Polk County, Nebraska
Located in Nebraska, Polk County has a population of 5,225 residents and a median age of 43.4 years, making it the #2,876 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 7.9%. The median home value is $189,900, and the median household income is $69,768, which is 7% below the national median.
Demographics
Polk County has a population of 5,225, making it the #2,876 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.4 years, which is 11.6% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Polk County is $69,768, ranking #1,211 out of 3,222 counties — 7.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 7.9% and unemployment stands at 1.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Polk County is $189,900 (-32.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $681/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Polk County, 20.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 40.7% below the national average, ranking #2,005 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Polk County is 76.7 years. 16.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
18.1% of adults in Polk County smoke , 40.2% are obese , and 23.3% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 46.5 per 100,000.
Motor Vehicle Deaths Trend
Families & Children
8.6% of children in Polk County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 9.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Polk County is 73.3%. The mean commute time is 22.6 min, which is 18.0% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Polk County voted Republican with a margin of 63.6%. The vote was 17.8% Dem / 81.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.6 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Polk County, Nebraska
Polk County, Nebraska has a total population of 5,225, making it the 2,876th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Polk County is 43.4 years, which is 11.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Polk County is $69,768, which ranks #1,211 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 7.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 7.9%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 1.3%.
The median home value in Polk County is $189,900, 32.6% below the national median. Renters in Polk County pay a median gross rent of $681 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Polk County, 20.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 40.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.6 min.
Polk County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (6.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
All data for Polk County, Nebraska comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.