Polk County, Florida: commercial real estate data.
Polk County, Florida has a population of 790,694 across 1,798 square miles, up 17.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $44.30 bn in 2024, 13,992 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 589 7(a) approvals worth $327.6 m.
129 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency
Polk County
How many people live in Polk County
- Population790,694
- Households289,425
- Average household size2.73
- Median household income$65,978
- Median age39.5
- Median gross rent$1,363 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$266,500
- Home value to household income4.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income24.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over548,366
- Population under 18173,947
- Share under 1822.0 percent
- Population 65 and over154,193
- Share 65 and over19.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64462,554
- Civilian labor force368,493
- Unemployment rate4.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.7 percent
- Rank by population among Florida counties9th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents82nd
Polk County is the 9th largest of 67 Florida counties by population. A median home costs 4.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.0 percent against 19.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Polk County
Is Polk County's population growing?
- Population change since the 2020 census base17.63 percent
- Census 2020 base population725,036
- Births, 20248,950
- Deaths, 20247,944
- Natural change, 20241,006
- Net domestic migration, 202419,745
- Net international migration, 20248,021
- Total net migration, 202427,766
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024101,372
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents33rd
The county has grown 17.63 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Polk County
Where are people moving to Polk County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving32,388
- People arriving, from those returns60,654
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.82 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$56,052
- Largest single originPolk County Non-migrants (275,157 households)
- Largest single destination (275,157 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County Non-migrants | 275,157 | 552,005 | $17.92 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 5,887 | 11,149 | $391.8 m |
| Orange County | 3,998 | 7,397 | $182.0 m |
| Osceola County | 3,507 | 6,866 | $144.1 m |
| Hillsborough County | 3,274 | 6,104 | $167.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 2,459 | 4,760 | $143.3 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 1,851 | 3,394 | $134.6 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 902 | 1,693 | $58.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Polk County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Polk County
What is the Polk County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$44.30 bn
- County GDP, 2023$41.76 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.1 percent
- GDP change over five years47.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Florida counties9th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents133rd
- GDP per resident$56,032
Output grew 6.1 percent in the latest year and 47.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Polk County
Largest employers in Polk County
- Covered employment, annual average260,590
- Establishments reporting17,281
- Average annual pay$55,697
- Average weekly wage$1,071
- Sector 62, employment34,979
- Sector 62, average annual pay$61,302
- Sector 44-45, employment31,939
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$38,548
- Sector 48-49, employment28,758
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$53,959
- Sector 72, employment21,705
- Sector 72, average annual pay$25,533
- Sector 31-33, employment19,343
- Sector 56, employment18,421
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 34,979 | 1,790 | $61,302 |
| Sector 44-45 | 31,939 | 2,064 | $38,548 |
| Sector 48-49 | 28,758 | 718 | $53,959 |
| Sector 72 | 21,705 | 1,238 | $25,533 |
| Sector 31-33 | 19,343 | 640 | $72,412 |
| Sector 56 | 18,421 | 1,511 | $43,732 |
| Sector 23 | 15,465 | 2,178 | $66,274 |
| Sector 42 | 10,555 | 768 | $78,466 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 34,979 jobs, 13.4 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Polk County
How many businesses are in Polk County?
- Establishments, all industries13,992
- Employment at those establishments232,278
- Annual payroll$11.65 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.7
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Polk County
Building permits in Polk County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202410,384
- Declared construction value permitted$2.74 bn
- Single family units authorised8,514
- Multifamily units authorised1,870
- Multifamily share of units18.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$263,630
- Units authorised per 1,000 households35.9
Multifamily is 18.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Polk County
SBA loans in Polk County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded589
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$327.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$556,121
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,432,500
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)6,402
- Jobs per approval10.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active101
- Distinct industries receiving approvals201
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer17.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms105
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter447
- Franchise loans100
- Franchise share of approvals17.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (22)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (53)
- 504 approvals recorded172
- 504 gross approval dollars$155.0 m
- Average 504 approval$900,948
- Median 504 approval$491,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval11.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.7
- Most active CDCFlorida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (99)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals77.4 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$482.5 m
The average approval of $556,121 sits well above the median of $250,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 17.8 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Polk County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Polk County
Do SBA loans in Polk County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded93
- Paid in full86
- Charged off7
- Charge off rate on resolved loans7.5 percent
- Status: Paid in full86
- Status: Exempt from disclosure376
- Status: Cancelled97
- Status: Charged off7
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed23
Of the 93 loans that have reached a final outcome, 7.5 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Polk County
SBA lending by place in Polk County
- Places in the county with recorded lending25
- LAKELAND, approvals283
- DAVENPORT, approvals91
- WINTER HAVEN, approvals73
- AUBURNDALE, approvals29
- Lake Wales, approvals26
- Haines City, approvals25
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| LAKELAND | 283 | $166,481,000 |
| DAVENPORT | 91 | $39,663,900 |
| WINTER HAVEN | 73 | $30,294,200 |
| AUBURNDALE | 29 | $21,522,500 |
| Lake Wales | 26 | $13,384,600 |
| Haines City | 25 | $12,736,100 |
| BARTOW | 22 | $15,431,800 |
| MULBERRY | 7 | $2,698,300 |
LAKELAND accounts for 283 approvals against 91 in DAVENPORT. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Polk County
How large is Polk County?
