Polk County, Oregon

Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county was named for James Knox Polk, the 11th president of the United States. As of 2000, the population was 62,380. The county seat is located at Dallas.

Economy

The major industries of the county are agriculture, forest products, manufacturing, and education. With 1322 acres (5.3 km²), Polk has the second largest area devoted to grape-growing in Oregon. Western Oregon University in Monmouth is a major employer.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,927 km² (744 mi²). 1,919 km² (741 mi²) of it is land and 8 km² (3 mi²) of it (0.42%) is water.

Adjacent Counties

Demographics

As of the census ² of 2000, there were 62,380 people, 23,058 households, and 16,140 families residing in the county. The population density was 32/km² (84/mi²). There were 24,461 housing units at an average density of 13/km² (33/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.19% White, 0.42% Black or African American, 1.85% Native American, 1.09% Asian, 0.25% Pacific Islander, 4.48% from other races, and 2.72% from two or more races. 8.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 23,058 households out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.10% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were non-families. 22.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the county, the population was spread out with 25.40% under the age of 18, 11.70% from 18 to 24, 24.70% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,311, and the median income for a family was $50,483. Males had a median income of $36,667 versus $26,272 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,282. About 6.30% of families and 11.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.50% of those under age 18 and 5.50% of those age 65 or over.

History

The Provisional Legislature created Polk County from Yamhill District on December 22, 1845, granting to it the entire southwestern portion of present day Oregon to the California border. County boundaries were periodically changed to reflect the creation of Benton and Lincoln counties. Many other counties were subsequently carved out of these as settlement spread towards the south, leaving Polk County many counties away from its former border with California.

The first county seat was a settlement on the north side of Rickreall Creek named Cynthian (also known as Cynthia Ann). In 1852 city officials renamed Cynthian to Dallas after Vice President George M. Dallas, vice president to James Polk. During the 1880s and 1890s, there were a series of unsuccessful efforts to move the county seat to nearby Independence.

Cities and towns

Oregon counties | Polk County, Oregon