Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Few places in the country grade higher. Polk City earns an A+, 8th among Iowa's 140 graded towns. Its schools outperform 98% of the state's, it reports less crime per resident than 91% of U.S. towns, and the median household earns $164K. Its lowest mark, a C+, is in cost of living. Polk City’s median household income is $164,000, above both the Iowa town median ($69,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). Only 1 of Iowa’s 276 towns score higher on the outdoors. Big Creek Schoolhouse is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Polk City beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| North Polk West Elementary School | PK–2 | 396 |
| Big Creek Elementary | 3–5 | 357 |
3,418 counted in 2010 and 5,543 in 2020; an estimated 6,630 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 19.4% since 2020, after 62.2% 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 Iowa), ordered by how far Polk City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 443 in 1880, a low of 277 in 1920, 5,543 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1911 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Polk City. Close and well known come first.
14 mi Stadium & arenaCasey's Center
15 mi MuseumIowa State Capitol15 mi Theme parkAdventureland
17 mi Stadium & arenaHilton Coliseum
14 mi MuseumDes Moines Art Center
13 mi Stadium & arenaDrake StadiumCasey's Center: Iowahwyman at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Iowa State Capitol: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Hilton Coliseum: Johannes Cater--Jaretac (talk) 15:14, 17 June 2009 (UTC), Public domain · Des Moines Art Center: Nhandler at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Drake Stadium: U.S. Navy photo by James Woods, Public domain
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 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Polk City.
Polk City has schools in the top 5% of Iowa, keeps more of its land conserved than most of Iowa and has less tooth loss than most of Iowa.
Its 2,422 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in any other Iowa town. Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #1 of 140 in Iowa.
The biggest park or preserve is Polk City Refuge, at 500 acres. There are 11 miles of trail across 10 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Big Creek State Park | 3.5 mi | 432 |
| 2. Polk City Refuge | 0.1 mi | 500 |
| 3. Saylorville Lake Project | — | 66 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
That grade ranks #1 of the 140 Iowa towns we grade for schools.
Public schools: the North Polk Community School District. One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Polk West Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 396 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
The median property tax bill is $6,696, against $2,897 across Iowa, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The going rate for rent in Polk City is $782 a month. Among 140 Iowa towns, just 7 have a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than Polk City. Homes sold in Polk City spent a median 41 days on the market.
| Polk City | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 89% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $782 a month | $913 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 residents.
Polk City’s property crime rate stands at 5.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Polk City | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.2 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.1 per 1,000 residents | 7.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its widest gap with Iowa is tooth loss: 4.9% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.6% statewide. Against the 1,923 U.S. towns with household incomes like Polk City’s, it is less healthy than 72%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Only 10 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have diabetes than Polk City. CDC measures, 32 in all: Polk City beats Iowa on 15 and trails on 2. Polk City: 24% of adults binge drink.
| Polk City | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 20% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.1% | 12% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 26% | 25% |
| What stands out | Polk City | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.9% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.7% | 12% |
| More binge drinkers | 23.5% | 20.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Polk City has 758 jobs for its 2,798 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here grew from 426 in 2013 to 758.
For most workers, Polk City is a place to come home to: only 5% work in town. Among workers in the town, 22% work remotely from home. This Iowa town had 758 jobs in 2023, up 332 from 2013. Also worth knowing: in Polk City, the average trip to work is 24 minutes.
| Polk City | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 22% | 8.5% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.8% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.7% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In July, afternoons reach 85°; in January, nights fall to 12°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in nearly two thirds of U.S. communities. 46% of Polk City’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 18%. Federal aid has come to Polk City households in 6 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
5 within 15 miles of the center of Polk City
About 5 of every 100 Polk City residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
65.8% of the town is conserved land, across 10 parks and preserves.
City in Iowa, United States
Polk City is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,543 in the 2020 census, an increase from 3,418 in 2010. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. Polk City is located along Saylorville Lake and near Big Creek State Park.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Polk City grades A+ overall, better than 98% of U.S. towns and #8 of 140 in Iowa. It grades A for health, A for safety and A+ for schools.
Yes, by national standards. Polk City reports less crime per resident than 91% of U.S. towns, an A Safety Grade: 1 violent and 34 property crimes in 2025.
That is 5 years of the area's median household income ($85,890 across the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 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+.
