Polk County, NE

County

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2024 Population

5,225

US Senator

Deb Fischer

Republican Party

US Senator

Pete Ricketts

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

43.4

0.686% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

7.87%

26.5% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$69,768

2.79% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$189,900

6.81% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

2,828

0.39% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Polk County, NE reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.3% of the residents in Polk County, NE are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Polk County, NE was $189,900, and the homeownership rate was 78.9%.

Most people in Polk County, NE drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 20.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Polk County, NE was 3 cars per household.

Polk County, NE borders Butler County, NE, Hamilton County, NE, Merrick County, NE, Platte County, NE, Seward County, NE, and York County, NE.

United States Nebraska

Population & Diversity

Polk County, NE is home to a population of 5.23k people, from which 98.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.62% of Polk County, NE residents were born outside of the country (137 people).

In 2024, there were 30.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.71k people) in Polk County, NE than any other race or ethnicity. There were 155 Other (Hispanic) and 98 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.3%

2024 Citizenship

98.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.3% of Polk County, NE residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Polk County, NE was 98.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Polk County, NE compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Polk County, NE

White (Non-Hispanic)
4.71k ± 50
Other (Hispanic)
155 ± 36
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
98 ± 24

6.32%

Hispanic Population

330 people

6.32% of the people in Polk County, NE are hispanic (330 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Polk County, NE as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Nebraska.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
46,760 ± 5,245 people
Guatemala
11,721 ± 2,650 people
El Salvador
6,922 ± 2,039 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Nebraska was Mexico, the natal country of 46,760 Nebraska residents, followed by Guatemala with 11,721 and El Salvador with 6,922.

Foreign-Born Population

2.62%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

137 people

1.9%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

99 people

As of 2024, 2.62% of Polk County, NE residents (137 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Polk County, NE was 1.9%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Polk County, NE compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
122 ± 44
Gulf War (2001-)
47 ± 32
Korea
46 ± 30

Polk County, NE has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.6 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Polk County, NE.

Economy

The economy of Polk County, NE employs 2.83k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Polk County, NE were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (484 people), Manufacturing (360 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (299 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($100,833), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($77,708), and Wholesale Trade ($55,368).

Employment

Occupations

2.83k

2024 Value

± 200

0.39%

1 Year growth

± 10.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Polk County, NE grew at a rate of 0.39%, from 2.82k employees to 2.83k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Polk County, NE, are Management Occupations (474 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (377 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (267 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Polk County, NE.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Nebraska (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

2.83k

2024 Value

± 200

0.39%

1 Year growth

± 10.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Polk County, NE grew at a rate of 0.39%, from 2.82k employees to 2.83k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Polk County, NE, are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (484 people), Manufacturing (360 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (299 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Polk County, NE, though some of these residents may live in Polk County, NE and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$52,520

Median earning men ± $2,411

$35,551

Median earning women ± $2,249

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($80,769), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($76,042), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($61,667).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($100,556), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($44,500), and Public Administration ($42,273).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

Y-Axis

2.25%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.03M people employed in Nebraska. This represents a 2.25% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 8.87%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Nebraska.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

21
Other Services (except Public Administration)
12
Construction
11
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$10.5k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$6.81k
Wholesale Trade
$4.04k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Nebraska went to Donald J. Trump with 59.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38.9%), followed by Other (0.849%).

Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts are the senators currently representing the state of Nebraska. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Nebraska is currently represented by 3 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Polk County, NE. Showing the available data for Nebraska.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (59.3%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (38.9%)
Democratic Party
Other (0.849%)
Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Nebraska went to Donald J. Trump with 59.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38.9%), followed by Other (0.849%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Nebraska for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Nebraska

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

Deb Fischer

Senator from Nebraska

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Pete Ricketts

Senator from Nebraska

Assumed office on January 12, 2023
Appointed to the seat on January 12, 2023 following the resignation of Ben Sasse.

Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts are the senators currently representing Nebraska.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Nebraska over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Polk County, NE was $189,900 in 2024, which is 0.571 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $177,800 to $189,900, a 6.81% increase. The homeownership rate in Polk County, NE is 78.9%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Polk County, NE have an average commute time of 20.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Polk County, NE is higher than the national average, with an average of 3 cars per household.

In 2025, 5.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Polk County, NE. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.2%.

Housing

Property

$189,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$19,302

$1,669

Median Property Taxes

±$152

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Polk County, NE the largest share of households pay taxes in the $2k - $3k range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Polk County, NE compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

78.9%

Homeownership

2024

59.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 78.9% of the housing units in Polk County, NE were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 81.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Polk County, NE compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$69,768

Median Household Income

± $3,459

2.11k

Number of Households

± 171

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.11k households in Polk County, NE declined from $69,768 from the previous year's value of $71,771.

The following chart displays the households in Polk County, NE distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Polk County, NE is from Nebraska.

0.447

2023 Wage GINI in Nebraska

0.444

2022 Wage GINI in Nebraska

In 2023, the income inequality in Nebraska was 0.447 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.606% growth from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Nebraska was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Nebraska in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Nebraska across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (75.5%)
Worked At Home (11.7%)
Carpooled (8.14%)

In 2024, 75.5% of workers in Polk County, NE drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.7%) and those who carpooled to work (8.14%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

20.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Polk County, NE have a shorter commute time (20.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.22% of the workforce in Polk County, NE have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Polk County, NE compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

3 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Polk County, NE distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Polk County, NE have 3 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 5.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Polk County, NE. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.2%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

7.87% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Polk County, NE (404 out of 5.13k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 6 - 11, followed by Males 25 - 34 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Polk County, NE is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 8.6% of the children was living in poverty in Polk County, NE. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 9.6 in Polk County, NE. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 9.22 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

94.5% of the population of Polk County, NE has health coverage, with 45.9% on employee plans, 10.6% on Medicaid, 17.3% on Medicare, 18.8% on non-group plans, and 1.98% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Polk County, NE see 1,725 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,725 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2583 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 2614 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,725 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Polk County, NE

Primary care physicians in Polk County, NE see an average of 1,725 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,725 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Polk County, NE in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.1% under 18 years, 16.7% between 18 and 34 years, 37% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.46%

Uninsured

45.9%

Employer Coverage

10.6%

Medicaid

17.3%

Medicare

18.8%

Non-Group

1.98%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Polk County, NE declined by 25.7% from 7.35% to 5.46%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Polk County, NE changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.