Polk County Demographics

A map of Polk County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	401,528	392,621	50.8%	54.2%
Hispanic	230,841	187,695	29.2%	25.9%
Black	111,326	100,950	14.1%	13.9%
Multiracial	26,554	24,992	3.4%	3.4%
Asian	14,071	13,181	1.8%	1.8%
Native American/Other	6,374	5,607	0.8%	0.8%

Polk County, Florida has an estimated population of 790,694, an increase from the 725,046 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 50.8% White, 29.2% Hispanic, 14.1% Black, 3.4% Multiracial, 1.8% Asian, and 0.8% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Polk County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Polk has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is less diverse than Florida overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Polk County, that probability was 61.9% in 2020 and 63.6% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Polk County is ranked the 9th most populous county in Florida, out of 67 counties. Polk County was ranked the 9th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Polk County's White Population

401,528 residents of Polk County, or 50.8% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Polk County is comparable to the share in Florida overall, where 50.4% of the population is White. Polk County ranks 55th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's White population has grown by an estimated 2.3%. White residents' share of Polk County's population has decreased from 54.2% to 50.8%.

Polk County is more White than neighboring Hardee County (46.4% White), Osceola County (27.2% White), Hillsborough County (44.8% White), and Orange County (35.9% White). Polk County is less White than neighboring Highlands County (63.1% White).

Polk County's Black Population

111,326 residents of Polk County, or 14.1% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Polk County is comparable to the share in Florida overall, where 14.6% of the population is Black. Polk County ranks 22nd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Black population has grown by an estimated 10.3%. Black residents' share of Polk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 14.1%.

Polk County is more Black than neighboring Hardee County (7.2% Black), Osceola County (9.9% Black), and Highlands County (9.3% Black). Polk County is less Black than neighboring Hillsborough County (15.3% Black), and Orange County (19.1% Black).

Polk County's Asian Population

14,071 residents of Polk County, or 1.8% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Polk County is comparable to the share in Florida overall, where 2.9% of the population is Asian. Polk County ranks 24th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 6.8%. Asian residents' share of Polk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.8%.

Polk County is more Asian than neighboring Hardee County (1.1% Asian), and Highlands County (1.5% Asian). Polk County is less Asian than neighboring Osceola County (2.7% Asian), Hillsborough County (4.5% Asian), and Orange County (5.3% Asian).

Polk County's Hispanic Population

230,841 residents of Polk County, or 29.2% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Polk County is comparable to the share in Florida overall, where 27.4% of the population is Hispanic. Polk County ranks 10th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 23.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Polk County's population has increased from 25.9% to 29.2%.

Polk County is more Hispanic than neighboring Highlands County (22.2% Hispanic). Polk County is less Hispanic than neighboring Hardee County (42.3% Hispanic), Osceola County (56% Hispanic), Hillsborough County (30.4% Hispanic), and Orange County (33.8% Hispanic).

Polk County's Native American/Other Population

6,374 residents of Polk County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Polk County is comparable to the share in Florida overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Polk County ranks 29th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 13.7%. Native American/Other residents' share of Polk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Polk County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Hardee County (0.3% Native American/Other). Polk County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Osceola County (1% Native American/Other), Hillsborough County (0.9% Native American/Other), and Orange County (1.1% Native American/Other).

Polk County's Multiracial Population

26,554 residents of Polk County, or 3.4% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Polk County is comparable to the share in Florida overall, where 3.8% of the population is Multiracial. Polk County ranks 39th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 6.3%. Multiracial residents' share of Polk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.4%.

Polk County is more Multiracial than neighboring Hardee County (2.6% Multiracial), Osceola County (3.3% Multiracial), and Highlands County (3.1% Multiracial). Polk County is less Multiracial than neighboring Hillsborough County (4.1% Multiracial), and Orange County (4.8% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.