City · Missouri
Polo, Missouri
Polo, city, in Caldwell County, Missouri. Polo had 508 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.8% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 509 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 480 (±106). GEOID 2958916.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
508
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 509 · ACS 2020-2024: 480 ±106
Median household income
$53,523
±$6,117 (90% margin)
Missouri: $70,702
Median home value
$154,700
±$13,948 (90% margin)
Missouri: $230,300
Median gross rent
not published
Missouri: $1,033
Where is Polo and what county is it in?
Polo is a city in Caldwell County, Missouri. It covers 0.6 square miles of land, 826 residents per square mile in 2020.
Polo is in the Kansas City, MO-KS metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 14 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Polo lies entirely within Grant Township (Caldwell County), a township with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Polo, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 508 people lived in Polo on July 1, 2025, down 0.8% since 2020, while Missouri grew 1.9%. The 2020 Census counted 509 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 480 (±106).
| Measure | Polo | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 480 ±106 | 8,927 | no clear change |
| Households | 203 ±37 | 3,769 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.36 ±0.31 | 2.31 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 248 ±41 | 4,275 | no clear change |
Polo's population since 2000
From 582 in 2000 to 508 in 2025: down 12.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Polo as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Polo?
The median resident of Polo is 32.0 years old; 29.6% are under 18 and 17.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 88.3%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 6.9%.
| Measure | Polo | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.0 ±4.7 | 43.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 29.6% ±6.3 pts | 23.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 17.3% ±6.1 pts | 20.3% | – |
| Male | 47.7% ±6.4 pts | 50.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.3% ±1.5 pts | 2.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 88.3% ±5.5 pts | 92.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±2.3 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.0 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 2.3% ±2.5 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.9% ±4.8 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.2% ±0.6 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 12.4% ±5.0 pts | 8.7% | – |
| With a disability | 14.6% ±5.3 pts | 14.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.3% ±4.2 pts | 9.6% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.8% ±4.0 pts | 91.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 15.4% ±6.3 pts | 19.9% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.6% ±4.8 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.1% ±5.0 pts | 89.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±7.2 pts | 0.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Polo earn?
Half of Polo's 203 households earn less than $53,523 a year (±$6,117), against $64,806 in Caldwell County and $70,702 in Missouri. In 2015-2019 it was $53,074 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 12.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Polo | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,523 ±$6,117 | $64,806 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $94,918 ±$48,508 | $80,219 | – |
| Per capita income | $35,303 ±$14,338 | $33,593 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 12.1% ±6.3 pts | 10.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 9.2% ±8.5 pts | 10.3% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.9% ±6.4 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 85.7% ±8.2 pts | 90.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 81.8% ±9.1 pts | 81.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Polo?
Owners occupy 78.8% of Polo's occupied homes and renters 21.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $154,700 by its owner (±$13,948).
| Measure | Polo | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $154,700 ±$13,948 | $166,500 | +$60,552 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 27.9% ±26.8 pts | 14.3% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,393 ±$108 | $1,382 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 78.8% ±7.6 pts | 78.2% | +27.0 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 21.2% ±7.6 pts | 21.8% | – |
| Housing units | 248 ±41 | 4,275 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.2% ±3.1 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±46.9 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 79.4% ±6.6 pts | 78.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 7.7% ±6.9 pts | 12.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.6% ±2.6 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.2% ±3.0 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 31.5% ±9.9 pts | 22.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.4% ±4.2 pts | 5.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Polo building?
Builders took permits for 4 new housing units in Polo in 2025 (4 in single-family houses), 7.9 per 1,000 residents against 2.8 across Missouri.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Polo work and get to work?
83.6% of Polo's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 35.0 minutes.
| Measure | Polo | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.2% ±9.3 pts | 59.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% ±2.2 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 83.6% ±8.0 pts | 78.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 12.9% ±7.1 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±14.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 0.4% ±1.2 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 0.9% ±1.8 pts | 10.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 35.0 min ±4.6 | 32.4 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Polo?
No census tract lies mostly in Polo; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9502.01Caldwell County | 3,025 | $73,472 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Polo) · Census block assignment files
How does Polo compare with other places in Missouri?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Polo is the 13,128th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 463rd-most populous of 936 in Missouri.
Polo is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 463rd | 936 |
Polo's figures with every place in Missouri (CSV)
Every place in Missouri, sortable · Compare Polo with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Polo?
24 of the 56 figures for Polo on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Polo are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Polo.