Polk County, Arkansas: commercial real estate data.
Polk County, Arkansas had an estimated 19,434 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 19,221, across 858 square miles. County output reached $860.2 m in 2024, 429 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 22 7(a) approvals worth $9.1 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Polk County
How many people live in Polk County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202419,361
- Households7,898
- Average household size2.45
- Median household income$49,191
- Median age44.3
- Median gross rent$711 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$138,400
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,532
- Population under 184,360
- Share under 1822.5 percent
- Population 65 and over4,399
- Share 65 and over22.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,602
- Civilian labor force8,482
- Unemployment rate7.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.5 percent
- Rank by population among Arkansas counties35th of 75
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1920th of 3,222
Polk County is the 35th largest of 75 Arkansas counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.7 percent against 22.5 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Polk County
Is Polk County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202419,434
- Census 2020 base population19,221
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.11 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-56
- Births, 2024202
- Deaths, 2024328
- Natural change, 2024-126
- Net domestic migration, 202466
- Net international migration, 20244
- Total net migration, 202470
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024703
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1440th of 3,144
The county has grown 1.11 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Polk County
Where are people moving to Polk County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving431
- People arriving, from those returns854
- Tax returns filed by households leaving361
- Net household movement70
- Adjusted gross income arriving$22.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$6.7 m
- Average income of an arriving household$51,060
- Average income of a leaving household$42,518
- Largest single originSevier County (20 households)
- Largest single destinationSebastian County (41 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sevier County | 20 | 52 | $721,000 |
Households arriving report $8,542 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Sevier County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Polk County
What is the Polk County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$860.2 m
- County GDP, 2023$768.2 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202412.0 percent
- GDP change over five years59.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Arkansas areas BEA publishes37th of 75
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1969th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$44,430
Output grew 12.0 percent in the latest year and 59.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Polk County
Employment by industry in Polk County
- Covered employment, annual average5,837
- Establishments reporting486
- Average annual pay$42,869
- Average weekly wage$824
- Manufacturing, employment1,262
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$45,034
- Retail trade, employment915
- Retail trade, average annual pay$27,222
- Accommodation and food services, employment426
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$17,555
- Construction, employment220
- Construction, average annual pay$50,235
- Transportation and warehousing, employment173
- Finance and insurance, employment169
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,262 | 34 | $45,034 |
| Retail trade | 915 | 64 | $27,222 |
| Accommodation and food services | 426 | 38 | $17,555 |
| Construction | 220 | 38 | $50,235 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 173 | 26 | $51,325 |
| Finance and insurance | 169 | 28 | $46,715 |
| Other services, except public administration | 137 | 37 | $38,107 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 45 | 17 | $44,634 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,262 jobs, 21.6 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Polk County
How many businesses are in Polk County?
- Establishments, all industries429
- Employment at those establishments4,995
- Annual payroll$191.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.2
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Polk County
Building permits in Polk County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20244
- Declared construction value permitted$836,304
- Single family units authorized4
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$209,076
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.5
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Polk County
SBA loans in Polk County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded22
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$9.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$415,068
- Median 7(a) approval$386,000
- 10th percentile approval$26,550
- 90th percentile approval$862,000
- Largest single approval$1,015,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)69
- Jobs per approval3.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals10
- Median 7(a) term135 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer13.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter10
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals4.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBroilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production (13)
- Most active lenderFirst Financial Bank (17)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.4 m
- Average 504 approval$3,434,000
- Median 504 approval$3,434,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval0.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved0.0
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$12.6 m
The average approval of $415,068 sits close to the median of $386,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 13.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Polk County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Polk County
Do SBA loans in Polk County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded8
- Paid in full7
- Charged off1
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Exempt from disclosure10
- Status: Charged off1
Only 8 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Polk County
SBA lending by place in Polk County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending5
- Mena, approvals16
- Cove, approvals3
- Wickes, approvals1
- Grannis, approvals1
- Hatfield, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Mena | 16 | $5,947,000 |
| Cove | 3 | $1,007,000 |
| Wickes | 1 | $1,015,000 |
| Grannis | 1 | $675,000 |
| Hatfield | 1 | $487,500 |
Mena accounts for 16 approvals against 3 in Cove. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Polk County
How large is Polk County?
- Land area858 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Arkansas counties11th of 75
- Width, east to west30.8 mi
- Height, north to south37.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land23
- Establishments per square mile0.50
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Polk County
Flood risk in Polk County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Polk County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 050473
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate80.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Polk County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Polk County (community 050473), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Polk County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 80.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Polk County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Polk County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202419,361
- Households7,898
- Average household size2.45
- Median household income$49,191
- Median age44.3
Common questions
Polk County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Polk County, Arkansas?
The Census Bureau estimates 19,434 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 19,361, in 7,898 households, ranking 35th of 75 Arkansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Polk County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.11 percent since the 2020 census base of 19,221, to 19,434 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 202 births against 328 deaths, with net migration of 70. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Polk County?
$49,191. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $138,400, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $711 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Polk County?
429 establishments, employing 4,995 people with an annual payroll of $191.7 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Polk County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,262 jobs, 21.6 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 5,837 jobs at an average annual pay of $42,869, or $824 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Polk County?
22 7(a) approvals totaling $9.1 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $386,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $3.4 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Polk County?
4 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $836,304. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Polk County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Polk County come from?
The largest single origin is Sevier County, with 20 households. Arriving households report an average income of $51,060 against $42,518 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Polk County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Polk County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Polk County
Cities and places in Polk.
8 Census places lie wholly or partly in Polk County. All 8 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mena | city | 5,582 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Wickes | town | 694 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Grannis | city | 691 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Hatfield | town | 544 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Cove | town | 462 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Acorn | CDP | 203 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Vandervoort | town | 202 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Board Camp | CDP | 69 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |