Existing Conditions
As of the 2010 Census, 18.0 percent of Polk County’s population was over age 65 and 26.3 percent was under age
20. Measured in these categories, Polk County has a proportionally larger senior population when compared to
Florida and the United States, and a proportionally larger youth population than Florida (see Figure 8).
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Polk County
65+
Florida
United States
20 to 65
Under 20
Figure 8. Age Groups, 2010
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau
According to the Census Bureau’s 2011 five-year American Community Survey estimates, 17.9 percent of Polk
County’s population age 25 and older lacks a high school diploma, and 18.0 percent have a bachelor’s degree or
higher degree (see Figure 9). Compared to the United States and Florida, Polk County has a larger proportion of
adults lacking a high school diploma and a smaller proportion holding a tertiary degree.
Polk
County
17.9%
64.1%
18.0%
Florida 14.5%
59.5%
26.0%
United
14.6%
States
57.2%
28.2%
0%
No high school
diploma
20%
40%
60%
High school graduate or
associate's degree only
80%
100%
Bachelor's degree
or higher
Figure 9. Educational Attainment for Persons Aged 25 and Older, 2011
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau
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