Polk County Demographics

A map of Polk County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	17,234	16,716	86.6%	86.5%
Hispanic	1,118	1,026	5.6%	5.3%
Black	876	689	4.4%	3.6%
Multiracial	413	738	2.1%	3.8%
Asian	154	60	0.8%	0.3%
Native American/Other	96	99	0.5%	0.5%

Polk County, North Carolina has an estimated population of 19,891, a slight increase from the 19,328 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 86.6% White, 5.6% Hispanic, 4.4% Black, 2.1% Multiracial, 0.8% Asian, and 0.5% 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 is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than North Carolina 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 24.6% in 2020 and 24.4% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Polk County is ranked the 81st most populous county in North Carolina, out of 100 counties. Polk County was ranked the 81st most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Polk County's White Population

17,234 residents of Polk County, or 86.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Polk County is significantly higher than in North Carolina overall, where 60% of the population is White. Polk County ranks 11th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's White population has grown by an estimated 3.1%. White residents' share of Polk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 86.6%.

Polk County is more White than neighboring Rutherford County (80.8% White), Henderson County (79.5% White), Spartanburg County (65.3% White), McDowell County (85.6% White), and Greenville County (65.2% White).

Polk County's Black Population

876 residents of Polk County, or 4.4% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Polk County is significantly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 20% of the population is Black. Polk County ranks 83rd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Black population has grown by an estimated 27.1%. Black residents' share of Polk County's population has increased from 3.6% to 4.4%.

Polk County is more Black than neighboring Henderson County (2.6% Black), and McDowell County (3.8% Black). Polk County is less Black than neighboring Rutherford County (7.7% Black), Spartanburg County (19.3% Black), and Greenville County (15.3% Black).

Polk County's Asian Population

154 residents of Polk County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Polk County is slightly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 3.3% of the population is Asian. Polk County ranks 87th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 156.7%. Asian residents' share of Polk County's population has increased from 0.3% to 0.8%.

Polk County is more Asian than neighboring Rutherford County (0.5% Asian). Polk County is less Asian than neighboring Henderson County (1.1% Asian), Spartanburg County (2.3% Asian), McDowell County (1.1% Asian), and Greenville County (2.5% Asian).

Polk County's Hispanic Population

1,118 residents of Polk County, or 5.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Polk County is lower than in North Carolina overall, where 11.3% of the population is Hispanic. Polk County ranks 69th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 9.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Polk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 5.6%.

Polk County is less Hispanic than neighboring Rutherford County (5.7% Hispanic), Henderson County (13.1% Hispanic), Spartanburg County (9.3% Hispanic), McDowell County (7.1% Hispanic), and Greenville County (11.6% Hispanic).

Polk County's Native American/Other Population

96 residents of Polk County, or 0.5% 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 North Carolina overall, where 1.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Polk County ranks 88th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 3.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Polk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Polk County is more Native American/Other than neighboring McDowell County (0.3% Native American/Other). Polk County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Rutherford County (0.9% Native American/Other), Henderson County (0.9% Native American/Other), Spartanburg County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Greenville County (0.8% Native American/Other).

Polk County's Multiracial Population

413 residents of Polk County, or 2.1% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Polk County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 4.1% of the population is Multiracial. Polk County ranks 36th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 44.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Polk County's population has decreased from 3.8% to 2.1%.

Polk County is more Multiracial than neighboring McDowell County (2% Multiracial). Polk County is less Multiracial than neighboring Rutherford County (4.4% Multiracial), Henderson County (2.7% Multiracial), Spartanburg County (3.3% Multiracial), and Greenville 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.