Polk County Demographics

A map of Polk County's Population by Race

Polk County, Texas has an estimated population of 52,800, an increase from the 50,123 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 70.9% White, 15.3% Hispanic, 7.7% Black, 4.5% Multiracial, 1.0% Native American/Other, and 0.6% Asian. 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 less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Texas 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 48.5% in 2020 and 46.6% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Polk County is ranked the 66th most populous county in Texas, out of 254 counties. Polk County was ranked the 67th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Polk County's White Population

37,440 residents of Polk County, or 70.9% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Polk County is significantly higher than in Texas overall, where 39.1% of the population is White. Polk County ranks 75th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's White population has grown by an estimated 7.6%. White residents' share of Polk County's population has increased from 69.4% to 70.9%.

Polk County is more White than neighboring San Jacinto County (68.8% White), and Angelina County (58.2% White). Polk County is less White than neighboring Trinity County (76.9% White), Tyler County (76.4% White), and Hardin County (82.4% White).

Polk County's Black Population

4,079 residents of Polk County, or 7.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Polk County is slightly lower than in Texas overall, where 11.9% of the population is Black. Polk County ranks 56th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Black population has declined by an estimated 16.2%. Black residents' share of Polk County's population has decreased from 9.7% to 7.7%.

Polk County is more Black than neighboring Hardin County (5.6% Black). Polk County is less Black than neighboring San Jacinto County (8.7% Black), Trinity County (7.9% Black), Tyler County (10.7% Black), and Angelina County (12.1% Black).

Polk County's Asian Population

295 residents of Polk County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Polk County is slightly lower than in Texas overall, where 5.5% of the population is Asian. Polk County ranks 98th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 13.2%. Asian residents' share of Polk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Polk County is more Asian than neighboring San Jacinto County (0.3% Asian), Trinity County (0.2% Asian), Tyler County (0.4% Asian), and Hardin County (0.5% Asian). Polk County is less Asian than neighboring Angelina County (0.9% Asian).

Polk County's Hispanic Population

8,100 residents of Polk County, or 15.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Polk County is significantly lower than in Texas overall, where 39.7% of the population is Hispanic. Polk County ranks 209th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 10.3%. Hispanic residents' share of Polk County's population has increased from 14.7% to 15.3%.

Polk County is more Hispanic than neighboring Trinity County (11.2% Hispanic), Tyler County (8.4% Hispanic), and Hardin County (6.8% Hispanic). Polk County is less Hispanic than neighboring San Jacinto County (19.2% Hispanic), and Angelina County (23.5% Hispanic).

Polk County's Native American/Other Population

526 residents of Polk County, or 1.0% 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 Texas overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Polk County ranks 4th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 49.9%. Native American/Other residents' share of Polk County's population has decreased from 2.1% to 1.0%.

Polk County is more Native American/Other than neighboring San Jacinto County (0.1% Native American/Other), Trinity County (0.1% Native American/Other), Tyler County (0.3% Native American/Other), Angelina County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Hardin County (0.2% Native American/Other).

Polk County's Multiracial Population

2,360 residents of Polk County, or 4.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Polk County is comparable to the share in Texas overall, where 3.1% of the population is Multiracial. Polk County ranks 86th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 37.9%. Multiracial residents' share of Polk County's population has increased from 3.4% to 4.5%.

Polk County is more Multiracial than neighboring San Jacinto County (2.9% Multiracial), Trinity County (3.8% Multiracial), and Tyler County (3.8% Multiracial). Polk County is less Multiracial than neighboring Angelina County (4.6% 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.