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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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COUNTYThriving

Polk County, IA

Thriving overall. GDP / Output is the clearest support signal, while population needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score81out of 100
Compare
89
83
72
77
NA

Population

503,175

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+7.2% YoY

89

$63.8B

Output changed +7.2% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth5.0%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

83

2.6%

Unemployment is 2.6% for April 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg3.3%
U.S. avg4.3%

Population

+3.7% 5-year

72

503,175

Population moved +3.7% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population3,210,507
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

77

16.5%

Median rent consumes 16.5% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$972
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

Unavailable per resident

NA

Unavailable

Federal spending data is unavailable for this geography.

Vintage date unknown

State totalUnavailable
U.S. total$5.3T
USAspending federal inflow temporarily unavailable.

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

Unavailable

No federal obligations were reported for this geography.

Top agencies

Dollars

No agencies reported.

Top recipients

Dollars

No recipients reported.

Affordable

Housing Affordability

16.5%

of median income

1BR estimate$942
2BR estimate$1,241
Median income$83,576
Median home value$262,100

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

503,175

Median age

36.2

Bachelor's degree+

40.3%

Poverty rate

10.3%

Labor force participation

71.4%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.9%

U.S. GDP YoY

+5.9%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

April 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-06-10

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • USAspending federal inflow temporarily unavailable.
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+0.7%

GDP CAGR

+5.4%

Federal flow

N/A

Population (5 years)
2020485,418
2021488,871
2022493,378
2023497,441
2024503,175
GDP (5 years)
2020$49.1B
2021$55.0B
2022$56.8B
2023$59.6B
2024$63.8B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

2024503,175
2025506,882 *
2026511,290 *

R² = 99.3% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$63.8B
2025$67.0B *
2026$70.5B *

R² = 96.9% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$83,576/yr
Median rent$1,149/mo
Rent share of income16.5%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$15,904/yr
Mortgage share of income19.0%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate2.6%
State avg3.3%
U.S. avg4.3%
Labor force participation71.4%
Poverty rate10.3%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. April 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$262,100
Median monthly rent$1,149
Price-to-rent ratio19.0x

Moderate price-to-rent ratio — buying and renting are roughly balanced in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateStrong
Composite score82/100
Economic growth89/100
Labor market83/100
Population momentum72/100
Overall stability81/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

Polk County, Iowa

County

Part of

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

Nearby locations

Saylorville, IAAnkeny, IAAltoona, IABondurant, IAPleasant Hill, IA