Polk County

County Business Patterns, 2023Forms the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro areaPopulation 824,172

Polk County had 232,278 private jobs in 13,992 establishments in March 2023, paying $50,155 on average, 16% below the Florida figure. It has more jobs in mining and quarrying than any other Florida county: 853. Jobs in management of companies make up 6.3% of all local jobs, the highest share of the 31 counties with at least 100 such jobs and 2.9 times the 67-county share.

Compare Polk side by side with Duval or another county.

The largest industry, retail trade, has 15% of Polk County's jobs. Among its larger industries, pay runs from $21,121 a year in hotels and restaurants to $128,073 in utilities.

Pays above the county averagePays below itNot shown by industryCounty averageFlorida average

What stands out in Polk County

Its establishments are large by Florida standards, 16.6 employees each on average (the 3rd-highest).
Jobs in transportation and warehousing are 2.1 times as common here as across the 67 counties, 10.0% of all local jobs.
Jobs in manufacturing are 1.7 times as common here as across the 67 counties, 7.7% of all local jobs.
86.1% of its establishments have fewer than 20 employees, the 8th-lowest share among the 67 counties where size classes are published.

Where Polk County ranks

The four measures on which Polk County sits furthest from the middle county. It is furthest out on jobs, where it ranks 9th of 67.

Jobs232,278

9thof 67

Business establishments13,992

14thof 67

Businesses per 1,000 residents17.0

48thof 67

Job growth since 2019+18.6%

12thof 67

PolkOther countiesMiddle county

Every industry, line by line

19 industries published; management of companies added the most jobs since 2019 (7,042), arts, entertainment and recreation lost the most (429).

Industry	Jobs	Avg pay	Pay vs same industry statewide	Jobs since 2019
Retail trade	34,212	$35,818	0.94×	+21.2%
Health care & social assistance	32,530	$60,679	0.94×	+9.4%
Transportation & warehousing	23,241	$47,735	0.79×	+37.4%
Hotels & restaurants	22,244	$21,121	0.74×	+13.7%
Manufacturing	17,816	$68,069	1.00×	+5.0%
Administrative & support services	15,314	$36,536	0.62×	+13.9%
Construction	14,609	$55,018	0.86×	+24.1%
Management of companies	14,550	$62,486	0.61×	+93.8%
Finance & insurance	12,001	$79,847	0.76×	+5.5%
Wholesale trade	10,096	$68,022	0.86×	−0.1%
Other services	9,129	$36,034	0.91×	+22.2%
Professional & technical services	8,622	$64,942	0.72×	+32.5%
Educational services	5,338	$38,471	0.79×	+6.4%
Real estate & rental	4,810	$46,209	0.75×	+38.8%
Arts & recreation	3,297	$27,571	0.64×	−11.5%
Information	2,887	$57,522	0.56×	+15.4%
Mining & quarrying	853	$108,987	1.24×	−0.7%
Utilities	481	$128,073	1.03×	+11.9%
Agriculture, forestry & fishing	238	$53,933	1.21×	−29.8%
All industries	232,278	$50,155	0.84×	+18.6%

What sets Polk County apart

Four industries are at least 1.25 times as common here as across the 67 counties; arts, entertainment and recreation is the most under-represented, at 0.48×.

Business sizes

86.1% have fewer than 20 employees; 362 have 100 or more.

EmployeesEstablishments

1–48,129

5–92,266

10–191,655

20–491,180

50–99400

100–249246

250–49977

500–99923

1,000+16

Since 2019

Jobs +18.6%, residents +13.7% since March 2019.

Jobs232,2782019: 195,939+18.6%

Business establishments13,9922019: 12,161+15.1%

Average pay (nominal)$50,1552019: $41,936+19.6%

Residents824,1722019: 724,777+13.7%

Share of Florida

Fewer of Florida's jobs (2.88%) than of its residents (3.60%).

Residents3.60%

Businesses2.17%

Jobs2.88%

Payroll2.46%

Source: Census CBP 2023, 2022, 2019; Population Estimates. FIPS 12105. How to read County Business Patterns figures.