In Polk, Iowa, the median home price is $283,819, compared with the Iowa median of $237,481; median household income is $83,576; the population is 503,175; schools rate 7.5 out of 10; the violent crime rate is 409.1 per 100k; and the average commute is 20.0 minutes. Sources: Zillow Research and the US Census Bureau.
Data updated June 2026 - Source: Zillow Research
Polk at a glance
Population
503,175
Median Household Income
$83,576
Typical Home Value
$283,819
School District Rating
7.5
Violent Crime Rate
409.1
Avg Commute Time
20.0
About Polk
Polk has a population of 503,175. The median home value is $283,819, 20% above the Iowa median. Median household income is $83,576 (11% above the Iowa median). The most populated towns are Des Moines, Walnut, and Crocker.
Data comes from public sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Center for Education Statistics, the FBI, the EPA, Zillow, and Redfin. Source attribution is shown on each metric.
Towns in Polk
22 towns, by population.
- Des Moines100,004 pop.
- Walnut69,695 pop.
- Crocker68,211 pop.
- Lee64,103 pop.
- Webster63,017 pop.
- Bloomfield33,841 pop.
- Clay23,327 pop.
- Jefferson14,527 pop.
- Douglas12,380 pop.
- Four Mile11,559 pop.
- Delaware10,261 pop.
- Saylor6,753 pop.
- Madison6,101 pop.
- Franklin5,485 pop.
- Allen4,226 pop.
- Beaver3,282 pop.
- Camp2,590 pop.
- Elkhart1,609 pop.
- Lincoln1,473 pop.
- Washington297 pop.
- Union296 pop.
- Saylorville Reservoir138 pop.
County rankings in Iowa
Every county in Iowa, ranked on one decision metric at a time.
- 01Cheapest home pricesCheapest Counties to Buy a House in Iowa
- 02Lowest monthly housing paymentCounties With the Lowest Monthly Housing Payment in Iowa
- 03Lowest property taxLowest Property Taxes in Iowa by County
- 04Cheapest homeowners insuranceCounties With the Cheapest Homeowners Insurance in Iowa
- 05Cheapest childcare costCounties With the Cheapest Childcare in Iowa
- 06Lowest natural disaster riskLowest Natural Disaster Risk Counties in Iowa
- 07Lowest flood riskLowest Flood Risk Counties in Iowa
- 08Lowest wildfire riskLowest Wildfire Risk Counties in Iowa
- 09Safest countiesSafest Counties (Lowest Violent Crime) in Iowa
- 10Best school ratingsIowa School Rankings by County
- 11Highest household incomeCounties With the Highest Household Income in Iowa
- 12Shortest commute timeCounties With the Shortest Commute in Iowa
- 13Fastest-selling homesCounties Where Homes Sell Fastest in Iowa
Polk at a glance: frequently asked questions
- What is the population of Polk?
- Polk has a population of 503,175 based on the most recent US Census estimate.
- What is the median home price in Polk?
- The median home value in Polk is $283,819. Open the interactive map to see the distribution town by town.
- What is the median household income in Polk?
- Median household income in Polk is $83,576 per year, sourced from the US Census American Community Survey.
- What state is Polk in?
- Polk is in Iowa.
- How many towns are in Polk?
- Polk contains 22 towns and municipalities. Click any town below or on the map to see its housing, school, and crime data.
Compare Polk with other places
Put up to four states, counties, towns, or ZIPs side by side on income, housing, crime, education, and more.
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