Polk County was founded in
1861, only 16 years after Florida became a state. Named for James Knox Polk,
the eleventh president of the United States, Polk County was the
thirty-ninth county to be created, and its boundaries have not been changed
since 1890. Of the 67 counties in the State of Florida, Polk is the fourth
largest in terms of land. Polk County is home to approximately 474,704
people, and is expected to reach 540,000 by 2010.
Polk County has the distinction of producing more citrus than any other
county in Florida or any county in the United States. The Dundee Citrus
Growers Association, one of the largest citrus processing plants in the
industry, is located in Dundee.
Polk County’s Population
Breakdown By Age is as follows:
Under 5 years 5.9%
18 years and over 74%
65 years and over 23.2%
Home ownership is important to Polk County residents. According to the 1997
Florida Abstract, 70% percent of homes are owned by principal occupants. In
addition, the cost of living in Polk County was ranked 4.07% below the state
according to the 1999 Florida State Level Index.