Polk County

Polk County, Iowa – key demographics

Population size

• 507,900 (2023 Census estimate)

Age

• Under 5: ~6.6%
• Under 18: ~24.4%
• 65 and over: ~14.9%

Gender

• Female: ~50.4%
• Male: ~49.6%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: ~76%
• Black or African American alone: ~7.9%
• Asian alone: ~5.7%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.2%
• Two or more races: ~4.8%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~11.4%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~67%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~203,000
• Persons per household: ~2.46
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~66%
• Median household income (2022 dollars): ~$78,000
• Persons in poverty: ~9–10%

Insights

• Fast-growing county (up from ~492,000 in 2020).
• Younger and more diverse than Iowa overall.
• Homeownership slightly below the statewide average; household size near the U.S. average.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 Population Estimates; QuickFacts; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year).

• Scope: Polk County, IA (pop. ≈505,000 in 2023), largely urban around Des Moines; density ≈880 people/sq mi.
• Digital access: ≈95% of households have a computer and ≈91% maintain a broadband internet subscription (ACS). Gigabit cable/fiber is widely available across the urban core; libraries and civic facilities augment access with free Wi‑Fi.
• Estimated email users: ≈360,000 adults (about 92% of ~389,000 adults), reflecting near‑universal email adoption among U.S. adults.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–29: ≈84,000 (≈98–99% adoption)
  • 30–49: ≈123,000 (≈96%)
  • 50–64: ≈86,000 (≈92%)
  • 65+: ≈69,000 (≈85%)
• Gender split: Roughly even; mirrors county demographics (~50.5% female), yielding ≈181,000 female and ≈179,000 male adult email users.
• Trends and insights:
  • High urban connectivity sustains strong email penetration; growth is driven by fiber build‑outs and near‑universal smartphone access.
  • Email use is effectively saturated under 50, with the remaining gap concentrated among seniors and lower‑income households.
  • Increasing mobile access means most residents access email on both smartphones and home broadband, supporting high daily engagement.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Polk County, Iowa (2024–2025)

User base and adoption

• Population and households: ~504,000 residents (ACS 2022), roughly 205,000–210,000 households.
• Adult mobile phone users: 390,000–410,000 adults (97% of adults use a cellphone), aligning with national adult cellphone ownership.
• Adult smartphone users: 355,000–375,000 adults (about 89–92% of adults), slightly above Iowa’s statewide rate due to Polk County’s younger, more urban profile.
• Household smartphone access: 92–94% of households have at least one smartphone, a few points higher than the Iowa statewide share (typically high 80s to ~90%).

Demographic patterns that shape usage

• Age: Polk County skews younger than Iowa overall (more 18–34-year-olds, fewer 65+). Smartphone adoption is near-universal among 18–34, lifting overall county penetration above the state average. The smaller 65+ share also reduces the proportion of non-smartphone users compared with statewide.
• Race/ethnicity: Polk County is more diverse than Iowa overall (a larger share of Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian residents). Consistent with national and state patterns, these groups show higher rates of smartphone dependence (smartphone as primary or only internet), which raises the county’s mobile-only segment relative to Iowa overall.
• Income and housing: Urban renters and lower-income households in Des Moines neighborhoods are more likely to be mobile-only even where fixed broadband is available. The 2024 wind-down of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) increased cost sensitivity and nudged a measurable number of households toward mobile-only plans in the county.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• 5G availability: Countywide 5G coverage is effectively universal in populated areas. All three national carriers operate mid-band 5G (T-Mobile 2.5 GHz; Verizon and AT&T C-band) across Des Moines and suburbs (Ankeny, West Des Moines, Urbandale, Johnston, Altoona). This exceeds statewide 5G depth, which thins in rural counties.
• mmWave hotspots: Select ultra-capacity nodes are present in dense venues and downtown Des Moines (e.g., around major event spaces), a capability not common outside Iowa’s metros.
• Speeds: Typical median mobile download speeds across the Des Moines/Polk market run about 120–150 Mbps, with 5G peaks well above that on mid-band. This is consistently faster than Iowa’s statewide median (roughly 80–100 Mbps across mixed urban–rural geographies). Uploads are commonly 10–20 Mbps in Polk versus high single digits to mid-teens statewide.
• Capacity and densification: A denser macro grid supplemented by small cells along I‑235 and key commercial corridors supports higher sustained throughput and better indoor performance than is typical in rural Iowa.
• Reliability and coverage gaps: Coverage along I‑80/I‑35 through Polk is strong with multi-carrier overlap. Remaining weak spots are mainly large-building interiors and some developing fringe areas, which carriers continue to address with in‑building systems and infill sites.

