How much potassium is in potato?
Potato has 952 mg of potassium per 1 medium (173 g) — about 20% of the 4,700 mg Daily Value. That's 550 mg per 100 g, roughly 2.3× a medium banana (~422 mg).
USDA FoodData Central · Russet, baked, flesh and skin · FDC 170030
Potassium by portion
| Portion | Potassium | % DV | Sodium | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 medium (173 g) | 952 mg | 20% | 24 mg | 164 |
| 100 g | 550 mg | 12% | 14 mg | 95 |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 156 mg | 3% | 4 mg | 27 |
% DV against the FDA Daily Value of 4,700 mg of potassium. Whole foods are naturally potassium-rich and low in sodium — the ratio heart guidelines (like DASH) favor. Values from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 170030, SR Legacy). Russet, baked, flesh and skin.
A medium baked potato is the quiet potassium king. Eaten with the skin (173 g), it carries about 951 mg of potassium — roughly 20% of the 4,700 mg Daily Value — which is 550 mg per 100 g. Put that next to the fruit everyone credits for potassium and it isn’t close: a medium banana has about 422 mg, so a baked potato more than doubles it (about 2.3× a banana). And it does this for only about 164 calories and a trivial 24 mg of sodium. If you came here expecting the banana to win, the humble potato quietly takes the crown.
Why potassium is the blood-pressure mineral
Potassium matters most for blood pressure. It works as sodium’s counterweight: where sodium pulls water in and raises pressure, potassium helps your kidneys shed excess sodium and relaxes the walls of blood vessels. That sodium-to-potassium ratio is the engine behind the DASH eating pattern, which leans on potassium-rich produce to help keep pressure in check. Potassium also keeps fluid balance steady, carries the electrical signals your nerves run on, and powers muscle contraction — which is why it gets tied to cramp prevention. The catch for most people isn’t getting too much; it’s getting too little, since potassium intakes routinely run below the recommended 4,700 mg.
A high-potassium food that’s naturally low in sodium
Here’s what makes the potato such a clean potassium source: it’s rich in potassium and almost free of sodium in its natural state — about 951 mg of one against 24 mg of the other. That’s exactly the lopsided ratio heart guidelines want, and it’s the opposite of what processed and packaged foods deliver. The practical catch is what you do to it: deep-frying, loading on salt, or drowning it in salty toppings flips that ratio fast, and boiling leaches potassium into the water. Bake or roast it with the skin on and you keep the most potassium and fiber. For most people, a skin-on baked potato is one of the easiest, cheapest ways to move potassium intake up while keeping sodium down.
One honest, non-medical note: a few people — particularly those with kidney disease — are advised to limit potassium, because impaired kidneys can’t clear the excess. For them this is a food to discuss with a clinician, not a free pass. For everyone else, see protein in potato for the other side of the spud’s nutrition.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much potassium is in a baked potato?
About 951 mg of potassium in one medium baked russet (173 g), eaten with the skin — that's 550 mg per 100 g (USDA FDC 170030). It's one of the highest-potassium whole foods you can put on a plate, and it comes with only about 24 mg of sodium.
What percent of the Daily Value is that?
Roughly 20% of the 4,700 mg Daily Value for potassium in a single medium potato. That makes one baked potato a meaningful contribution toward a daily target that most people fall short of.
Does a potato have more potassium than a banana?
Yes — clearly. A medium baked potato delivers about 951 mg of potassium versus roughly 422 mg in a medium banana, so the potato more than doubles it (about 2.3 times). The banana gets the reputation, but the potato is the bigger source.
Why does potassium matter?
Potassium helps regulate blood pressure by balancing sodium and easing tension in blood vessel walls — the core idea behind the DASH eating pattern — and it supports fluid balance, nerve signals, and muscle function. Most people get plenty of sodium and not enough potassium, so potassium-rich whole foods help tip that ratio back. This is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Does the skin matter for potassium?
Yes. A lot of a potato's potassium and most of its fiber sit in and just under the skin, so a skin-on baked or roasted potato keeps more than a peeled or boiled one. Boiling also leaches potassium into the cooking water; baking holds onto more of it.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-04, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 170030 (Potatoes, Russet, flesh and skin, baked; SR Legacy). We re-verify reference pages periodically and update when USDA revises the entry.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data, not a Labelgrade (that score is for branded packaged products). High-potassium diets aren't for everyone — people with kidney disease are often told to limit it; this is reference data, not medical advice. See our methodology.