- Land area1,798 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Florida counties4th of 67
- Width, east to west59.5 mi
- Height, north to south49.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land440
- Establishments per square mile7.78
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Polk County
Flood risk in Polk County
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book18
- Of those, participating in the NFIP16
- NFIP participation rate88.9 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class4
- Radon levels in Polk County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The EPA places Polk County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class in Polk County is 6, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 88.9 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Polk County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Polk County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population790,694
- Households289,425
- Average household size2.73
- Median household income$65,978
- Median age39.5
Common questions
Polk County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Polk County, Florida?
790,694, in 289,425 households, ranking 9th of 67 Florida counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Polk County's population growing?
The population has grown 17.63 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 8,950 births against 7,944 deaths, with net migration of 27,766. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Polk County?
$65,978. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $266,500, which is 4.0 times income, and median gross rent is $1,363 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Polk County?
13,992 establishments, employing 232,278 people with an annual payroll of $11.65 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Polk County?
Average annual pay is $55,697, or $1,071 a week, across 260,590 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Polk County?
589 7(a) approvals totalling $327.6 m since FY2020, across 101 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 172 504 approvals worth $155.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Polk County get paid back?
Of the 93 loans that have reached a final outcome, 86 were paid in full and 7 charged off, a charge off rate of 7.5 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Polk County?
10,384 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.74 bn. Multifamily was 18.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Polk County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Polk County come from?
The largest single origin is Polk County Non-migrants, with 275,157 households. Arriving households report an average income of $56,052 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Polk County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Polk County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.
Polk County
Cities and places in Polk.
40 Census places lie wholly or partly in Polk County. 40 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA approvals | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland | city | 119,961 | 283 | Wholly in this county |
| Poinciana | CDP | 75,068 | None recorded | 51.7 percent here, 48.3 percent Osceola County |
| Winter Haven | city | 55,200 | 73 | Wholly in this county |
| Haines City | city | 34,234 | 25 | Wholly in this county |
| Bartow | city | 20,438 | 22 | Wholly in this county |
| Auburndale | city | 18,530 | 29 | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Wales | city | 16,785 | 26 | Wholly in this county |
| Highland City | CDP | 13,276 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Davenport | city | 13,238 | 95 | Wholly in this county |
| Lakeland Highlands | CDP | 12,102 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Medulla | CDP | 10,985 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fuller Heights | CDP | 10,083 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cypress Gardens | CDP | 10,077 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Loughman | CDP | 7,591 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Inwood | CDP | 7,556 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Willow Oak | CDP | 7,454 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Alfred | city | 7,277 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Kathleen | CDP | 7,201 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Dundee | town | 5,863 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Jan Phyl Village | CDP | 5,708 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fussels Corner | CDP | 5,682 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Crystal Lake | CDP | 5,451 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Combee Settlement | CDP | 5,242 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fort Meade | city | 5,225 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Alturas | CDP | 4,581 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mulberry | city | 4,188 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Eagle Lake | city | 3,893 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Wahneta | CDP | 3,876 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Frostproof | city | 3,346 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Polk City | town | 2,974 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Grenelefe | CDP | 2,797 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Crooked Lake Park | CDP | 2,641 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Hamilton | town | 1,777 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Babson Park | CDP | 1,093 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Indian Lake Estates | CDP | 984 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bradley Junction | CDP | 631 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hillcrest Heights | town | 377 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Homeland | CDP | 363 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Highland Park | village | 282 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Waverly | CDP | 187 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 53 SBA approvals in Polk County are recorded against borrower cities that match no Census place, the largest being Haines City, Champions Gate, Howard. Those are postal cities and unincorporated areas rather than incorporated places, so no page claims them, and their lending is counted in this county's totals above rather than under any city.