How Polk County differs from Iowa overall

• Higher adoption and usage intensity: More adults own smartphones and use data-heavy apps, driven by a younger demographic mix and employment concentration in the Des Moines metro.
• More mobile-only households by choice and cost: About 18–21% of Polk County households rely primarily or solely on cellular data for home internet versus roughly 14–16% statewide. In Polk, this is often a cost/plan-preference decision where fixed broadband is available; statewide, mobile-only is more frequently due to fixed-network gaps in rural areas.
• Faster, denser 5G: Three-carrier mid-band 5G overlap and targeted mmWave in Polk produce higher median and peak speeds than the state average and support more reliable performance in venues and along major roads.
• Quicker device turnover: Urban users show faster 5G handset adoption and a higher share on unlimited data plans than the statewide mix, reinforcing the performance gap with rural counties.

Key takeaways

• Polk County’s mobile ecosystem is more advanced than Iowa’s statewide profile: higher smartphone penetration, more mobile-only households by preference, denser 5G coverage, and meaningfully higher median speeds.
• The end of ACP support in 2024 has strengthened the county’s mobile-only segment, particularly among cost-sensitive urban households, even though fixed broadband is widely available.
• Continued small-cell densification and in‑building solutions in downtown Des Moines, healthcare campuses, and large venues will remain the main levers for further improving user experience beyond already-strong county baselines.

Polk County, IA social media snapshot (modeled for 2024 using Pew Research Center U.S. platform usage rates applied to Polk County’s age/sex structure from the U.S. Census/ACS)

Baseline user stats

• Population: ~505,000 (2023 est.)
• Adults (18+): ~389,000; Teens (13–17): ~33,000
• Gender: ~50.6% female, ~49.4% male among residents

Most‑used platforms (adults 18+; share of adults who use each platform, with estimated local counts)

• YouTube: 83% (~323,000 adults)
• Facebook: 68% (~264,000)
• Instagram: 47% (~183,000)
• Pinterest: 35% (~136,000)
• TikTok: 33% (~128,000)
• Snapchat: 30% (~117,000)
• LinkedIn: 30% (~117,000)
• WhatsApp: 29% (~113,000)
• X (Twitter): 22% (~86,000)
• Reddit: 22% (~86,000)
• Nextdoor: 19% (~74,000)

Age group usage (propensity to use social platforms; apply to local age cohorts for planning)

• Teens 13–17: ~95% use at least one platform; top platforms: YouTube ~95%, TikTok ~67%, Instagram ~62%, Snapchat ~60%, Facebook ~33%
• Adults 18–29: ~84% use social platforms; heavy on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube
• Adults 30–49: ~81%; Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest dominate; TikTok growing
• Adults 50–64: ~73%; Facebook and YouTube lead; Pinterest meaningful, LinkedIn moderate
• Adults 65+: ~45%; Facebook and YouTube primary; Nextdoor visible in suburban neighborhoods

Gender breakdown (tendencies within the county’s roughly 51/49 female/male split)

• Women over‑index on Facebook and Pinterest; strong Instagram adoption across 18–44
• Men over‑index on YouTube, Reddit, and X; LinkedIn near parity, slightly male‑skewed in usage intensity

Behavioral trends and local insights

• Facebook is the community hub: city/county updates, neighborhood groups, school and youth‑sports communications, buy/sell groups; event RSVPs and local news consumption are high
• Short‑form video wins attention: Reels/TikTok outperform static across 18–34; how‑to and local “what’s on” content performs on YouTube
• Messaging first for teens/young adults: Snapchat is daily for 13–24 messaging and Stories; TikTok is entertainment discovery and local trend amplification
• Work‑economy effect: Strong LinkedIn usage driven by Des Moines metro’s finance, insurance, healthcare, and public sector employment base; B2B and recruiting see solid engagement
• Suburban/neighborhood engagement: Nextdoor usage evident in Ankeny, Johnston, Altoona, and north‑side suburbs for safety alerts, contractor recs, and hyperlocal services
• Timing patterns: Engagement typically peaks evenings (7–9 p.m.); strong mobile midday scroll (11 a.m.–2 p.m.); weekend spikes for events, dining, family activities
• Cross‑channel path: Social exposure often precedes Google searches for brands/venues; pairing paid social with branded search improves conversion
• Creative formats: Native video and vertical short‑form outperform static; carousels effective for retail; concise CTAs and location cues improve results for local campaigns

Note on method: Percentages come from recent Pew Research Center national usage surveys; counts are derived by applying those rates to Polk County’s adult/teen populations from recent U.S. Census/ACS estimates. Multi‑platform use means counts are not additive.