PolktonNC
A town of 1,722, settled in 1873.
Is Polkton a good place to live?
The best of Polkton’s subject grades is an A+ for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for incomes. 30% of residents live below the poverty line in Polkton, above both the North Carolina town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 1 of North Carolina’s 450 towns score higher on cost of living. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 97% of U.S. towns. 16% of the land in Polkton is conserved, above both North Carolina’s towns (3.4%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Polkton's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 98% of U.S. towns. Polkton is home to South Piedmont Community College. Polkton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Polkton stand out
Where Polkton beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| South Piedmont Community College | 2,368 |
| Widest gap | Polkton | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 17.9% | 8.1% |
Polkton has shrunk 49% since 2010
3,375 counted in 2010 and 2,250 in 2020; an estimated 1,722 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Polkton grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Polkton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Polkton: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Polkton, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Polkton.
Compared with most of North Carolina and the rest of the country, more of Polkton’s adults smoke cigarettes
24% of Polkton adults smoke cigarettes. Among 290 North Carolina towns, just 1 have a higher share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Polkton. 33% of Polkton adults get no exercise outside work.
| Polkton | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 15% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 34% | 36% |
| What stands out | Polkton | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.8% | 7.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 17.9% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Public schools in Polkton fall behind 81% of North Carolina districts
Its public schools are run by the Anson County Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anson Co. Early College HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 210 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
The typical home in Polkton is valued at about $188K
The typical Polkton home is worth about $188,000, up 6.2% in a year, 43% below the North Carolina typical home. 47% of households own their home in Polkton.
| Polkton | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 47% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,009 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Very low risk in Polkton, with tornadoes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 86% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Conserved land covers 16.3% of Polkton
3.3 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. Polkton’s trail density is 1.1 miles per square mile.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
In Polkton, a typical July afternoon runs hotter than in the typical North Carolina or U.S. town
The July high in Polkton is 91°F. Polkton has mild winters and warm summers.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Polkton has 1.3 jobs for every working resident, and 853 people commute in
Most working residents leave Polkton for work: only 2% work in town. Since 2013, Polkton has added 574 jobs, to 863 in 2023. The top destinations are Charlotte (16%), Monroe (8%) and Wadesboro (6%).
| Polkton | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $47,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.5% | 6.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Everything we know about Polkton
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Polkton
About 3 of every 100 Polkton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
South Piedmont Community College calls Polkton home
About Polkton
Town in North Carolina, United States
Polkton is a town in Anson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 2,250, down from 3,375 in 2010. The town is named after its founder, Leonidas L. Polk.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1875
- Area
- 3.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 335 ft
- ZIP code
- 28135
- Area code
- 704
Questions about Polkton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Polkton, NC expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.