Polk County, Arkansas
AffordabilityAffordability: grade B+, better than 74% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade C, better than 40% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 30% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade C, better than 31% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade D, better than 12% of US counties
- top 8% for property tax rate
- top 10% for monthly owner costs
- bottom 6% for sales tax
Polk County is a county in Arkansas with about 19,000 residents. It grades B+ for affordability and D for lifestyle & connectivity. Standout strengths include property tax rate, monthly owner costs, and cost of living. It rates lower on unemployment and sales tax.
Climate
Hot, humid summers · Cool winters · Wet · Light snow
cold
cool
comfortable
warm
hot
warm
cool
86%60%clearovercast
Precipitation 5.8 in4.3 in
muggy 88%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$48k18th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$43kbetter than 83% of US counties
Home Value$121k26th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$730better than 72% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$1kbetter than 90% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.43%better than 92% of US counties
Income Tax4.40%better than 67% of US counties
Sales Tax9.45%better than 6% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden8.60%better than 70% of US counties
Unemployment9.0%better than 7% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)42°F72nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)82°F79th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation58.6 in94th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall3.5 inbetter than 67% of US counties
Sunny Days256 daysbetter than 72% of US counties
Summer Humidity70°Fbetter than 20% of US counties
Comfortable Days70 daysbetter than 27% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk46.1better than 53% of US counties
Air Quality40 AQIbetter than 65% of US counties
School Quality42.1better than 20% of US counties
Violent Crime1401/100kbetter than 18% of US counties
Property Crime1252/100kbetter than 34% of US counties
Community
Population19,38441st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age44.474th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.1935th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9622nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+7092nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)87.1%63rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)0.1%8th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)6.6%61st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.2%21st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)5.9%84th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time22 minbetter than 69% of US counties
Walkability5.4/20better than 29% of US counties
Airport Distance153 mibetter than 24% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access76.6%better than 19% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.00better than 12% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 45% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Polk County an affordable place to live?
- Polk County is relatively affordable. Its cost-of-living index is $43k, better than 83% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Polk County?
- The median home value in Polk County is $121k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Polk County?
- Median household income in Polk County is $48k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Polk County?
- Median gross rent in Polk County is $730 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Polk County safe?
- Polk County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1401/100k (better than 18%). Property crime is 1252/100k.
- What is the weather like in Polk County?
- Polk County averages 82°F in July and 42°F in January, with 58.6 in of annual precipitation and about 256 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Polk County?
- Public-school quality in Polk County is below average, scoring better than 20% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Polk County?
- The average one-way commute in Polk County is 22 min.
Other counties in Arkansas
Explore Arkansas
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)