Polk County Demographics

A map of Polk County's Population by Race

Polk County, Missouri has an estimated population of 32,444, a slight increase from the 31,519 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 90.9% White, 3.3% Multiracial, 3.0% Hispanic, 1.2% Native American/Other, 0.8% Asian, and 0.7% Black. 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 is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Missouri 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 16.9% in 2020 and 17.1% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Polk County is ranked the 36th most populous county in Missouri, out of 115 counties. Polk County was ranked the 36th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Polk County's White Population

29,507 residents of Polk County, or 90.9% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Polk County is considerably higher than in Missouri overall, where 76.3% of the population is White. Polk County ranks 55th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's White population has grown by an estimated 2.9%. White residents' share of Polk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 90.9%.

Polk County is more White than neighboring Greene County (84% White). Polk County is less White than neighboring Hickory County (93.4% White), Dallas County (93.1% White), Cedar County (92.1% White), and Dade County (92% White).

Polk County's Black Population

239 residents of Polk County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Polk County is considerably lower than in Missouri overall, where 10.9% of the population is Black. Polk County ranks 63rd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Black population has declined by an estimated 1.2%. Black residents' share of Polk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Polk County is more Black than neighboring Hickory County (0.1% Black), Dallas County (0.2% Black), Cedar County (0.5% Black), and Dade County (0.4% Black). Polk County is less Black than neighboring Greene County (3% Black).

Polk County's Asian Population

259 residents of Polk County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Polk County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 2.1% of the population is Asian. Polk County ranks 46th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 97.7%. Asian residents' share of Polk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Polk County is more Asian than neighboring Hickory County (0.5% Asian), Dallas County (0% Asian), Cedar County (0% Asian), and Dade County (0.1% Asian). Polk County is less Asian than neighboring Greene County (1.9% Asian).

Polk County's Hispanic Population

970 residents of Polk County, or 3.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Polk County is slightly lower than in Missouri overall, where 5.2% of the population is Hispanic. Polk County ranks 40th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 22.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Polk County's population has increased from 2.5% to 3.0%.

Polk County is more Hispanic than neighboring Hickory County (1.8% Hispanic), Dallas County (2.3% Hispanic), Cedar County (2.2% Hispanic), and Dade County (2.3% Hispanic). Polk County is less Hispanic than neighboring Greene County (5.1% Hispanic).

Polk County's Native American/Other Population

387 residents of Polk County, or 1.2% 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 Missouri overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Polk County ranks 37th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 51.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Polk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.2%.

Polk County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Hickory County (0.1% Native American/Other), Greene County (0.9% Native American/Other), Dallas County (0.1% Native American/Other), Cedar County (1.1% Native American/Other), and Dade County (0.5% Native American/Other).

Polk County's Multiracial Population

1,082 residents of Polk County, or 3.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Polk County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 4.8% of the population is Multiracial. Polk County ranks 61st statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 23.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Polk County's population has decreased from 4.5% to 3.3%.

Polk County is less Multiracial than neighboring Hickory County (4.2% Multiracial), Greene County (5% Multiracial), Dallas County (4.3% Multiracial), Cedar County (4% Multiracial), and Dade County (4.7% 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.