Polk County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Polk County, NE Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 80% of counties in Nebraska
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 73% of counties in Nebraska
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Polk County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,225 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 11.9 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.04% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.2 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,114 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Polk County grew by 1.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 5,225 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Polk County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.6% of residents. That is 5.4 points above Nebraska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 964 18.5% -4.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 873 16.7% -4.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,091 20.9% +2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,130 21.6% +5.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Nebraska, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.0% of the people living in Polk County and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 50.0% Nebraska 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Polk County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Polk County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Polk County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,785 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.71% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.3% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Polk County is about 8% lower than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Polk County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $7,499 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $680 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.9% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Polk County is about 0.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $680 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Polk County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 148 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Polk County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.8 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.5 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 148 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,586 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.7% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,654 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 517 | 691 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Nebraska:
Hooker County (7.4 min), Cherry County (8.0 min), Box Butte County (8.0 min).
Slowest:
Cass County (28.0 min), Banner County (27.2 min), Saunders County (26.9 min).
The average commute time in Polk County is 18 minutes, longer than the 17 minutes in Nebraska.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Polk County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Polk County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.7% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Nebraska:
Sarpy County (0.3), Lancaster County (0.3), Douglas County (0.3).
Lowest:
Dakota County (0.2), Colfax County (0.2), Dawson County (0.2).
Health
Polk County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Polk County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.8 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.3% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.0% | 16.6% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Nebraska:
Wayne County (0.8), Sarpy County (0.8), Lancaster County (0.8).
Lowest:
Thurston County (0.8), Pawnee County (0.8), Dundy County (0.8).
Polk County, NE Compared With Nearby Counties
How Polk County, NE compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County, NE | 5,225 | $70,785 #2/2 | $7,499 #2/2 | 17.8 min #2/2 |
| Platte County, NE | 34,716 | $71,554 | $73,077 | 12.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Polk County, Nebraska.
How big is Polk County, Nebraska by population?
About 5,225 people live in Polk County, Nebraska, in 2,114 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Polk County, Nebraska?
Averaged over its land area, Polk County, Nebraska has 12 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 14% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Polk County, Nebraska?
The median home costs 0.1 times the median household income ($7,499 against $70,785), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $680 a month takes about 12% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Polk County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Polk County, Nebraska is only 1.3%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Polk County, Nebraska have a college degree?
17.7% of adults in Polk County, Nebraska hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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