How many people live in Polk County, FL?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 852,900 people living in Polk County, FL. That makes Polk County the ninth-most populous county in Florida. It is home to 3.6% of people living in the state.
853K
population of Polk County, FL (2024)
3.6%
County share of the Florida population (2024)
About 852,900 people lived in Polk County, FL in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Polk County, FL’s age demographics?
About 163,900 Polk County, FL residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 19.2% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 21.8% of Florida’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 185,900 Polk County residents, or 21.8% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 19.3% of Florida’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Polk County, FL's population is aged 65 or older than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Polk County, FL’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Hispanic residents make up 31.8% of the Polk County, FL population, higher than the national share of 20%. Polk County, FL also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic Black or African American (15.2%) than the US overall (12.6%).
In contrast, Polk County’s non-Hispanic white population accounts for 48.7%, below the 57.5% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Asian population makes up 2.1% of the county, compared with 6.5% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Polk County, FL has a higher share of a Hispanic population than Florida as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Polk County, FL is Lakeland with about 125,000 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Polk County, FL ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Lakeland | 124,990 |
| 2. | Winter Haven | 59,975 |
| 3. | Haines City | 42,073 |
| 4. | Bartow | 22,084 |
| 5. | Auburndale | 20,659 |
| 6. | Lake Wales | 17,798 |
| 7. | Davenport | 16,764 |
| 8. | Lake Alfred | 8,632 |
| 9. | Dundee | 6,275 |
| 10. | Eagle Lake | 5,576 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
