Polk County vs Scott County
A side-by-side comparison of Polk County and Scott County: population, income, housing, and more.
Polk County and Scott County are counties in Iowa. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Polk County has the higher population (497,441 vs 174,302 in Scott County). Polk County has the higher median household income ($81,621 vs $76,363 in Scott County). Polk County has the higher median home value ($248,400 vs $212,500 in Scott County).
Population, income & housing
| Polk County | Scott County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 497,441 | 174,302 |
| Median age | 36.2 yrs | 39.0 yrs |
| Median household income | $81,621 | $76,363 |
| Median home value | $248,400 | $212,500 |
| Median gross rent | $1,113 | $958 |
| Housing units | 215,016 | 78,130 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.1% | 69.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.5% | 36.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 3.7% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Polk County | Scott County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 479,612 → 497,441 (+3.7%) | 172,446 → 174,302 (+1.1%) |
| Median household income | $67,637 → $81,621 (+20.7%) | $61,183 → $76,363 (+24.8%) |
| Median home value | $179,900 → $248,400 (+38.1%) | $163,200 → $212,500 (+30.2%) |
| Median gross rent | $910 → $1,113 (+22.3%) | $793 → $958 (+20.8%) |
Polk County
479,612497,441
$67,637$81,621
$179,900$248,400
$910$1,113
Scott County
172,446174,302
$61,183$76,363
$163,200$212,500
$793$958
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Polk County | Scott County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 6.6% | 5.9% |
| 5 to 17 | 18.0% | 17.5% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.7% | 8.4% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.1% | 12.6% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.2% | 13.6% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.1% | 12.0% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.6% | 12.9% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and over | 5.3% | 6.9% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Polk County | Scott County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 74.1% | 77.6% |
| Black or African American | 7.4% | 7.0% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 4.9% | 2.9% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Two or more races | 3.3% | 4.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.0% | 7.2% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Polk County | Scott County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 7.5% | 5.8% |
| High school graduate | 24.3% | 25.7% |
| Some college or associate's | 28.7% | 32.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 26.7% | 22.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 12.8% | 13.6% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Polk County | Scott County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 74.1% | 80.1% |
| Carpooled | 8.6% | 6.4% |
| Public transit | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| Walked | 1.4% | 1.7% |
| Bicycle | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Worked from home | 13.9% | 9.9% |
| Other means | 1.2% | 0.9% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Polk County | Scott County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 62.4% | 68.3% |
| 1-unit, attached | 7.6% | 6.5% |
| 2 to 4 units | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| 5 to 19 units | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| 20 or more units | 14.8% | 7.2% |
| Mobile home & other | 2.1% | 2.2% |
Poverty & households
| Polk County | Scott County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| Average household size | 2.41 | 2.35 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 20 | 20 |
| Median year structure built | 1981 | 1972 |
Full profiles
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