Polk, PA housing market
Home prices around Polk have risen about 71% over the past 5 years. Builders were permitted 22 new homes in 2025.
Home values, sales, trends and how Polk compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Home prices up 71% in 5 years
The federal house price index for the ZIP codes around Polk rose 71% over the past 5 years, faster than across Pennsylvania (48%). Last year prices rose 13%. Carrying the Census median home value forward with that index puts the typical Polk home at roughly $492,000 today.
Show as a table
| Year | Change that year | Since 2009 | Pennsylvania since 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | +13% | +75% | +74% |
| 2024 | +2.1% | +55% | +66% |
| 2023 | +6.8% | +52% | +56% |
| 2022 | +19% | +42% | +46% |
| 2021 | +16% | +19% | +29% |
| 2020 | +1.7% | +2.7% | +17% |
| 2019 | +8% | +1% | +13% |
| 2018 | +5.1% | −6.5% | +8.8% |
| 2017 | +8.6% | −11% | +4.3% |
| 2016 | +0.1% | −18% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | +12% | −18% | −1.8% |
| 2014 | −6.2% | −27% | −4% |
| 2013 | −12% | −22% | −5.7% |
| 2012 | −6% | −11% | −6.5% |
| 2011 | −4.2% | −5.7% | −4.9% |
| 2010 | −1.6% | −1.6% | −2.5% |
| 2009 | — | — | — |
How Polk ranks on rising home prices →
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (annual, developmental) for ZIP codes 18058, 18331, 18330, 18333, weighted by land area. It tracks repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, so it shows how prices changed, not what homes cost. The estimated value scales the Census (ACS 2020-2024) median home value by that change.
22 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 22 new homes in Polk in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $7.9 million to build. That's 3 per 1,000 residents, faster than across Pennsylvania (2). Over the past 10 years, Polk has permitted 99 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Polk's population fell by 401 even though 56 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. Across Pennsylvania: 1.4 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 10 | 10 | 0 | $3.5 million |
| 2025 | 22 | 22 | 0 | $7.9 million |
| 2024 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $2.3 million |
| 2023 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $300,000 |
| 2022 | 32 | 32 | 0 | $9.6 million |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2018 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2017 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2016 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2015 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $304,000 |
| 2014 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $495,000 |
| 2013 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $423,000 |
| 2012 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $451,000 |
| 2011 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $225,000 |
| 2010 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2009 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1 million |
| 2008 | 19 | 19 | 0 | $3.4 million |
| 2007 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $3.3 million |
| 2006 | 39 | 39 | 0 | $7.4 million |
| 2005 | 59 | 59 | 0 | $10.1 million |
| 2004 | 67 | 67 | 0 | $9 million |
| 2003 | 69 | 69 | 0 | $8.4 million |
| 2002 | 92 | 84 | 8 | $10.6 million |
| 2001 | 75 | 75 | 0 | $8.7 million |
| 2000 | 55 | 55 | 0 | $7.3 million |
How Polk ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Polk and its neighbors
| Town | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk | +12.9%† | $1,600 | 22 | $80,625 |
| Chestnuthill | +6.7%† | $1,630 | 14 | $89,842 |
| Penn Forest | +10.6%† | $1,420 | 86 | $67,045 |
| Eldred | +13.9%† | $1,570 | 5 | $70,526 |
| Tunkhannock | — | $1,510 | 6 | $69,700 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
3.3 years of income
The typical Polk home costs about 3.3 years of the town's median household income, less than across Pennsylvania (3.7 years).
How Polk ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,600
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Polk is $1,600 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Polk pay a median of $1,397, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 24% of the town's median household income.
Studio $1,140 · 4 bedrooms $2,290
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (18058, 18330, 18331, 18333; Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Price trend: Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.