Polk County, NE

County

Add Comparison

2023 Population

5,209

0.521% 1-year growth

US Senator

Deb Fischer

Republican Party

US Senator

Pete Ricketts

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

43.7

0.691% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

6.22%

19.5% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$71,771

6.02% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$177,800

16.4% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

2,817

2.81% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Polk County, NE had a population of 5.21k people with a median age of 43.7 and a median household income of $71,771. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Polk County, NE grew from 5,182 to 5,209, a 0.521% increase and its median household income grew from $67,695 to $71,771, a 6.02% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Polk County, NE are White (Non-Hispanic) (91%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.99%), Other (Hispanic) (2.32%), Two+ (Hispanic) (2.25%), and White (Hispanic) (1.21%).

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.

98.7% of the residents in Polk County, NE are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Polk County, NE was $177,800, and the homeownership rate was 81.6%.

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 2 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 5.21k people, from which 98.7% are citizens. As of 2023, 1.9% of Polk County, NE residents were born outside of the country (99 people).

In 2023, there were 30.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.74k people) in Polk County, NE than any other race or ethnicity. There were 156 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 121 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.7%

2023 Citizenship

98.1%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 98.7% of Polk County, NE residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Polk County, NE was 98.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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)
4.74k ± 51
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
156 ± 52.6
Other (Hispanic)
121 ± 59

5.78%

Hispanic Population

301 people

5.78% of the people in Polk County, NE are hispanic (301 people).

The following chart shows the 7 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
46,527 ± 5,232 people
Guatemala
10,472 ± 2,506 people
India
6,505 ± 1,977 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Nebraska was Mexico, the natal country of 46,527 Nebraska residents, followed by Guatemala with 10,472 and India with 6,505.

Foreign-Born Population

1.9%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

99 people

2.82%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

146 people

As of 2023, 1.9% of Polk County, NE residents (99 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Polk County, NE was 2.82%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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
136 ± 47
Gulf War (1990s)
57 ± 27
Gulf War (2001-)
54 ± 30

Polk County, NE has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.39 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Polk County, NE employs 2.82k people. The largest industries in Polk County, NE are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (485 people), Manufacturing (409 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (393 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($98,618), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($76,875), and Information ($60,625).

Males in Nebraska have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $55,834. The income inequality in Nebraska (measured using the Gini index) is 0.444, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

2.82k

2023 Value

± 207

2.81%

1 Year growth

± 10.4%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Polk County, NE grew at a rate of 2.81%, from 2.74k employees to 2.82k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Polk County, NE, are Management Occupations (453 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (367 people), and Production Occupations (274 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 false.

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.

View Full Dashboard

Industries

Employment by Industries

2.82k

2023 Value

± 207

2.81%

1 Year growth

± 10.4%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Polk County, NE grew at a rate of 2.81%, from 2.74k employees to 2.82k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Polk County, NE, are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (485 people), Manufacturing (409 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (393 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

$51,791

Median earning men ± $1,548

$35,549

Median earning women ± $1,601

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($92,833), Public Administration ($77,692), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,833).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Construction ($97,813), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($70,250), and Public Administration ($49,375).

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.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or 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 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Polk County, NE went to Donald J. Trump with 79.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (18.4%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (2.01%).

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

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (79.6%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (18.4%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (2.01%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Polk County, NE went to Donald J. Trump with 79.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (18.4%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (2.01%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Polk County, NE for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

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.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Nebraska

Nebraska is currently represented by 3 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Nebraska have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 1.09% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.952% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (381k), Some college (364k), and Bachelors Degree (309k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Polk County, NE was $177,800 in 2023, which is 0.586 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $152,700 to $177,800, a 16.4% increase. The homeownership rate in Polk County, NE is 81.6%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

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 approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2023, 7.07% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Polk County, NE. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 0.773%.

Housing

Property

$177,800

Median Property Value 2023

±$13,813

$1,680

Median Property Taxes

±$154

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 $800 - $1,499 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

81.6%

Homeownership

2023

60.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 81.6% of the housing units in Polk County, NE were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 81.1%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9601
Census Tract 9600

The following map shows all of the tracts in Polk County, NE colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$71,771

Median Household Income

± $6,142

2.06k

Number of Households

± 173

In 2023, the median household income of the 2.06k households in Polk County, NE grew to $71,771 from the previous year's value of $67,695.

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.

0.444

2022 Wage GINI in Nebraska

0.444

2021 Wage GINI in Nebraska

In 2022, the income inequality in Nebraska was 0.444 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0995% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Nebraska was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (76.1%)
Worked At Home (9.8%)
Carpooled (9.04%)

In 2023, 76.1% of workers in Polk County, NE drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (9.8%) and those who carpooled to work (9.04%).

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 (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.09% 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

2 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 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 7.07% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Polk County, NE. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 0.773%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

6.22% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Polk County, NE (318 out of 5.11k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 6 - 11, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 25 - 34.

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 2023, 8.4% of the children was living in poverty in Polk County, NE. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.2%.

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.

Health

92.6% of the population of Polk County, NE has health coverage, with 45.4% on employee plans, 9.21% on Medicaid, 18.5% on Medicare, 17.7% on non-group plans, and 1.85% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Polk County, NE see 1734 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.23% decrease from the previous year (1738 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2587 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 5174 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,734 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Polk County, NE

Primary care physicians in Polk County, NE see an average of 1,734 patients per year. This represents a 0.23% decrease from the previous year (1,738 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 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.9% under 18 years, 15.9% between 18 and 34 years, 37.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

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

Uninsured People

7.35%

Uninsured

45.4%

Employer Coverage

9.21%

Medicaid

18.5%

Medicare

17.7%

Non-Group

1.85%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Polk County, NE declined by 10.7% from 8.24% to 7.35%.

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.