Polk County, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Polk County
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Polk County Courthouse in Cedartown
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Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
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 Georgia's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| Founded | December 20, 1851 |
| Named for | James K. Polk |
| Seat | Cedartown |
| Largest city | Cedartown |
| Area | |
| • Total | 312 sq mi (810 km2) |
| • Land | 310 sq mi (800 km2) |
| • Water | 1.8 sq mi (5 km2) 0.6%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 42,853 |
| • Density | 138/sq mi (53/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 14th |
Polk County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,853. The county seat is Cedartown. The county was created on December 20, 1851, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly and named after James K. Polk, the eleventh President of the United States.
Polk County comprises the Cedartown, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA Combined Statistical Area.
Contents
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 312 square miles (810 km2), of which 310 square miles (800 km2) is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2) (0.6%) is water. Much of the county is also covered in rolling hills and small mountains, most of which are part of the Piedmont Plateau and the Ridge-and-Valley mountains, which are both smaller sections of the larger Appalachian Mountains. The highest of these small mountains is Shorty mountain near the Unincorporated community of Etna with an elevation of 1,610 ft (491 m) above sea level. The most prominent mountain in the county (as well as the 5th highest) is Signal Mountain in Rockmart with a prominence of 360 ft (110 m) and an elevation of 1,290 ft (393 m) above sea level.
Most of eastern Polk County, centered on Rockmart, is located in the Etowah River sub-basin of the ACT River Basin (Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin), while most of western Polk County, centered on Cedartown, is located in the Upper Coosa River sub-basin of the same ACT River Basin. Small slivers of the southern edges of the county are located in the Upper Tallapoosa River sub-basin of the same larger ACT River Basin.
Major highways
U.S. Route 27
U.S. Route 27 Business
U.S. Route 278
U.S. Route 278 Business
State Route 1
State Route 1 Business
State Route 6
State Route 6 Business
State Route 100
State Route 101
State Route 113
Adjacent counties
- Floyd County – north
- Bartow County – northeast
- Paulding County – east
- Haralson County – south
- Cleburne County, Alabama – southwest
- Cherokee County, Alabama – west
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 6,295 | — | |
| 1870 | 7,822 | 24.3% | |
| 1880 | 11,952 | 52.8% | |
| 1890 | 14,945 | 25.0% | |
| 1900 | 17,856 | 19.5% | |
| 1910 | 20,203 | 13.1% | |
| 1920 | 20,357 | 0.8% | |
| 1930 | 25,141 | 23.5% | |
| 1940 | 28,467 | 13.2% | |
| 1950 | 30,976 | 8.8% | |
| 1960 | 28,015 | −9.6% | |
| 1970 | 29,656 | 5.9% | |
| 1980 | 32,386 | 9.2% | |
| 1990 | 33,815 | 4.4% | |
| 2000 | 38,127 | 12.8% | |
| 2010 | 41,475 | 8.8% | |
| 2020 | 42,853 | 3.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 44,223 | 6.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1880 1890-1910 1920-1930 1930-1940 1940-1950 1960-1980 1980-2000 2010 |
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2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 30,161 | 70.38% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 5,119 | 11.95% |
| Native American | 101 | 0.24% |
| Asian | 239 | 0.56% |
| Pacific Islander | 21 | 0.05% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,627 | 3.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5,585 | 13.03% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 42,853 people, 15,038 households, and 10,151 families residing in the county.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 41,475 people, 15,092 households, and 10,908 families living in the county. The population density was 133.6 inhabitants per square mile (51.6/km2). There were 16,908 housing units at an average density of 54.5 per square mile (21.0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 77.1% white, 12.5% black or African American, 0.7% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 7.5% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 11.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 17.2% were English, 15.2% were American, 13.0% were Irish, and 5.3% were German.
Of the 15,092 households, 38.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.7% were non-families, and 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.20. The median age was 36.2 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,646 and the median income for a family was $43,172. Males had a median income of $37,070 versus $27,758 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,214. About 15.6% of families and 19.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.4% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.
Recreation
- Silver Comet Trail
Communities
Cities
- Aragon
- Braswell
- Cedartown (county seat)
- Rockmart
- Taylorsville (partly in Bartow County)
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Polk (Georgia) para niños
