The typical owner-occupied home in Polk is worth about $101,400, 60% below the Pennsylvania median of $254,500 and 70% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,182 a year in property taxes, about 1.17% of their home's value, lower than the Pennsylvania rate of 1.30%. The median household earns $36,786 a year, so the median home costs 2.8 times the median income (3.3 times for Pennsylvania). 79% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 27% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Polk at a glance
| Polk | Pennsylvania | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $101,400 | $254,500 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $1,182 | $3,311 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 1.17% | 1.30% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $36,786 | $77,971 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 79% | 69% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 27% | 58% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $1,010 | $1,762 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 14.8% | 19.4% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | $685 | $1,209 | $1,413 |
| Rent as a share of renters' income | 32.5% | 29.2% | 30.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1951 | 1965 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 14.7% | 9.2% | 10.1% |
| Population | 615 | 13,018,639 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Polk
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Polk home of $101,400 with 20% down costs about $687 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $856, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.
Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $29,435 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 22% of the median Polk household income of $36,786; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $127,000.
The median rent here is $685 a month, so owning the median home costs about $2 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.
| Down payment | $20,280 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $81,120 |
| Principal and interest | $546 |
| Property taxes (1.17% a year) | $99 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $42 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $687 |
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| Down payment | $3,549 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $99,563 |
| Principal and interest | $670 |
| Property taxes (1.17% a year) | $99 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $42 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $45 |
| Total per month | $856 |
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Questions about home buying in Polk
What is the median home value in Polk?
About $101,400 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in Polk?
Homeowners pay a median $1,182 a year, which is about 1.17% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.
What income do you need to buy a home in Polk?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $687 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $29,435 a year.
More about Polk
- Mortgage Refinance in Polk
- Debt Relief in Polk
- Home Equity Loans in Polk
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data