Polk County is a county located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,519. According to the American Community Survey 2024 population was estimated at 32,444. The county seat is Bolivar. The county was organized January 5, 1835, and is named for Ezekiel Polk. Polk County is part of the Springfield metropolitan area.

History Polk County was separated and organized from Greene County on January 5, 1835. A supplement to the boundary change was made on March 13, 1835."History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade, and Barton counties, Missouri." published 1889, Goodspeed Publishing, p. 286. Its original boundaries were later reduced in creating Dade, Dallas, and Hickory counties. It was named in honor of Col. Ezekiel Polk of Tennessee, a soldier who served under General George Washington and who was the grandfather of John Polk Campbell and Ezekiel Madison Campbell, brothers who helped to settle Polk and Greene counties."Polk County Classics, a Sesquicentennial Photograph Album, 1835-1985" by George Francis Hooper and James C. Sterling, published 1985, p. 4, "History and Families of Polk County, Missouri", published 2002 by the Polk County Genealogical Society, Inc., p. 8. Ezekiel Polk was also the grandfather of James K. Polk, who was a member of the US House of Representatives in 1835. He was elected President of the United States in 1844.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.1%) is water.

Adjacent counties Hickory County (north) Dallas County (east) Greene County (south) Dade County (southwest) Cedar County (west) St. Clair County (northwest)

Major highways Route 13 Route 32 Route 83 Route 123 Route 215

Transit Jefferson Lines

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Polk County, Missouri – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)18,56021,38426,02429,56528,68298.61%97.97%96.41%94.95%91.00%Black or African American alone (NH)33671192262420.18%0.31%0.44%0.73%0.77%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)831251761901900.44%0.57%0.65%0.61%0.60%Asian alone (NH)2171511041310.11%0.33%0.19%0.33%0.42%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census894xx0.03%0.03%0.01%Other race alone (NH)17679610.09%0.03%0.03%0.03%0.19%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census2574191,418xx0.95%1.35%4.50%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1081733506157910.57%0.79%1.30%1.98%2.51%Total18,82221,82626,99231,13731,519 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 31,519. The median age was 39.3 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.4 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 92.2% White, 0.8% Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.6% from some other race, and 5.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.5% of the population.

+Racial composition in Polk CountyRaceNum.Perc.White (NH)28,68291%Black or African American (NH)2420.76%Native American (NH)1900.6%Asian (NH)1310.42%Pacific Islander (NH)40.01%Other/Mixed (NH)1,4794.7%Hispanic or Latino7912.51%

32.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 67.2% lived in rural areas.

There were 11,992 households in the county, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 13,387 housing units, of which 10.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 69.7% were owner-occupied and 30.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%. 2000 census As of the 2000 census, there were 26,992 people, 9,917 households, and 7,140 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 11,183 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.26% White, 0.45% Black or African American, 0.67% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Approximately 1.30% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,917 households, out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% were married couples living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 23.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.70% under the age of 18, 12.60% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 20.80% from 45 to 64, and 15.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,656, and the median income for a family was $35,843. Males had a median income of $25,383 versus $18,799 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,645. About 11.10% of families and 16.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.00% of those under age 18 and 12.00% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public libraries Polk County Public Library High Schools Bolivar High School Halfway Secondary School Fair Play Secondary School Pleasant Hope Secondary School Universities Southwest Baptist University Bolivar Technical College

Media The Bolivar Herald-Free Press is published twice weekly.

Communities

Cities Bolivar (county seat) Fair Play Humansville Morrisville Pleasant Hope

Villages Aldrich Flemington Goodnight, from 2003 to 2016 Halfway

Unincorporated communities

Adonis Brighton Burns Cliquot Dunnegan Eudora Goodson Graydon Springs Huckaby Huron Karlin Knox Mohawk Corner Polk Rimby Rock Prairie Rondo Schofield Sentinel Slagle Sunset Tin Town Van Violet West Bend Wishart

Townships Polk County is divided into 22 townships:

Campbell Township Cliquot Township East Looney Township East Madison Township Flemington Township Jackson Township Jefferson Township Johnson Township McKinley Township Mooney Township North Benton Township North Green Township Northeast Marion Township Northwest Marion Township South Benton Township South Green Township Southeast Marion Township Southwest Marion Township Union Township West Looney Township West Madison Township Wishart Township

Politics

Local

The Republican Party completely controls politics at the local level in Polk County. Republicans hold all of the elected positions in the county.

State

+ Past gubernatorial elections results Year Republican Democratic Third parties202479.38% 12,48718.69% 2,9401.93% 304202081.74% 12,31916.42% 2,4751.84% 278201666.92% 9,25130.15% 4,1682.92% 404201253.89% 7,05243.15% 5,6472.96% 388200845.76% 6,24449.52% 6,7584.72% 644200467.84% 8,41830.90% 3,8351.56% 1.26200058.65% 5,99639.79% 4,0681.55% 159199655.64% 5,04340.51% 3,6723.85% 349

All of Polk County is in the 128th district in the Missouri House of Representatives, and is represented by Christopher Warwick (R-Bolivar), who was elected in 2024.

All of Polk County is a part of Missouri's 28th district in the Missouri Senate, which is currently held by Republican Sandy Crawford.

Federal

All of Polk county is included in Missouri's 4th congressional district and is currently represented by Mark Alford (R-Lake Winnebago) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Political culture Polk County has been a Republican Party stronghold for most of its history at the presidential level. In only four presidential elections from 1896 to the present has a Democratic Party candidate carried the county, the most recent being Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)

Former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-Arkansas) received more votes, a total of 2,317, than any candidate from either party in Polk County during the 2008 presidential primary.

See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Polk County, Missouri

References

External links Bolivar Herald-Free Press Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Polk County from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books Polk County Sheriff's Office