Polk County, IA

Settlement & growth (pre-1960)

Before American settlement, the land that is now Polk County was inhabited by the Sauk and Meskwaki (Fox) nations, who used the area for hunting and seasonal camps along the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers. The first permanent American presence came with the 1843 treaty that opened the region to Euro-American settlement. Fort Des Moines was established in 1843 at the confluence of the two rivers, and the city was officially platted in 1846, the same year Iowa became a state. The county was named after President James K. Polk, reflecting the expansionist spirit of the era.

The first major wave of settlers were Yankees from New England and New York, who arrived in the 1840s and 1850s, establishing the town of Des Moines as a political and commercial center. They were soon joined by German immigrants, who formed a significant community in the northern part of the county, particularly in the towns of Ankeny and Altoona, where they worked as farmers and craftsmen. Irish immigrants also arrived in the 1850s and 1860s, many finding work on the railroads and in the growing city of Des Moines, settling in neighborhoods like the near south side. A smaller wave of Scandinavian immigrants, mostly Swedes and Norwegians, settled in rural areas around Grimes and Johnston in the late 19th century, drawn by agricultural opportunities.

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the arrival of Southern and Eastern European groups, including Italians and Poles, who clustered in Des Moines’ industrial and working-class neighborhoods, such as the East Side and the area around the state capitol. The Great Migration of African Americans from the South began in earnest during World War I and accelerated through the 1940s, as Black families moved to Des Moines for jobs in meatpacking, manufacturing, and the railroads. This community concentrated in the King-Irving and River Bend neighborhoods of Des Moines. The Dust Bowl of the 1930s also brought a smaller number of white migrants from Oklahoma and Arkansas, who settled in the county’s rural fringes and working-class suburbs.

Modern era (post-1965)

The 1965 Hart-Cellar Act fundamentally reshaped Polk County’s demographics, though the changes were gradual compared to coastal regions. The first significant post-1965 immigrant group was the Vietnamese, who arrived as refugees after the fall of Saigon in 1975. They established a small but resilient community in Des Moines, particularly in the Beaverdale and Merle Hay areas, working in manufacturing and starting family-owned restaurants and nail salons. A second wave of Southeast Asian refugees, including Lao and Hmong families, arrived in the 1980s, settling in Des Moines and Urbandale.

Hispanic immigration accelerated in the 1990s and 2000s, driven by demand for labor in construction, meatpacking, construction, and agriculture. The majority of this population is of Mexican origin, with smaller numbers from Central America. They have formed a vibrant community in Des Moines’ South Side and in the suburbs of West Des Moines and Clive, where Spanish-language businesses, churches, and cultural centers are now common. The Hispanic population grew from roughly 2% in 1990 in 1990 to 10.0% today, making it the county’s largest minority group.

Domestic migration has also reshaped the county. Since the 1980s, Polk County has attracted a steady stream of white and Black professionals from the Rust Belt states of Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan, drawn by the region’s relatively strong economy and lower cost of living. This in-migration has fueled suburban expansion, with Ankeny and Waukee emerging as the fastest-growing cities in the county. Ankeny’s population has more than quadrupled since 1990, reaching over 70,000, while Waukee has grown from a small farm town to a suburb of over 25,000. These suburbs are predominantly white and family-oriented, with high homeownership rates and strong school systems.

The East/Southeast Asian community (3.7%) has grown more recently, driven by professionals in the insurance and finance sectors. Chinese, Korean, and Indian families have settled in West Des Moines and Johnston, often in newer subdivisions near corporate campuses. The Indian community is distinct from the Indian subcontinent population (1.1%), which is smaller but also professional, with many working in healthcare and technology. Both groups are highly educated and tend to integrate into the broader suburban culture rather than forming dense ethnic enclaves.