Polk County housing scorecard.
Everything the paid data sites charge for, free and built for Florida: home value, rent, cap rate, 5-year growth, price versus incomes, overvaluation and our 0 to 100 Momentum Market Score, from Zillow, Realtor.com and Census data.
At about 4.69 times the local median income, prices sit close to the Florida norm. Gross rent yield is around 7.39%. Values are up roughly 5.1% a year over the last five years. Owning the typical home at today's 6.52% 30-year rate takes about 28.5% of a median income in principal and interest, the affordability squeeze in one number. Add the average Citizens homeowners premium (about $161 a month) and the monthly cost to own runs near $1,674, before property tax. About 25.6% of listings have cut their price.
Polk County housing market, in one paragraph
As of 2026-06-09, in Polk County, the typical home is worth $298,611; up about 5.1% a year over five years; typical rent is about $1,839 a month; the Momentum Market Score is 59/100 (leaning to the buyer on price and leverage); the market looks about 4% undervalued; the average Citizens insurance premium is about $1,931 a year. Data from Zillow, Realtor.com, the U.S. Census and Citizens Property Insurance; scores by Momentum Realty.
Typical home value, last 13 months
Ten years ago the typical home here was about $146,575; today it is $298,611.
Where Polk sits
Open the full Florida market map →Polk vs Florida average
| Metric | Polk | FL avg |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer-value score | 59 | 50 |
| Typical home value | $298,611 | $332,815 |
| Price cuts | 25.6% | 24.1% |
| Income to own | 28.5% | 30.5% |
| Cost to own / mo | $1,674/mo | $1,832/mo |
Green = the more buyer-friendly figure. “FL avg” is the unweighted mean across all 67 Florida counties. “Income to own” is principal & interest only; “cost to own” adds the average Citizens homeowners premium at the current 6.52% 30-year rate, 20% down, property tax not included.
Quick answers: is now a good time to buy in Polk County, is it overvalued, and more.
What drives the score
Each bar is this county ranked against every other Florida county (0 = lowest, 100 = highest) on that input, then weighted into the score. Higher overall = more buyer value and leverage. See the full methodology.
Momentum scores for Polk
Three composite reads, each built from the labeled components below it (0 = lowest in Florida, 100 = highest). Every input is public and the formula is published, unlike the paywalled black-box versions elsewhere.
10-year upside from appreciation, incomes, demographics, affordability and valuation.
Rental-investor attractiveness from yield, rent growth, appreciation, demographics and valuation.
Near-term price direction signal from recent appreciation, days on market, inventory and price cuts. A momentum read, not a guaranteed forecast.
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Free housing data from Momentum Realty · Zillow, Realtor.com, Census & FRED sources.
Who is moving in and out of Polk
In 2022 to 2023, Polk County saw 31,294 households move in and 22,100 move out, a net of +9,194 households (+18,556 people). The households arriving reported about $56,322 in average income versus $53,034 for those leaving, so Polk is pulling in higher earners. Net, +$590M of annual income moved into the county.
Top states they moved from
NY 1,314NJ 709PA 576TX 477MA 402Top states they moved to
NY 424GA 363TX 342NC 291PA 210Households approximate tax returns; people approximate exemptions; income is total adjusted gross income. Source: IRS Statistics of Income, county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023.
Property insurance in Polk
Citizens, Florida's state-backed insurer of last resort, now covers 5,380 homes in Polk County at an average premium of about $1,931 a year. A rising Citizens count is the clearest sign of where private insurers have pulled back and premiums have spiked.
Figures cover Citizens Property Insurance (the state insurer of last resort), not the whole market, so they understate total private-market premiums while precisely tracking where coverage has become hardest to get. Source: Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, Policies in Force by County, April 2026.
New construction pipeline in Polk
In 2025, builders pulled permits for 8,236 new homes in Polk County: 6,725 single-family and 1,511 in multifamily buildings. That is down 20.7% from the year before. At 10.8 permits per 1,000 residents, new supply here is well above the Florida pace.
New homes permitted, 2021 to 2025
Privately-owned residential units authorized by building permits, reported plus imputed. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025.
ZIP-level scorecards in Polk County
Zoom in from the county to any ZIP for its own home value, cap rate, overvaluation and buyer-value score (31 scored ZIP codes, highest score first):
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Common questions
Is Polk County a buyer's or seller's market?
By our Momentum Market Score, Polk County reads buyer value (59 out of 100), meaning it is leaning to the buyer on price and leverage. The score blends value versus local incomes, price cuts, inventory growth, affordability and rent yield.
How much is a home worth in Polk County?
The typical home value is $298,611 (Zillow Home Value Index, 2026-06-09), up about 5.1% a year over the last five years.
Is Polk County housing overvalued or undervalued?
On price versus the local long-term trend and incomes, Polk County looks about 4% undervalued, with a price-to-income ratio of 4.69x. Overvaluation compares the current typical value to its own historical relationship with local income, not to other markets.
How much is homeowners insurance in Polk County?
The average Citizens Property Insurance premium in Polk County is about $1,931 a year. Citizens is Florida's insurer of last resort, so its county average is a realistic floor; private quotes vary by roof age, elevation and flood zone. Insurance is now one of the largest line items in a Florida housing budget.
Is Polk County a good place to invest in rental property?
The gross rent yield (cap-rate proxy) in Polk County is about 7.39%, on a typical home value of $298,611 and typical rent near $1,839 a month. Run the full numbers, including taxes and insurance, in our Florida investment property calculator.
Where does this data come from?
Home values and rent are from Zillow Research, days on market and listings from Realtor.com, income and population from the U.S. Census, mortgage rates from Freddie Mac via FRED, and insurance from Citizens Property Insurance. Derived metrics and the Momentum Market Score are computed by Momentum Realty with a published methodology.
Data: Zillow Research (home value, rent), Realtor.com (days on market, listings), U.S. Census Bureau ACS (income, population), and Freddie Mac 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average [MORTGAGE30US] via FRED (rate). Momentum Market Score and derived metrics computed by Momentum Realty.
Thinking about Polk County?
A score is the 30,000-foot view. We live here. Talk to the founders about what the number means for a specific neighborhood, street, or budget.
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