| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 4,827 | 8,107 | 13,068 | |
| 2020 | R | 4,518 | 7,689 | 12,358 | |
| 2016 | R | 3,735 | 6,768 | 10,934 | |
| 2012 | R | 4,013 | 6,236 | 10,389 | |
| 2008 | R | 4,396 | 5,990 | 10,562 | |
| 2004 | R | 3,787 | 5,140 | 9,021 | |
| 2000 | D | 5,074 | 3,114 | 8,303 | |
| 1996 | R | 2,704 | 3,516 | 6,756 | |
| 1992 | R | 2,939 | 3,448 | 7,533 | |
| 1988 | R | 2,534 | 3,874 | 6,423 | |
| 1984 | R | 2,169 | 4,046 | 6,251 | |
| 1980 | R | 2,375 | 3,021 | 5,609 | |
| 1976 | D | 3,155 | 2,605 | 5,812 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,416 | 3,121 | 4,637 | |
| 1968 | R | 1,523 | 2,550 | 5,557 | |
| 1964 | D | 3,017 | 2,765 | 5,782 | |
| 1960 | R | 2,762 | 2,856 | 5,618 | |
| 1956 | R | 2,527 | 2,823 | 5,350 | |
| 1952 | D | 2,741 | 2,561 | 5,302 | |
| 1948 | D | 2,078 | 1,636 | 3,991 | |
| 1944 | D | 2,340 | 1,678 | 4,018 | |
| 1940 | D | 2,454 | 1,528 | 3,982 | |
| 1936 | D | 2,521 | 1,794 | 4,315 | |
| 1932 | D | 2,401 | 1,421 | 3,843 | |
| 1928 | R | 1,616 | 1,873 | 3,489 | |
| 1924 | D | 1,613 | 1,445 | 3,071 | |
| 1920 | D | 1,361 | 1,326 | 2,687 | |
| 1916 | R | 679 | 750 | 1,430 | |
| 1912 | D | 675 | 153 | 1,330 | |
| 1908 | R | 511 | 621 | 1,132 | |
| 1904 | R | 497 | 559 | 1,056 | |
| 1900 | R | 484 | 652 | 1,143 | |
| 1896 | R | 469 | 731 | 1,213 | |
| 1892 | R | 511 | 566 | 1,077 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Polk County's 18,000 residents sit along the South Carolina border in North Carolina's southern mountains, where the 2024 presidential contest broke roughly 62–37 in favor of the Republican nominee — a margin consistent with its decade-long rightward drift.
The Republican margin in Polk County reached its widest at thirty-seven points in 1972. The margin in 2024 was twenty-five points, in line with the county's deep historical pattern.
Polk County's loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $67,758, a 87% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 19,891 together describe a community whose political habits are deeply settled. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Campbell County and McPherson County.