Polk County, NE

County

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2021 Population

5,223

0.288% 1-year growth

US Senator

Deb Fischer

Republican Party

US Senator

Pete Ricketts

Republican Party

2021 Median Age

44.5

0.891% 1-year decrease

2021 Poverty Rate

6.81%

26.1% 1-year decrease

2021 Median Household Income

$66,486

11.1% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$124,400

5.78% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, Polk County, NE had a population of 5.22k people with a median age of 44.5 and a median household income of $66,486. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Polk County, NE grew from 5,208 to 5,223, a 0.288% increase and its median household income grew from $59,837 to $66,486, a 11.1% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Polk County, NE are White (Non-Hispanic) (91.3%), White (Hispanic) (3.41%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.6%), Other (Hispanic) (1.68%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (0.842%).

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.

98.5% of the residents in Polk County, NE are U.S. citizens.

In 2021, the median property value in Polk County, NE was $124,400, and the homeownership rate was 84.8%.

Most people in Polk County, NE drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.2 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 5.22k people, from which 98.5% are citizens. As of 2021, 3.22% of Polk County, NE residents were born outside of the country (168 people).

In 2021, there were 26.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.77k people) in Polk County, NE than any other race or ethnicity. There were 178 White (Hispanic) and 136 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

98.5%

2021 Citizenship

98.1%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 98.5% of Polk County, NE residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, 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)
4.77k ± 49
White (Hispanic)
178 ± 73
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
136 ± 50.4

5.94%

Hispanic Population

310 people

5.94% of the people in Polk County, NE are hispanic (310 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Polk County, NE as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

3.22%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

168 people

3.59%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

187 people

As of 2021, 3.22% of Polk County, NE residents (168 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Polk County, NE was 3.59%, 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
156 ± 42
Gulf War (2001-)
50 ± 29
Gulf War (1990s)
49 ± 32

Polk County, NE has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.12 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Polk County, NE employs 2.7k people. The largest industries in Polk County, NE are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (421 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (386 people), and Manufacturing (370 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($85,750), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($71,250), and Educational Services ($54,196).

Employment

Occupations

2.7k

2021 Value

± 208

4.93%

1 Year growth

± 10.4%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Polk County, NE grew at a rate of 4.93%, from 2.57k employees to 2.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Polk County, NE, are Management Occupations (401 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (308 people), and Production Occupations (271 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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

2.7k

2021 Value

± 208

4.93%

1 Year growth

± 10.4%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Polk County, NE grew at a rate of 4.93%, from 2.57k employees to 2.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Polk County, NE, are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (421 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (386 people), and Manufacturing (370 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

$44,646

Median earning men ± $1,520

$29,955

Median earning women ± $3,212

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($133,125), Wholesale Trade ($57,000), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($54,148).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Construction ($88,750), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($67,750), and Public Administration ($48,125).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in Nebraska. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

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

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

48
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing
31
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
28
Other Services, Except Public Administration

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

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Nebraska to other states, or from other states to Nebraska.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Nebraska product (by dollars) was Meat/seafood with $26B, followed by Live animals/fish ($14.9B) and Cereal grains ($13.5B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Nebraska products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Nebraska.

$145B

2020 Value in Nebraska

$286B

Projected 2050 Value in Nebraska

97.1% growth

In 2020, total outbound Nebraska trade was $145B. This is expected to increase 97.1% to $286B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Nebraska trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Nebraska to other states, or from other states to Nebraska.

Most Common Trade Partners

Iowa
$10.2B
Kansas
$7.65B
Texas
$6.86B

In 2020, the top outbound Nebraska domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Iowa with $10.2B, followed by Kansas with $7.65B and Texas and $6.86B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Nebraska shares with each state (excluding itself).

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.

Senator from Nebraska

Deb Fischer
Assumed office on January 3, 2013
Pete Ricketts
Assumed office on January 23, 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 2021, 0.964% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.968% 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 2021 were High School or Equivalent (380k), Some college (367k), and Bachelors Degree (301k).

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 $124,400 in 2021, which is 0.508 times smaller than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $117,600 to $124,400, a 5.78% increase. The homeownership rate in Polk County, NE is 84.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Polk County, NE have an average commute time of 22.2 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.

Property

$124,400

Median Property Value 2021

±$12,859

$1,661

Median Property Taxes

±$156

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

84.8%

Homeownership

2021

61.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 84.8% of the housing units in Polk County, NE were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 83.5%.

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.

$66,486

Median Household Income

± $5,115

1.96k

Number of Households

± 170

In 2021, the median household income of the 1.96k households in Polk County, NE grew to $66,486 from the previous year's value of $59,837.

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

2021 Wage GINI in Nebraska

0.441

2020 Wage GINI in Nebraska

In 2021, the income inequality in Nebraska was 0.444 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.499% growth from 2020 to 2021, 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 2021

Drove Alone (76.1%)
Worked At Home (9.61%)
Carpooled (8.55%)

In 2021, 76.1% of workers in Polk County, NE drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (9.61%) and those who carpooled to work (8.55%).

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

22.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Polk County, NE have a shorter commute time (22.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 2.31% 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

Poverty & Diversity

6.81% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Polk County, NE (350 out of 5.14k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 6 - 11, followed by Females 12 - 14 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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.

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

89.5% of the population of Polk County, NE has health coverage, with 46.9% on employee plans, 8.23% on Medicaid, 17.8% on Medicare, 15.2% on non-group plans, and 1.4% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in Nebraska was $8,412 in 2014. This is a 3.43% increase from the previous year ($8,133).

Primary care physicians in Polk County, NE see 1738 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.19% decrease from the previous year (1759 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2600 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 5201 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50% were men and 50% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,738 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Polk County, NE

Primary care physicians in Polk County, NE see an average of 1,738 patients per year. This represents a 1.19% decrease from the previous year (1,759 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 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.3% under 18 years, 15.3% between 18 and 34 years, 38.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50% were men and 50% were women.

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

Uninsured People

10.5%

Uninsured

46.9%

Employer Coverage

8.23%

Medicaid

17.8%

Medicare

15.2%

Non-Group

1.4%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Polk County, NE declined by 14% from 12.2% to 10.5%.

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.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Polk County, NE.

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2022, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 35.2% in Polk County, NE.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Polk County, NE.

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