Auto · County · Iowa
Gas stations in Polk County, IA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for gas stations in Polk County, IA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 71 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #358 of 2,358 scored counties
#6 of 64 scored counties in Iowa
- Listings
- 92
- 82 chain locations (89%)
- Official establishments
- 204
- +9.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $551.3M
- On gasoline and other fuels · $2,684 a household
- Spending per listing
- $6M
- 2.5 times the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 4.5
- 59% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 516,546
- +4.8% since 2020
See the gas stations around any address in Polk County
The site report maps the gas stations on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Polk County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
As of September 2026, map listings count 92 gas stations in Polk County. Of those, 82 are chain locations, or 89%, against 84% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 4.5, 59% below the U.S. rate of 10.9.
At $2,684 per household (3% above the U.S. average), households in Polk County spend about $551.3M a year on gasoline and other fuels. Spread across 92 gas stations, that is $6M per station, 2.5 times the U.S. figure of $2.4M.
Official counts show 204 businesses with payroll classed as gasoline stations in Polk County in 2023, up 9.1% from 2019. That is one for every 1,007 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S. Another 4 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
Population estimates put the population change in Polk County from 2020 to 2025 at +4.8%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). The Groundwork market score for gas stations in Polk County is 71 (upper middle), #358 of 2,358 scored counties and #6 of 64 scored counties in Iowa. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Polk County compares
The same measures for Iowa and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all gasoline and other fuels by the gas stations counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Polk County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 4.5 | 10.4 | 10.9 |
| Spending per listing | $6M | $2.8M | $2.4M |
| Households per official establishment | 1,007 | 783 | 1,184 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +9.1% | −2.8% | −3.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +4.8% | +1.5% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on gasoline and other fuels | $2,684 | $2,867 | $2,595 |
| Median household income | $83,576 | $75,059 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 71 | 47 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 187 → 204+9.1% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 3,011
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $107.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 4Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 9282 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 231The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as gasoline stations in Polk County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in Polk County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 516,546+4.8% since 2020
- Households
- 205,358
- Median age
- 37.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 67%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 573 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 879
- Median household income
- $83,576+23.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $109,398
- Median home value
- $262,100
- Jobs located here
- 309,340
- Daytime population
- 566,731Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Polk County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the gas stations on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Polk County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardGas stations across Iowa
Every Iowa market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Iowa for gas stations, numbered among those based in Iowa, with Polk County marked.
Top counties in Iowa
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Dallas County, IA | 82 | 20 | 4.7 | $6.1M | +17.8% | #105 of 2,358 |
| 2Warren County, IA | 81 | 15 | 7.3 | $4.3M | +9.0% | #126 of 2,358 |
| 3Madison County, IA | 76 | 6 | 9.0 | $3.6M | +3.8% | #232 of 2,358 |
| 4Boone County, IA | 74 | 8 | 7.3 | $4.3M | +0.4% | #281 of 2,358 |
| 5Johnson County, IA | 72 | 44 | 6.9 | $3.7M | +4.6% | #334 of 2,358 |
| 6Polk County, IA | 71 | 92 | 4.5 | $6M | +4.8% | #358 of 2,358 |
| 7Story County, IA | 71 | 30 | 7.7 | $3.5M | +2.7% | #362 of 2,358 |
| 8Marshall County, IA | 67 | 11 | 7.1 | $4.3M | −0.5% | #475 of 2,358 |
| 9Marion County, IA | 66 | 16 | 12.0 | $2.7M | +2.3% | #518 of 2,358 |
| 10Plymouth County, IA | 63 | 8 | 7.8 | $4.1M | 0.0% | #609 of 2,358 |
Other business types in Polk County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gas stations are in Polk County, IA?
Polk County has 92 gas stations on map listings as of September 2026. 82 of them (89%) are chain locations. The listings count gas stations. Official counts show 204 businesses with payroll classed as gasoline stations in 2023, up 9.1% from 2019. Official counts list 4 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Polk County, IA spend on gasoline and other fuels?
About $551.3M a year, or $2,684 per household. That is 3% above the U.S. average (an index of 103, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 92 gas stations on map listings, it comes to $6M per station. It is estimated from the incomes of the 205,358 households in Polk County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Polk County, IA compare with the U.S. for gas stations?
Polk County has 4.5 gas stations per 10,000 households, 59% below the U.S. rate of 10.9. Spending per station is $6M, 2.5 times the U.S. figure of $2.4M. At the national ratio of gas stations to household spending, Polk County would have about 231, against 92 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,007 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S. The official count rose 9.1% from 2019 to 2023, against −3.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Polk County, IA growing?
Population estimates put Polk County at 516,546 people in 2025, up 4.8% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 205,358 households. The median household income in Polk County is $83,576 a year, 4% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 23.6% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Polk County scores 71 for gas stations (upper middle), #358 of 2,358 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Polk County. It maps the gas stations on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
How the score works · Top markets for gas stations · All 56 business types in Polk County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Polk County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Polk County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.