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Polk County, Florida: crime rate, income and local data
Polk County averaged 2.6 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, 11% lower than the Florida rate (2.9). Households here have a median income of $65,978 and the unemployment rate was 5.6% in August 2026. Population: about 790,694 (Census, 2020-2024).
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Polk County?
Police agencies in Polk County reported an average of 2,173 violent crimes and 8,045 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. The violent rate, 2.6 per 1,000 people, is 11% lower than the Florida rate (2.9); nationally it is 3.7. For property crime the county rate is 9.6 per 1,000 (Florida: 14.4; U.S.: 18.1). Aggravated assaults make up 83% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 38 homicide deaths a year in the county (5.2 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Polk County | Per 1,000 | Florida per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 2,173 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 27 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 155 | 0.19 | 0.30 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 188 | 0.22 | 0.39 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 1,804 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 8,045 | 9.6 | 14.4 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 1,344 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 6,138 | 7.3 | 11.7 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 564 | 0.67 | 1.1 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (10 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Polk County?
The median household in Polk County earns $65,978 a year, 12% lower than the Florida median ($74,568). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $266,500, and the median rent is $1,363 a month. 14.6% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 12.6%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 5.6% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 20,441 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Polk County | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 790,694 | 22,416,077 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $65,978 | $74,568 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $266,500 | $359,000 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,363 | $1,669 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 4.8% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 14.5% | 12.6% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 14.6% | 12.6% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 23.5% | 34.1% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 70.5% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 39.5 | 42.6 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 90.7% | 91.6% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 12.4% | 11.5% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Polk County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Polk County as “Relatively High”. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are hurricanes (Very High), tornadoes (Relatively High) and river flooding (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in Polk County: Landia Chemical Company. 2 other sites have finished cleanup and been taken off the list. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 19 high-hazard dams in Polk County. 1 is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 8 Satisfactory or Fair. Tallest on the list: Fort Meade Pr-4 (54 ft) and K-7 (50 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
66 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 3,255,850 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Polk County was covered by 6 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Hurricane 5, Tropical Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. In 2024, 1 of 365 monitored days had an air quality index of “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse (EPA). Of 149 community water systems, 32 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 113 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 22 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Polk County?
The state DOT feed had no interstate, U.S. or state highway work zones in Polk County on October 11, 2026. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel. The map's layer refreshes every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Polk County?
Polk County has 166 public schools (2024-25) and 57 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 25 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 61 fire or EMS stations and 27 police or sheriff stations. 3 state parks or recreation areas: Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park, Colt Creek State Park and Lake Kissimmee State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Polk County
Gun shops
36 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Polk County (35 from the ATF licensee list, 1 from OpenStreetMap), plus 59 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 19 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: A Plus Pawn Shop INC (Bartow), Absolute Pawn (Lakeland), Academy Sports + Outdoors #390 (Lakeland), Cash America Pawn (Auburndale), Cash America Pawn (2 in Lakeland), Cash America Pawn (Winter Haven), Conibear RV Center (Lakeland), Gcpawn Com (Lakeland) and 26 more.
Liquor stores
66 liquor stores are on the map in Polk County: ABC Liquors #59 (Lake Wales), ABC Liquors #63 (Haines City), Abe Wine And Spirits (Mulberry), Arkh Liquor (Auburndale), Arkh Liquor #2 (Winter Haven), Beverage Castle (Auburndale), Beverage Castle (Winter Haven), Beverage Castle-Kegs To Go (Lake Alfred) and 58 more.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Polk County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Polk County?
Polk County averaged 2,173 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 2.6 per 1,000 residents, 11% lower than the Florida rate (2.9). The property-crime rate was 9.6 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Polk County?
$65,978 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $74,568 for Florida and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Polk County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 5.6% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 20,441 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Polk County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Polk County as “Relatively High”. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are hurricanes (Very High), tornadoes (Relatively High) and river flooding (Relatively High).
Are there Superfund sites in Polk County?
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in Polk County: Landia Chemical Company. 2 other sites have finished cleanup and been taken off the list.
Is there road construction in Polk County right now?
The state DOT feed had no interstate, U.S. or state highway work zones in Polk County on October 11, 2026. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel.
How many nursing homes are in Polk County?
25 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Polk County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardee County | 25,675 | 2.7 | $60,489 |
| Highlands County | 105,702 | 0.20 | $54,897 |
| Hillsborough County | 1,522,748 | 2.5 | $79,540 |
| Lake County | 412,924 | 1.8 | $73,161 |
| Manatee County | 429,792 | – | $78,457 |
| Okeechobee County | 40,816 | 3.1 | $57,984 |
| Osceola County | 427,415 | 2.9 | $72,637 |
| Pasco County | 611,444 | 2.0 | $70,492 |
| Sumter County | 143,408 | 1.3 | $76,508 |
Cities in Polk County with their own page: Lakeland, Poinciana, Winter Haven.
More: Florida statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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