Polk County, NE

County

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2022 Population

5,182

0.785% 1-year decline

US Senator

Deb Fischer

Republican Party

US Senator

Pete Ricketts

Republican Party

2022 Median Age

43.4

2.47% 1-year decrease

2022 Poverty Rate

7.73%

13.6% 1-year increase

2022 Median Household Income

$67,695

1.82% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$152,700

22.7% 1-year growth

About

In 2022, Polk County, NE had a population of 5.18k people with a median age of 43.4 and a median household income of $67,695. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Polk County, NE declined from 5,223 to 5,182, a −0.785% decrease and its median household income grew from $66,486 to $67,695, a 1.82% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Polk County, NE are White (Non-Hispanic) (90.7%), Other (Hispanic) (3.36%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.76%), White (Hispanic) (1.78%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (1.06%).

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.

98.1% of the residents in Polk County, NE are U.S. citizens.

In 2022, the median property value in Polk County, NE was $152,700, and the homeownership rate was 81.1%.

Most people in Polk County, NE drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.7 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 5.18k people, from which 98.1% are citizens. As of 2022, 2.82% of Polk County, NE residents were born outside of the country (146 people).

In 2022, there were 27 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.7k people) in Polk County, NE than any other race or ethnicity. There were 174 Other (Hispanic) and 143 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

98.1%

2022 Citizenship

98.5%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 98.1% of Polk County, NE residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Polk County, NE was 98.5%, 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)
4.7k ± 47
Other (Hispanic)
174 ± 65
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
143 ± 51.5

6.19%

Hispanic Population

321 people

6.19% of the people in Polk County, NE are hispanic (321 people).

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

Foreign-Born Population

2.82%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

146 people

3.22%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

168 people

As of 2022, 2.82% of Polk County, NE residents (146 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Polk County, NE was 3.22%, 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
145 ± 47
Gulf War (2001-)
61 ± 31
Gulf War (1990s)
50 ± 32

Polk County, NE has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.38 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Polk County, NE employs 2.74k people. The largest industries in Polk County, NE are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (489 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (405 people), and Manufacturing (382 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($94,044), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($80,667), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($66,250).

Employment

Occupations

2.74k

2022 Value

± 211

1.44%

1 Year growth

± 10.7%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Polk County, NE grew at a rate of 1.44%, from 2.7k employees to 2.74k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Polk County, NE, are Management Occupations (440 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (315 people), and Production Occupations (262 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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

2.74k

2022 Value

± 211

1.44%

1 Year growth

± 10.7%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Polk County, NE grew at a rate of 1.44%, from 2.7k employees to 2.74k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Polk County, NE, are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (489 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (405 people), and Manufacturing (382 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

$48,937

Median earning men ± $1,344

$31,648

Median earning women ± $4,006

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Wholesale Trade ($88,333), Public Administration ($71,250), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($70,500).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Construction ($95,313), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($80,167), and Public Administration ($45,000).

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.

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 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 $152,700 in 2022, which is 0.542 times smaller than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $124,400 to $152,700, a 22.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Polk County, NE is 81.1%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Polk County, NE have an average commute time of 22.7 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

$152,700

Median Property Value 2022

±$13,509

$1,638

Median Property Taxes

±$150

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

81.1%

Homeownership

2022

62%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 81.1% of the housing units in Polk County, NE were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 84.8%.

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.

$67,695

Median Household Income

± $6,341

2.02k

Number of Households

± 174

In 2022, the median household income of the 2.02k households in Polk County, NE grew to $67,695 from the previous year's value of $66,486.

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 2022

Drove Alone (76%)
Worked At Home (10.5%)
Carpooled (8.54%)

In 2022, 76% of workers in Polk County, NE drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.5%) and those who carpooled to work (8.54%).

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

22.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Polk County, NE have a shorter commute time (22.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 2.83% 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

7.73% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Polk County, NE (393 out of 5.08k 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 < 5, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 6 - 11.

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

91.8% of the population of Polk County, NE has health coverage, with 43.7% on employee plans, 10.2% on Medicaid, 18.1% on Medicare, 17.7% on non-group plans, and 1.94% 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, 49.8% were men and 50.2% 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 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.2% under 18 years, 16% between 18 and 34 years, 37.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

8.24%

Uninsured

43.7%

Employer Coverage

10.2%

Medicaid

18.1%

Medicare

17.7%

Non-Group

1.94%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Polk County, NE declined by 21.4% from 10.5% to 8.24%.

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.