Polk County Demographics

A map of Polk County's Population by Race

Polk County, Tennessee has an estimated population of 17,898, a slight increase from the 17,544 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 89.1% White, 7.4% Multiracial, 2.2% Hispanic, 0.8% Black, 0.3% Asian, and 0.3% 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 considerably more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Tennessee 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 13.3% in 2020 and 20.1% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Polk County is ranked the 71st most populous county in Tennessee, out of 95 counties. Polk County was ranked the 73rd most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Polk County's White Population

15,941 residents of Polk County, or 89.1% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Polk County is significantly higher than in Tennessee overall, where 71% of the population is White. Polk County ranks 13th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's White population has declined by an estimated 2.3%. White residents' share of Polk County's population has decreased from 93.0% to 89.1%.

Polk County is more White than neighboring McMinn County (85.8% White), Bradley County (81.2% White), Murray County (79.6% White), and Monroe County (86.9% White). Polk County is less White than neighboring Fannin County (91.8% White).

Polk County's Black Population

138 residents of Polk County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Polk County is considerably lower than in Tennessee overall, where 15.4% of the population is Black. Polk County ranks 86th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Black population has grown by an estimated 126.2%. Black residents' share of Polk County's population has increased from 0.3% to 0.8%.

Polk County is more Black than neighboring Fannin County (0.4% Black), and Murray County (0.6% Black). Polk County is less Black than neighboring McMinn County (3.2% Black), Bradley County (4.1% Black), and Monroe County (2% Black).

Polk County's Asian Population

50 residents of Polk County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Polk County is comparable to the share in Tennessee overall, where 1.9% of the population is Asian. Polk County ranks 83rd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 51.5%. Asian residents' share of Polk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Polk County is more Asian than neighboring Monroe County (0.2% Asian). Polk County is less Asian than neighboring McMinn County (0.8% Asian), Fannin County (0.8% Asian), Bradley County (1.1% Asian), and Murray County (0.4% Asian).

Polk County's Hispanic Population

388 residents of Polk County, or 2.2% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Polk County is lower than in Tennessee overall, where 7.4% of the population is Hispanic. Polk County ranks 83rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 30.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Polk County's population has increased from 1.7% to 2.2%.

Polk County is less Hispanic than neighboring McMinn County (4.6% Hispanic), Fannin County (3.3% Hispanic), Bradley County (8.4% Hispanic), Murray County (16.1% Hispanic), and Monroe County (4.7% Hispanic).

Polk County's Native American/Other Population

54 residents of Polk County, or 0.3% 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 Tennessee overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Polk County ranks 51st statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 41.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Polk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Polk County is more Native American/Other than neighboring McMinn County (0.2% Native American/Other). Polk County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Fannin County (0.5% Native American/Other), Bradley County (0.9% Native American/Other), Murray County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Monroe County (0.5% Native American/Other).

Polk County's Multiracial Population

1,327 residents of Polk County, or 7.4% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Polk County is slightly higher than in Tennessee overall, where 3.7% of the population is Multiracial. Polk County ranks 19th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 77.4%. Multiracial residents' share of Polk County's population has increased from 4.3% to 7.4%.

Polk County is more Multiracial than neighboring McMinn County (5.4% Multiracial), Fannin County (3.2% Multiracial), Bradley County (4.2% Multiracial), Murray County (2.6% Multiracial), and Monroe County (5.7% 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.