| Polk County, Missouri | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Missouri |
|
 Missouri's location in the USA |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | January 5, 1835 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Bolivar |
| Largest City | Bolivar |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
642 sq mi (1,664 km²) 637 sq mi (1,650 km²) 5 sq mi (14 km²), 0.82% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
26,992 42/sq mi (16/km²) |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Named for: James K. Polk | |
Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population was 26,992. Its county seat is Bolivar6.
Contents |
History
Polk County was organized and separated from Greene County on January 5, 1835. Its original boundaries were later reduced to set up Dade, Dallas, and Hickory Counties. The name was suggested by a local pioneer, Ezekiel Campbell, to honor his grandfather Ezekiel Polk who was a colonel in the Revolutionary War and an early settler in western Tennessee. But, when the legislature acted to create the county, they named it for another grandson, James K. Polk, who was the Speaker of the House in the U.S. Congress at the time.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 642 square miles (1,664 km²), of which, 637 square miles (1,650 km²) of it is land and 5 square miles (14 km²) of it (0.82%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Hickory County (north)
- Dallas County (east)
- Greene County (south)
- Dade County (southwest)
- Cedar County (west)
- St. Clair County (northwest)
Major highways
Polk County is famous for its fried chicken at Norma's.
Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 26,992 people, 9,917 households, and 7,140 families residing in the county. The population density was 42 people per square mile (16/km²). There were 11,183 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.26% White, 0.45% Black or African American, 0.67% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. 1.30% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 9,917 households out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% were married couples living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 23.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.02. In the county the population was spread out with 25.70% under the age of 18, 12.60% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 20.80% from 45 to 64, and 15.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $29,656, and the median income for a family was $35,843. Males had a median income of $25,383 versus $18,799 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,645. About 11.10% of families and 16.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.00% of those under age 18 and 12.00% of those age 65 or over.
