POLK COUNTY BROADBAND PLAN
Population projections are provided by the Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR). Given the
medium level of projected growth, Polk County is expected to gain over 300,000 new residents between 2010
and 2040 (see Figure 14).
1,200,000
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
0
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040
Decennial Census
BEBR Projected
Population
Population
High
Medium
Low
Figure 14. Polk County’s Actual and Projected Population, 1980-2040
Data source: Bureau of Economic and Business Research
The Polk County Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) projects future population and employment levels
at the Traffic Analysis Zone (TAZ) level. TAZs are defined by the Census Bureau.18 Figure 15 shows the projected
percent change in population per square mile for each TAZ in Polk County from 2010 to 2020.
Figure 15. Projected Percent Change in Population Per Square Mile, 2010-2020
Data source: Polk Transportation Planning Organization
18 U.S. Census Bureau website. “Traffic Analysis Zones.” http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cob/tz_metadata.html (retrieved Jan. 10, 2012).
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