Blood Pressure (BRFSS)30.1%
This county
national avg 32.0%
Active Physicians1,790
Nursing Home Rating3.0 / 5
This county
national avg ~3 stars
ER Visits per 1,000 Medicare Patients422 / 1,000
Medicare Cost per Beneficiary$10,874
Uninsured (under 65)7.0%
This county
national avg ~10%
Adults with Depression21.7%

Education

Math Test Scores2.98 grade level
Reading Test Scores2.97 grade level
HS Diploma Holders68,607
Bachelor's Degree Holders33,699
HS Completion Rate92.7%
This county
national avg ~85%
Private Schools171

Safety

Violent Crime Rate3.0 / 1,000
This county
national avg ~4.0
Firearm Fatality Rate9.9 / 100K
This county
national avg ~13.6/100K
Homicide Rate4.1 / 100K
This county
national avg ~7.5/100K
Drug Overdose Rate24.2 / 100K
This county
national avg ~21/100K
Traffic Fatalities91
Social Vulnerability (CDC SVI)45th pct
Drug Overdose Deaths (2024)24.1 / 100K
Suicide Rate15.4 / 100K
This county
national avg ~14/100K

Climate & Air Quality

Natural Amenity Scale-2.1
January Sunshine-0.05
January Temperature-1.11
Average Temp51°F
Avg High Temp62°F
Avg Low Temp41°F
Median AQIAQI 52
Good Air Days168 days/yr
Unhealthy Air Days15 days/yr
Annual Precipitation37.6 in/yr
Avg Storm Events65.4 storms/yr
Avg Annual Storm Damage$15M
Ozone Days81 days/yr
This county
national avg 50 days/yr
Drought Index (2022)-0.20
Heating Degree Days6,061 HDD/yr
This county
national avg ~4,500 HDD/yr
Cooling Degree Days1,089 CDD/yr
This county
national avg ~1,200 CDD/yr
Heating Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)6,698 HDD/yr
Cooling Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)972 CDD/yr
Avg Tornadoes / Year2.4
Avg Flood Events / Year5.8
Avg Hail Events / Year19.4
Avg Hurricane Events / Year0.00
Avg Wildfire Events / Year0.0
Avg Winter Storms / Year0.0
Avg Heat Events / Year0.0
Natural Hazard Risk (FEMA)92 / 100
Community Resilience (FEMA)96 / 100
Federal Disaster Declarations20 since 1953
Fine Particulate Pollution (PM2.5)8.0 µg/m³
This county
EPA standard 9 µg/m³

Outdoor & Recreation

Historic Places (NRHP)210 properties
FAA-Registered Airports7 total
Airports (excl. heliports)3 airports

Brewery Scene

Total Breweries16 breweries
Microbreweries13 microbreweries
Brewpubs3 brewpubs

Internet & Remote Work

Download Speed272 Mbps
This county
national avg ~120 Mbps
Upload Speed164 Mbps
Fixed Internet (Q1 2026)447 Mbps
Mobile Internet (Q1 2026)317 Mbps
Mobile Upload (Q1 2026)32 Mbps
Mobile Latency (Q1 2026)37 ms
Households with 100Mbps+98.0%
This county
national avg 75.0%
Cellular-Only Internet11.0%
This county
national avg 8.0%
Fixed Upload Speed (Q1 2026)297 Mbps

EV Infrastructure

EV Charging Stations111 stations
DC Fast Chargers111 chargers
Level 2 EV Chargers193

Commute & Transit

Remote Workers31,975 workers
Public Transit Commuters2,113 workers
Walk to Work3,558 workers
Extreme Commutes (90+ min)2,626 workers
Avg Commute Time17.3 min
This county
national avg ~27 min
Bike Commuters0.2%
Walk to Work1.4%

Agriculture

Farms159 farms
Farmland1,256 acres

Families & Childcare

Childcare Cost Burden31.8%
This county
national median ~27% of household income
Childcare Centers7.7 per 10K residents
Childcare Facilities128

Civic & Community

Voter Turnout75.4%
This county
national avg ~55%
Volunteering Rate1.0%
Income Inequality (Gini)3.996
Nonprofit Organizations9,882
Veterans Share6.1%
This county
national avg 7.0%
Married Adults50.2%
Never-Married Adults33.6%
Divorced Adults11.3%
Religious Organizations295
Asian Population4.9%
Native American Population0.2%
Membership Associations12.1 per 10K residents

Lifestyle & Services

Full-Service Restaurants0.81 per 1K residents
Colleges & Universities9
Nursing & Care Facilities105
Grocery Stores104
Arts & Entertainment Venues68
Hotels & Lodging118
Recreation Businesses152
Professional Services Firms1,598
Veterinary Practices135
Real Estate Firms734
Museums9
Debt Burden
Avg Mortgage Balance$91K
Avg Student Loan Balance$12K
Avg Credit Card Balance$5K
Loan Delinquency Rate36.7%
This county
national avg 4.0%

Innovation

Inventor Rate0.25%

Politics

D+15

2024 Presidential · Iowa was R+13 statewide

vs Iowa State

Income tax
3.8%Same (state law)
Property tax
1.81%1.42% state avg
Politics
D+15R+13
COL Index
County data88 (state)

Population & Migration

Net Domestic Migration 2023

+63

More people arriving than leaving

IRS Wealth Migration

Lower-income migration pattern (IRS: 0.67x avg income)

Economic Mobility

43%

chance a low-income child reaches the middle class

Source: Opportunity Insights

Real Estate

Find Homes in Polk County

Median home value: $283K

View on Zillow →View on Realtor.com →

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Local News — Polk

Iowa Capital Dispatch · 4 days ago

Iowa Democratic candidates push for term limits at Polk County Steak Fry

Two national Democrats endorsed Josh Turek for U.S. Senate and called for term limits for U.S. Supre

KCCI · 4 days ago

Iowa crime: Ames woman charged for wrong-way, head-on crash with deputy

The Polk County Sheriff's Office says one of its deputies was involved in a crash early Sunday morni

WHO13.com · 3 days ago

Woman charged with OWI after collision with Polk County deputy

POLK COUNTY, Iowa — An Ames woman has been charged with OWI after she reportedly struck a Polk Count

The Des Moines Register · 1 day ago

Top Iowa high school football games in Week 2, and our predictions

It's Week 2 of Iowa high school football. See our predictions for the top IHSAA games around the sta

Polk County Iowa (.gov) · 6 days ago

Veterans Winter Coat Give-Away

Polk County Commission of Veteran Affairs provides assistance to veterans, their families, and depen

KCRG · 4 days ago

Polk County Democrats rally for annual steak fry fundraiser

DES MOINES, Iowa— Polk County Democrats gathered at Water Works Park in Des Moines on Saturday, rall

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Data: Census ACS, BLS, Zillow, USDA Natural Amenities, OpenElections 2024, CMS, NCES. Vintage 2022–2025. News via Google News.

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Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable