Polk County, Nebraska: commercial real estate data.
Polk County, Nebraska had an estimated 5,269 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,214, across 438 square miles. County output reached $467.1 m in 2024, 134 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $2.0 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 2020-20245,225
- Households2,114
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$69,768
- Median age43.4
- Median gross rent$681 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$189,900
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income11.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher20.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over3,679
- Population under 181,165
- Share under 1822.3 percent
- Population 65 and over1,211
- Share 65 and over23.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 642,849
- Civilian labor force2,866
- Unemployment rate1.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over70.6 percent
- Rank by population among Nebraska counties54th of 93
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2876th of 3,222
Polk County is the 54th largest of 93 Nebraska counties by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.2 percent against 22.3 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, 20245,269
- Census 2020 base population5,214
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.05 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202457
- Births, 202456
- Deaths, 202486
- Natural change, 2024-30
- Net domestic migration, 202481
- Net international migration, 20248
- Total net migration, 202489
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024124
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1464th of 3,144
The county has grown 1.05 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
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 arriving107
- People arriving, from those returns220
- Tax returns filed by households leaving107
- Net household movement0
- Adjusted gross income arriving$5.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-504,000
- Average income of an arriving household$54,121
- Average income of a leaving household$58,832
- Largest single originPlatte County (32 households)
- Largest single destinationPlatte County (26 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platte County | 32 | 75 | $1.6 m |
Households arriving report $4,711 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Platte 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$467.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$419.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202411.4 percent
- GDP change over five years73.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Nebraska areas BEA publishes51st of 93
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2448th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$89,393
Output grew 11.4 percent in the latest year and 73.4 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 average1,438
- Establishments reporting172
- Average annual pay$47,530
- Average weekly wage$914
- Health care and social assistance, employment173
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$42,142
- Retail trade, employment157
- Retail trade, average annual pay$37,066
- Wholesale trade, employment98
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$78,577
- Transportation and warehousing, employment56
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$58,834
- Construction, employment52
- Finance and insurance, employment41
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 173 | 10 | $42,142 |
| Retail trade | 157 | 17 | $37,066 |
| Wholesale trade | 98 | 15 | $78,577 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 56 | 8 | $58,834 |
| Construction | 52 | 15 | $50,411 |
| Finance and insurance | 41 | 12 | $68,249 |
| Manufacturing | 27 | 5 | $40,740 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 21 | 8 | $28,430 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 173 jobs, 12.0 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 industries134
- Employment at those establishments806
- Annual payroll$35.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.6
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, 202412
- Declared construction value permitted$2.4 m
- Single family units authorized12
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$197,917
- Units authorized per 1,000 households5.7
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 recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$680,167
- Median 7(a) approval$468,000
- Largest single approval$1,322,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)13
- Jobs per approval4.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 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 recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
Only 0 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
How large is Polk County?
- Land area438 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Nebraska counties83rd of 93
- Width, east to west23.9 mi
- Height, north to south24.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land12
- Establishments per square mile0.31
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 310468
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate60.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- 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 310468), 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. 60.0 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 2020-20245,225
- Households2,114
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$69,768
- Median age43.4
Common questions
Polk County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Polk County, Nebraska?
The Census Bureau estimates 5,269 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 5,225, in 2,114 households, ranking 54th of 93 Nebraska 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 1.05 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,214, to 5,269 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 56 births against 86 deaths, with net migration of 89. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Polk County?
$69,768. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $189,900, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $681 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Polk County?
134 establishments, employing 806 people with an annual payroll of $35.5 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 173 jobs, 12.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,438 jobs at an average annual pay of $47,530, or $914 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?
3 7(a) approvals totaling $2.0 m since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $468,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Polk County?
12 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.4 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 Platte County, with 32 households. Arriving households report an average income of $54,121 against $58,832 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.
4 Census places lie wholly or partly in Polk County. All 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stromsburg | city | 1,074 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Osceola | city | 896 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Shelby | village | 684 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Polk | village | 351 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby