Polk County, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Polk County
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Polk County Courthouse in Dallas
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Location within the U.S. state of Oregon
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 Oregon's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Oregon |
| Founded | December 22, 1845 |
| Named for | James K. Polk |
| Seat | Dallas |
| Largest city | Salem (portion) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 744 sq mi (1,930 km2) |
| • Land | 741 sq mi (1,920 km2) |
| • Water | 3.1 sq mi (8 km2) 0.4%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 87,433 |
| • Estimate
(2021)
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89,164  |
| • Density | 118/sq mi (46/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
Polk County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 87,433. The county seat is Dallas. The county is named for James Knox Polk, the 11th president of the United States.
Polk County is part of the Salem, OR Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA Combined Statistical Area. It is located in the Willamette Valley.
Contents
History
The Oregon Provisional Legislature created Polk County from Yamhill District on December 22, 1845, granting to it the entire southwestern portion of present-day Oregon to the California border. County boundaries were periodically changed to reflect the creation of Benton and Lincoln counties. Many other counties were subsequently carved out of these as settlement spread towards the south, leaving Polk County many counties away from its former border with California.
The first county seat was a settlement on the north side of Rickreall Creek named Cynthian (also known as Cynthia Ann). In 1852 city officials renamed Cynthian to Dallas after Vice President George M. Dallas, vice president (1845-1849) to James Polk. During the 1880s and 1890s, there were a series of unsuccessful efforts to move the county seat to nearby Independence.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 744 square miles (1,930 km2), of which 741 square miles (1,920 km2) is land and 3.1 square miles (8.0 km2) (0.4%) is water.
About two thirds of Polk County, the western part, is forest, mostly of the coniferous and mixed varieties, bordering on temperate rain forest around Laurel Mountain, the wettest place in Oregon.
The eastern half of the county lies in the Willamette Valley. The Willamette River forms the eastern border of the county, separating it from neighboring Marion County.
Adjacent counties
- Yamhill County (north)
- Marion County (east)
- Benton County (south)
- Lincoln County (west)
- Tillamook County (northwest)
- Linn County (southeast)
National protected areas
- Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge
- Siuslaw National Forest (part)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 3,625 | — | |
| 1870 | 4,701 | 29.7% | |
| 1880 | 6,601 | 40.4% | |
| 1890 | 7,858 | 19.0% | |
| 1900 | 9,923 | 26.3% | |
| 1910 | 13,469 | 35.7% | |
| 1920 | 14,181 | 5.3% | |
| 1930 | 16,858 | 18.9% | |
| 1940 | 19,989 | 18.6% | |
| 1950 | 26,317 | 31.7% | |
| 1960 | 26,523 | 0.8% | |
| 1970 | 35,349 | 33.3% | |
| 1980 | 45,203 | 27.9% | |
| 1990 | 49,541 | 9.6% | |
| 2000 | 62,380 | 25.9% | |
| 2010 | 75,403 | 20.9% | |
| 2020 | 87,433 | 16.0% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 89,164 | 18.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 87,433 people, 30,305 households,. The population density was 101.8 inhabitants per square mile (39.3/km2). There were 30,302 housing units at an average density of 40.9 per square mile (15.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 85.9% white, 2.1% American Indian, 1.9% Asian, 0.6% black or African American, 0.3% Pacific islander, 5.4% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 12.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 22.4% were German, 16.4% were English, 10.4% were Irish, and 6.4% were American.
Of the 28,288 households, 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.9% were non-families, and 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age was 37.1 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $50,975 and the median income for a family was $61,418. Males had a median income of $46,616 versus $35,371 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,345. About 8.8% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
- Dallas (county seat)
- Falls City
- Independence
- Monmouth
- Salem (part)
- Willamina (part)
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Economy
The major industries of the county are agriculture, forest products, manufacturing, and education. Polk County has the second-largest area devoted to viticulture in Oregon, at 1,322 acres (5.35 km2). Western Oregon University in Monmouth is a major employer.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Polk (Oregón) para niños
