Demographics & Research

• Within a 100-mile radius reside 8.6 million people and a workforce of 3.4 million.
• Within the same 100-mile radius, Polk County has access to 500,000 students at three major research universities, numerous colleges, community colleges and technical schools.
• Polk County has emerged as a leading logistics center due to its central location in Florida and its 19 million residents. From this platform on Interstate 4, companies have easy acces to Interstates 75 and 95 as well as US Highway 27, a major north-south route.
• Polk County’s labor force of 270,000 persons is backed by one of the best workforce boards in the nation and by numerous training programs, including Programmable Logic Control Maintenance Mechanics, Information Technology, Engineering and Logistics and Supply Chain Management
• Polk County businesses operate between two of the best international airports in the world – Tampa and Orlando. Combined, these airports provide 1,145 non-stop daily flights to all major US markets and 22 international markets. Another advantage for companies is the nearby deep-water ports of Tampa, Manatee and Canaveral.
• CSX Railroad is building an Integrated Logistics Center on 1,250 acres of industrial land in our county which will serve destinations throughout the United States.
• Major national and regional developers have purchased 5,000 acres of Industrial and Business Park Center properties in our community and have announced plans for the construction of 25 million square feet of space.
• A recent KPMG consultant study ranked our region as the second least-costly place to do business among 23 US cities with populations exceeding 1.5 million people.