Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Polk City earns a D−, 591st of 634 graded towns in Florida, mostly because of schools. Its public schools trail 88% of Florida towns on state tests and graduation. In its favor, the median household earns $80K. Polk City's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 95% of U.S. towns. Polk City’s January low is 49°F, against 51°F in Florida’s towns and 22°F across U.S. towns. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 76% of U.S. towns.
Where Polk City beats most towns.
1,562 counted in 2010 and 2,713 in 2020; an estimated 3,082 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 12.7% since 2020, after 73.7% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Polk City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 222 in 1930, a low of 151 in 1970, 2,713 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1940 and 3 maps from 1944 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Polk City. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi Theme parkWalt Disney World Resort
Big draw30 mi Theme parkUniversal Studios Florida9.5M visitors a year
Big draw29 mi Theme parkUniversal Epic Universe
Big draw30 mi Theme parkUniversal's Islands of Adventure9.5M visitors a year
Big draw36 mi Stadium & arenaCamping World Stadium
27 mi Theme parkSeaWorld Orlando4.3M visitors a yearWalt Disney World Resort: Anthony Quintano from Westminster, United States, CC BY 2.0 · Universal Studios Florida: Radiobroadcastcenter, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Universal Epic Universe: Martin Lewison, CC BY 2.0 · Universal's Islands of Adventure: David Bjorgen, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Camping World Stadium: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · SeaWorld Orlando: SeaWorld, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Polk City, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Polk City.
Polk City has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, has home values still below their peak and has more than doubled its jobs in ten years.
Its public schools are run by the Polk school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk City Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 545 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
The typical value, about $250K, is 9% below its April 2024 peak.
The typical Polk City home is worth about $250,000, down 3.1% in a year, 33% below the Florida typical home. The median rent in Polk City is $1,111 a month.
| Polk City | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 83% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,111 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Jobs based here grew from 355 in 2013 to 775.
Most working residents leave Polk City for work: only 3% work in town. Polk City’s average trip to work is 32 minutes. Jobs based in Polk City grew to 775 in 2023, 420 more than in 2013.
| Polk City | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.7% | 5% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Polk City beats the Florida average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 42% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Polk City.
| Polk City | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 36% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 8.1% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 32% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Polk City | FL |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 15.4% | 12.4% |
| More adults with obesity | 39.3% | 31.9% |
| More adults with depression | 20.4% | 17.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 71% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Polk City | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.7% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Freedom Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Bartow 1se weather station, 20 miles away, records that about 121 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. January nights average 49.3°, milder than in 98% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 92.1°.
Polk City has warm winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
4 within 15 miles of the center of Polk City
About 3 of every 100 Polk City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
Where Polk City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Florida, United States
Polk City is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven metropolitan statistical area. Its population was 2,713 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Polk City.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk City | #591 | D− | C | — | D | C |
| Auburndale | #583 | D− | C | C | D | C− |
| Lakeland | #567 | D | C− | C− | D | C |
Polk City reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Polk City with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Polk City grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #591 of 634 in Florida. It grades C for health and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 3.8 years of the area's median household income ($65,978 across the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
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