Polk County, Florida
Among the top 24% of US counties for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade C, better than 38% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade B+, better than 76% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade D, better than 23% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 75% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B+, better than 72% of US counties
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 4% for annual snowfall
- bottom 3% for natural disaster risk
Polk County is a county in Florida with about 736,000 residents. It grades B+ for weather and D for safety & wellbeing. Standout strengths include comfortable days, annual snowfall, and park & nature access. It rates lower on summer humidity and natural disaster risk.
Official websitepolk-county.net (opens in new tab)
Climate
Hot, humid summers · Mild winters · Wet
comf.
warm
hot
warm
comf.
71%61%clearovercast
Precipitation 8.1 in2.6 in
oppressive 98%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$61k51st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$49kbetter than 24% of US counties
Home Value$216k72nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 12% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$1kbetter than 28% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.73%better than 60% of US counties
Income Tax0.00%better than 91% of US counties
Sales Tax7.00%better than 61% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden4.90%better than 93% of US counties
Unemployment4.6%better than 52% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)62°F97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)84°F91st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation52.5 in80th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 96% of US counties
Sunny Days215 daysbetter than 28% of US counties
Summer Humidity73°Fbetter than 6% of US counties
Comfortable Days136 daysbetter than 99% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk96.5better than 3% of US counties
Air Quality42 AQIbetter than 56% of US counties
School Quality35.1better than 8% of US counties
Violent Crime881/100kbetter than 43% of US counties
Property Crime779/100kbetter than 57% of US counties
Community
Population736,22997th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age39.834th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5588th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9729th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+1526th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)54.4%18th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)14.4%81st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)26.2%88th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)1.7%81st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.3%48th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time30 minbetter than 19% of US counties
Walkability7.6/20better than 83% of US counties
Airport Distance35 mibetter than 89% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access84.9%better than 61% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.87better than 35% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessExcellentbetter than 93% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Polk County an affordable place to live?
- Polk County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $49k, better than 24% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Polk County?
- The median home value in Polk County is $216k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Polk County?
- Median household income in Polk County is $61k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Polk County?
- Median gross rent in Polk County is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Polk County safe?
- Polk County is about average for safety comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 881/100k (better than 43%). Property crime is 779/100k.
- What is the weather like in Polk County?
- Polk County averages 84°F in July and 62°F in January, with 52.5 in of annual precipitation and about 215 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Polk County?
- Public-school quality in Polk County is below average, scoring better than 8% 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 30 min.
Other counties in Florida
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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)