Total enrollment
116,892
+12,866 (+12%) vs SY 2017-18
Polk County
Florida · Public K-12
Polk County operates 172 public K-12 schools across Florida, with a combined student body of roughly 117,004 and a county population near 790,694. That works out to 95 elementary, 26 middle, and 38 high schools.
7-year change in Polk County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
160
+4 (+3%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
31%
was 40%
% Hispanic
43%
was 34%
% Black
21%
was 21%
% Asian
2%
was 2%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
790,694
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
172
2 districts
Enrollment
117,004
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$65,978
Below Florida avg
Free/reduced lunch
65.0%
Above Florida avg
Elementary
95
56,817 students
Middle
26
19,260 students
High
38
37,444 students
Combined / other
13
3,483 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
POLK
116,552 students · 2 districts in Polk County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Polk County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
23.5%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
11.0%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.8%
civilian labor
Median age
40
22.0% under 18
Test scores in Polk County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 133 schools ranked. Florida state average: 57.1%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
Cities in Polk County
Lakeland65 schoolsWinter Haven22 schoolsBartow17 schoolsDavenport12 schoolsLake Wales10 schoolsHaines City9 schoolsAuburndale8 schoolsLake Alfred5 schoolsMulberry5 schoolsDundee3 schoolsEagle Lake3 schoolsPoinciana3 schoolsFort Meade2 schoolsFrostproof2 schoolsAlturas1 schoolBabson Park1 schoolEloise1 schoolHighland City1 schoolMiami1 schoolPolk City1 school
About Polk County
Polk County is a wide-reaching Florida county of about 790,694 residents, home to 172 public schools and roughly 117,004 students.
Zooming out, census numbers show the median household earns about $65,978 a year, about 24% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
Looking at the level breakdown, Polk County consists of 95 elementary schools (56,817 students), 26 middle schools (19,260), 38 high schools (37,444), and 13 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Polk County is POLK, which alone enrolls about 116,552 students.
Looking at the last 7 years. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment climbed 12%: 104,026 students in SY 2017-18 versus 116,892 in SY 2024-25. The school count climbed from 156 to 160 across the same 7-year window. On the demographic side, White enrollment moved from 40% to 31% over the same window.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Polk County discusses enrollment trends, district policy changes, and bus-route updates. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.
Frequently asked questions
Polk County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data