Communities in Polk County include:

• Click here to download a map of Polk County in .PDF format.   Adjust the map size to zoom in and out.  Be patient this is a large file (1.46 MB).

• The population in 2000 was listed as 41,319.  This is an increase of 18.8% since 1990. The population estimate for 2005 is 44,329.   This is partially from the increasing number of people, especially older adults, moving from Minnesota into rural western Wisconsin.  Polk County is immediately north of St. Croix County which is the fastest growing county in Wisconsin and the fifth fastest growing in the United States. 

• In 2005, it is estimated that 14.8% of the population of Polk County is age 65 and older.

• In  2005, it is estimated that the number of people with disabilities age 5+ is 6,800 in Polk County.

• Polk County is a rural county that covers 917 square miles.  There was an average of 45 persons per square mile in 2000.  There were 21,950 housing units in the county in 2000.

• Agriculture is still a major occupation.  The largest employers are local schools, hospitals and a few large manufacturing facilities.  Many people travel into the Twin Cities metropolitan area for jobs. Mean travel time to work in 2000 was 29 minutes. 

• Median household income for 1999 was $41,193 for Polk County compared to $43,791 for the state of Wisconsin.