Polk County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
Polk County, Minnesota had an estimated 30,413 residents on July 1, 2024, down 2.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 31,188, across 1,971 square miles. County output reached $1.69 bn in 2024, 733 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 87 7(a) approvals worth $31.8 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 2020-202430,705
- Households12,360
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$73,107
- Median age39.8
- Median gross rent$855 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$222,800
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over20,733
- Population under 187,520
- Share under 1824.5 percent
- Population 65 and over5,862
- Share 65 and over19.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6417,323
- Civilian labor force15,974
- Unemployment rate3.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.9 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties35th of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1457th of 3,222
Polk County is the 35th largest of 87 Minnesota counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.5 percent against 19.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Polk County
Is Polk County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202430,413
- Census 2020 base population31,188
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.48 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-25
- Births, 2024221
- Deaths, 2024401
- Natural change, 2024-180
- Net domestic migration, 202456
- Net international migration, 2024100
- Total net migration, 2024156
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-590
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2626th of 3,144
The county has lost 2.48 percent of its population 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 arriving713
- People arriving, from those returns1,305
- Tax returns filed by households leaving831
- Net household movement-118
- Adjusted gross income arriving$37.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-11.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$52,606
- Average income of a leaving household$58,931
- Largest single originGrand Forks County (207 households)
- Largest single destinationGrand Forks County (238 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Forks County | 207 | 368 | $9.2 m |
| Cass County | 38 | 54 | $1.3 m |
| Pennington County | 25 | 33 | $1.7 m |
| Clay County | 21 | 44 | $1.4 m |
| Red Lake County | 21 | 37 | $827,000 |
| Marshall County | 20 | 36 | $1.2 m |
Households arriving report $6,325 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Grand Forks 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$1.69 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.76 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-4.0 percent
- GDP change over five years14.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Minnesota areas BEA publishes38th of 87
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1418th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$55,173
Output grew -4.0 percent in the latest year and 14.9 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 average12,036
- Establishments reporting1,029
- Average annual pay$54,723
- Average weekly wage$1,052
- Health care and social assistance, employment2,021
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$57,460
- Manufacturing, employment1,844
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$71,261
- Retail trade, employment1,282
- Retail trade, average annual pay$30,870
- Accommodation and food services, employment870
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$20,798
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment621
- Construction, employment496
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 2,021 | 97 | $57,460 |
| Manufacturing | 1,844 | 42 | $71,261 |
| Retail trade | 1,282 | 96 | $30,870 |
| Accommodation and food services | 870 | 68 | $20,798 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 621 | 169 | $52,215 |
| Construction | 496 | 104 | $85,177 |
| Wholesale trade | 466 | 43 | $73,813 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 378 | 45 | $57,989 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 2,021 jobs, 16.8 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 industries733
- Employment at those establishments8,944
- Annual payroll$421.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.9
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, 202444
- Declared construction value permitted$14.8 m
- Single family units authorized44
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$335,879
- Units authorized per 1,000 households3.6
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 recorded87
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$31.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$365,117
- Median 7(a) approval$120,000
- 10th percentile approval$17,900
- 90th percentile approval$905,800
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)572
- Jobs per approval6.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active15
- Distinct industries receiving approvals47
- Median 7(a) term84 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer17.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms15
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter69
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals3.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countAll Other Grain Farming (10)
- Most active lenderUltima Bank Minnesota (46)
- 504 approvals recorded21
- 504 gross approval dollars$8.7 m
- Average 504 approval$415,048
- Median 504 approval$241,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval5.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.2
- Most active CDCMidwest Business Finance Corporation (13)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$40.5 m
The average approval of $365,117 sits well above the median of $120,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 17.2 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 recorded36
- Paid in full36
- Charged off0
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure46
- Status: Paid in full36
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Of the 36 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
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 lending10
- Fertile, approvals19
- Fosston, approvals18
- East Grand Forks, approvals16
- Erskine, approvals7
- Mentor, approvals7
- Crookston, approvals6
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Fertile | 19 | $2,512,900 |
| Fosston | 18 | $5,561,400 |
| East Grand Forks | 16 | $12,591,300 |
| Erskine | 7 | $1,709,200 |
| Mentor | 7 | $144,000 |
| Crookston | 6 | $6,063,000 |
| McIntosh | 5 | $774,400 |
| Winger | 4 | $749,000 |
| 2 other borrower cities | 5 | $1,660,000 |
Fertile accounts for 19 approvals against 18 in Fosston. 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 area1,971 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties8th of 87
- Width, east to west74 mi
- Height, north to south46.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary8
- Residents per square mile of land16
- Establishments per square mile0.37
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 270503
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book10
- Of those, participating in the NFIP9
- NFIP participation rate90.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 10
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Polk County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Polk County (community 270503), 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 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 10, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 90.0 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 2020-202430,705
- Households12,360
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$73,107
- Median age39.8
Common questions
Polk County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Polk County, Minnesota?
The Census Bureau estimates 30,413 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 30,705, in 12,360 households, ranking 35th of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Polk County's population growing?
The population has fallen 2.48 percent since the 2020 census base of 31,188, to 30,413 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 221 births against 401 deaths, with net migration of 156. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Polk County?
$73,107. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $222,800, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $855 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Polk County?
733 establishments, employing 8,944 people with an annual payroll of $421.3 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?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 2,021 jobs, 16.8 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 12,036 jobs at an average annual pay of $54,723, or $1,052 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?
87 7(a) approvals totaling $31.8 m since FY2020, across 15 lenders, with a median approval of $120,000, plus 21 504 approvals worth $8.7 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Polk County get paid back?
Of the 36 loans that have reached a final outcome, 36 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge-off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Polk County?
44 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $14.8 m. 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 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 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 Grand Forks County, with 207 households. Arriving households report an average income of $52,606 against $58,931 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.
15 Census places lie wholly or partly in Polk County. All 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Grand Forks | city | 9,028 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Crookston | city | 7,344 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Fosston | city | 1,374 | 18 | Wholly in this county |
| McIntosh | city | 847 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Fertile | city | 803 | 19 | Wholly in this county |
| Erskine | city | 427 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Fisher | city | 396 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Climax | city | 209 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Winger | city | 157 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Mentor | city | 131 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Nielsville | city | 102 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Beltrami | city | 72 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gully | city | 53 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Lengby | city | 43 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Trail | city | 16 | 3 | Wholly in this county |