# Polk County, Arkansas

Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,221. The county seat is Mena. Polk County is Arkansas's 48th county, formed on November 30, 1844; it was named for James K. Polk, 11th President of the United States.

## Wet County

Formerly an alcohol prohibition or dry county. However, following a historic mid-term election, Polk County is now a wet county.

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 862 square miles (2,230 km$^2$), of which 858 square miles (2,220 km$^2$) is land and 4.8 square miles (12 km$^2$) (0.6%) is water.

### Major highways

* Future Interstate 49
* U.S. Highway 59
* U.S. Highway 71
* U.S. Highway 270
* U.S. Highway 278
* Highway 4
* Highway 8
* Highway 84
* Highway 88

### Transit

* Jefferson Lines

### Adjacent counties

* Scott County (north)
* Montgomery County (east)
* Pike County (southeast)
* Howard County (southeast)
* Sevier County (south)
* McCurtain County, Oklahoma (southwest)
* Le Flore County, Oklahoma (northwest)

### National protected area

* Ouachita National Forest (part)

## Demographics
### 2020 census

Polk County racial composition :
| Race | Number | Percentage |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 16,092 | 83.72% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 39 | 0.2% |
| Native American | 335 | 1.74% |
| Asian | 100 | 0.52% |
| Pacific Islander | 9 | 0.05% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,368 | 7.12% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,278 | 6.65% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 19,221 people, 8,243 households, and 5,672 families residing in the county.

### 2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 20,229 people, 8,047 households, and 5,793 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile (9.3 people/km$^2$). There were 9,236 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4.2/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 94.69% White, 0.16% Black or African American, 1.49% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.72% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. 3.50% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 8,047 households, out of which 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were married couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.60% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 25.00% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,180, and the median income for a family was $31,379. Males had a median income of $23,397 versus $17,294 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,063. 18.20% of the population and 14.00% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 23.50% were under the age of 18 and 16.20% were 65 or older.
As of 2010 Polk County had a population of 20,662. Of this population 89.77% were non-Hispanic whites, 0.31% were blacks, 1.76% Native Americans, 0.45% Asians, 2.03% non-Hispanics reporting one or more race and 5.76% Hispanic or Latino.

## Government

Since 1952, Polk County has been heavily Republican, only voting for the Democratic nominee for president three times since then. It last voted for the Democratic nominee for president in 1992, when it gave Arkansas governor Bill Clinton 43.8 percent of the vote. After this, the county trended rapidly towards Republicans, with the Republican margin of victory increasing in every subsequent election. In 2020, the county gave Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump 82.9 percent of the vote, the highest ever vote share for a Republican presidential candidate in the county, and Democratic nominee Joe Biden 14.7 percent of the vote, the lowest ever vote share for a Democratic presidential candidate in the county.
United States presidential election results for Polk County, Arkansas :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 6,987 | 84.30% | 1,145 | 13.82% | 156 | 1.88% |
| 2020 | 7,035 | 82.86% | 1,246 | 14.68% | 209 | 2.46% |
| 2016 | 6,618 | 80.40% | 1,212 | 14.72% | 401 | 4.87% |
| 2012 | 5,955 | 77.08% | 1,556 | 20.14% | 215 | 2.78% |
| 2008 | 5,473 | 71.25% | 1,957 | 25.48% | 251 | 3.27% |
| 2004 | 5,192 | 66.57% | 2,473 | 31.71% | 134 | 1.72% |
| 2000 | 4,600 | 63.95% | 2,315 | 32.18% | 278 | 3.86% |
| 1996 | 2,852 | 42.70% | 2,824 | 42.28% | 1,003 | 15.02% |
| 1992 | 2,757 | 38.20% | 3,162 | 43.81% | 1,298 | 17.99% |
| 1988 | 4,099 | 62.15% | 2,390 | 36.24% | 106 | 1.61% |
| 1984 | 5,181 | 70.15% | 2,101 | 28.45% | 104 | 1.41% |
| 1980 | 3,993 | 58.51% | 2,617 | 38.35% | 214 | 3.14% |
| 1976 | 2,432 | 40.76% | 3,505 | 58.75% | 29 | 0.49% |
| 1972 | 3,609 | 74.83% | 1,120 | 23.22% | 94 | 1.95% |
| 1968 | 2,094 | 40.30% | 1,290 | 24.83% | 1,812 | 34.87% |
| 1964 | 2,022 | 43.88% | 2,575 | 55.88% | 11 | 0.24% |
| 1960 | 1,882 | 51.82% | 1,635 | 45.02% | 115 | 3.17% |
| 1956 | 1,832 | 58.29% | 1,287 | 40.95% | 24 | 0.76% |
| 1952 | 1,756 | 55.91% | 1,379 | 43.90% | 6 | 0.19% |
| 1948 | 554 | 25.89% | 1,417 | 66.21% | 169 | 7.90% |
| 1944 | 764 | 43.09% | 999 | 56.35% | 10 | 0.56% |
| 1940 | 585 | 31.49% | 1,255 | 67.55% | 18 | 0.97% |
| 1936 | 537 | 30.95% | 1,170 | 67.44% | 28 | 1.61% |
| 1932 | 223 | 11.90% | 1,568 | 83.67% | 83 | 4.43% |
| 1928 | 1,022 | 53.34% | 870 | 45.41% | 24 | 1.25% |
| 1924 | 502 | 31.49% | 863 | 54.14% | 229 | 14.37% |
| 1920 | 1,173 | 46.27% | 1,208 | 47.65% | 154 | 6.07% |
| 1916 | 448 | 26.51% | 1,242 | 73.49% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1912 | 162 | 11.08% | 694 | 47.47% | 606 | 41.45% |
| 1908 | 628 | 37.88% | 824 | 49.70% | 206 | 12.42% |
| 1904 | 476 | 40.44% | 528 | 44.86% | 173 | 14.70% |
| 1900 | 411 | 29.63% | 922 | 66.47% | 54 | 3.89% |
| 1896 | 51 | 4.78% | 1,004 | 94.10% | 12 | 1.12% |

## Popular culture

Polk County is the setting for Stephen Hunter's fictional Bob Lee Swagger series, the most notable being Black Light, as well as the place where Joel B Reed's fictional character, Jazz Phillips, of the Jazz Phillips mystery series, grew up.

## Communities
### Cities

* Mena (county seat)
* Wickes

### Towns

* Cove
* Grannis
* Hatfield
* Vandervoort

### Census-designated places

* Acorn
* Board Camp

### Other unincorporated communities

* Ink

### Townships

Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, the United States census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications. The townships of Polk County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.
* Acorn (small part of Mena)
* Big Fork
* Cedar
* Center (most of Mena)
* Cove (Hatfield)
* Eagle
* Faulkner
* Freedom
* Fulton
* Gap Springs
* Mill Creek
* Mountain
* Ouachita
* Ozark (Grannis, Wickes)
* Potter (small part of Mena)
* Rich Mountain
* White (Cove, Vandervoort)