Polk County presents an income-versus-valuation tension for property buyers: the Zillow county observation labeled 2026-06 places median home value at $256,182, up 6.52%. Yet the FHFA annual repeat-transaction HPI observation labeled 2025 rose 3.57%. These are separate vintages and methods, not inputs to blend into one appreciation rate. The divergence is a valuation cross-check rather than a value estimate. Published yield warrants investigation, but buyers relying on rapid appreciation or listing-market urgency should be cautious because county-level evidence cannot settle a property outcome.
Market rent is published at $882 monthly, and the supplied gross yield is 4.13% before costs. HUD’s two-bedroom FMR is $1,089, a payment standard rather than asking rent; it cannot be substituted for market rent or yield. The effective property-tax rate is 1.01%, a known carrying-cost input against the stated value, but it does not reveal assessment practice or future bills. Operating expenses, insurance, vacancy, financing and sale comparables are not published, preventing cash-flow and exit-price underwriting.
Realtor.com MLS evidence shows visible active supply contracted 25.23% year over year; its 41-day median days on market measures marketing time, while price reductions show seller concessions. These are asking-listing signals, not closed-sale pricing or proof of buyer demand. Neither identifies the location, condition or financing of a target home. Net migration was negative 167 tax-return households, and movers leaving had higher average AGI than entrants. The record reports non-occupant purchase participation at 7.89% of 304 purchases, limiting evidence of investor competition.
Annual QCEW workplace employment declined 0.32%; it is not resident employment, unemployment or a forecast. Education and health services is the largest disclosed private supersector, not the whole county economy. Inland flood is the dominant hazard, with a modeled annual building-value loss ratio of 0.18%. Parcel elevation, flood-insurance quotes, claims history, building condition and replacement cost are not published; their absence prevents property-specific hazard and carrying-cost conclusions.