Groundwork

County profile · Nebraska

Polk County, NE market data

How Polk County compares with other counties for 56 business types: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.

Population, 2025
5,270
+1.1% since 2020
Households
2,114
Median household income
$69,768
Median home value
$189,900
Jobs located here
1,543
Market scores
Not scored
Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.

A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in Polk County by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of Polk County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

Free10 actions over 3 days, no card

Survey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure

What this means

Polk County has an estimated 5,270 people and 2,114 households. Population estimates put the population change in Polk County from 2020 to 2025 at +1.1%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). Median household income in Polk County is $69,768, 14% below the U.S. median of $80,734.

Relative to the U.S., household spending in Polk County runs highest on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 142, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on child care and other personal services (64).

Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.

Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for insurance agencies (3 times the U.S. rate) and lowest for sit-down restaurants (23% below the U.S. rate).

All 56 business types in Polk County

Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.

Every business type in Polk County, NE, listings, listings per 10,000 households, spending per listing and official establishments
Business typeListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingSpending per listing vs. U.S. (100)Official establishments
Restaurants and cafes23108.8$345K935
Auto repair and car care1466.2$206K776
Insurance agencies1047.3$446K366
Sit-down restaurants1047.3$794K120Under 3
Doctors, dentists and clinics628.4$484K318Under 3
Grocery and convenience stores628.4$2.1M62Under 3
Salons, barbers and spas628.4$339K159Under 3
Auto repair shops523.7$576K1304
Clothing, shoes and laundry418.9$1M114Under 3
Coffee shops and cafes418.9$2M54Under 3
Clothing and shoe stores314.2$1.3M105Under 3
Fast food and sandwich shops314.2$2.6M87Under 3
Grocery stores314.2$4.2M45Under 3
Hair salons314.2$678K158Under 3
Pet businesses314.2$573K65Under 3
Pizza314.2$2.6M52Under 3
Convenience stores29.5$6.3MToo fewUnder 3
Gyms29.5$861KToo fewUnder 3
Gyms, studios and classes29.5$861KToo fewUnder 3
Home repair trades29.5$2.8MToo few4
Lawn, cleaning and pest control29.5$1.3MToo few5
Pet grooming and boarding29.5$860KToo fewUnder 3
Spas and skin care29.5$1MToo fewUnder 3
Bakeries and dessert shops14.7$7.9MToo fewUnder 3
Chiropractors14.7$2.9MToo fewUnder 3
Collision repair and body shops14.7$2.9MToo fewUnder 3
Dentists and orthodontists14.7$2.9MToo fewUnder 3
Electricians14.7$5.5MToo fewUnder 3
Gas stations14.7$7.3MToo few3
House cleaning14.7$2.5MToo fewUnder 3
Landscaping and lawn care14.7$2.5MToo few5
Nail salons14.7$2MToo fewUnder 3
Primary care and pediatrics14.7$2.9MToo fewUnder 3
Real estate14.7Index onlyToo fewUnder 3
Real estate agents and brokers14.7Index onlyToo fewUnder 3
Roofing and gutters14.7$5.5MToo fewUnder 3
Tire shops14.7$2.9MToo fewUnder 3
Veterinarians14.7$1.7MToo fewUnder 3
Barbershops00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Car washes and detailing00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Child care and preschools00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Dry cleaners00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Funeral homes00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Home inspectors00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
HVAC and plumbing00.0None listedNone listed4
Laundromats00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Martial arts and dance studios00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Mortgage brokers and lenders00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Oil change and quick lube00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Optometrists and eye care00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Pest control00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Pet stores00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Physical therapy00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Property management00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Urgent care and walk-in clinics00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3

Household spending in Polk County

What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).

Annual household spending in Polk County, NE by line, per household, and against the U.S.
Spending lineA year, all householdsPer householdIndex vs. U.S. (100)
Vehicle maintenance and repairs$2.9M$1,362142
Gasoline and other fuels$7.3M$3,472134
Food away from home$7.9M$3,75792
Groceries$12.6M$5,95594
Personal care products and services$2M$96396
Child care and other personal services$787K$37264
Memberships, classes and admissions$1.7M$81583
Medical and dental services$2.9M$1,375107
Pets$1.7M$81389
Clothing, shoes and related services$4M$1,90192
Vehicle insurance$4.5M$2,110108
Home repairs, maintenance and insurance$5.5M$2,62587
Lawn care, cleaning and other household services$2.5M$1,19785
Rent and homeowner costs$28.9M$13,66782

Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.

Population and households in Polk County

Population, 2025 estimate
5,270+1.1% since 2020
Households
2,114
Median age
44.6
Homes lived in by their owners
79%
Vehicles per household
2.4
Land area
439 sq. mi.
People per square mile
12
Median household income
$69,768
Average household income
$90,242
Median home value
$189,900
Jobs located here
1,543
Daytime population
3,992Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here

Looking at a specific site in Polk County?

These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.

Or open the report at the center of Polk County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

Free10 actions over 3 days, no card

Questions

How fast is Polk County, NE growing?

Population estimates put Polk County at 5,270 people in 2025, up 1.1% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 2,114 households.

How much do households in Polk County, NE spend?

Households in Polk County spend about $28.9M a year on rent and homeowner costs, $12.6M on groceries and $7.9M on food away from home. Set against the U.S., households in Polk County spend the most on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 142, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on child care and other personal services (64).

Which business types have the highest market scores in Polk County, NE?

The score leaves out counties under 10,000 people, where a handful of businesses would swing it.

How does Polk County, NE compare with the U.S.?

The median household income in Polk County is $69,768 a year, 14% below the U.S. median of $80,734. The population rose 1.1% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $189,900, against $332,700 for the U.S. For its number of households, Polk County has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for insurance agencies (3 times the U.S. rate) and the fewest for sit-down restaurants (23% below the U.S. rate).

What is the Groundwork market score?

The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Markets with fewer than 5 map listings of the type, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored, since a few businesses can swing their figures.

How can I see the market around a specific site?

Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Polk County. It maps the competitors on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.

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Screening a site or an acquisition in Polk County?

A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.

The button opens the report at the center of Polk County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.