Polk County Demographics

A map of Polk County's Population by Race

Polk County, Nebraska has an estimated population of 5,225, a less than 1% change from the 5,214 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 90.1% White, 6.3% Hispanic, 2.9% Multiracial, 0.3% Native American/Other, 0.2% Black, and 0.2% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Polk County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Polk has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Nebraska overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Polk County, that probability was 16.6% in 2020 and 18.3% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Polk County is ranked the 54th most populous county in Nebraska, out of 93 counties. Polk County was ranked the 54th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Polk County's White Population

4,709 residents of Polk County, or 90.1% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Polk County is considerably higher than in Nebraska overall, where 75.3% of the population is White. Polk County ranks 49th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 93 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Polk County's population has decreased from 91.1% to 90.1%.

Polk County is more White than neighboring York County (87.9% White), Platte County (72.7% White), and Butler County (90% White). Polk County is less White than neighboring Merrick County (90.5% White), and Nance County (94.1% White).

Polk County's Black Population

10 residents of Polk County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Polk County is slightly lower than in Nebraska overall, where 4.6% of the population is Black. Polk County ranks 71st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 93 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Black population has grown by an estimated 25.0%. Black residents' share of Polk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.2%.

Polk County is more Black than neighboring Merrick County (0% Black). Polk County is less Black than neighboring York County (1.3% Black), and Platte County (0.7% Black).

Polk County's Asian Population

11 residents of Polk County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Polk County is slightly lower than in Nebraska overall, where 2.6% of the population is Asian. Polk County ranks 84th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 93 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 450.0%. Asian residents' share of Polk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.2%.

Polk County is more Asian than neighboring Butler County (0% Asian). Polk County is less Asian than neighboring York County (0.5% Asian), and Merrick County (0.7% Asian).

Polk County's Hispanic Population

330 residents of Polk County, or 6.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Polk County is lower than in Nebraska overall, where 12.7% of the population is Hispanic. Polk County ranks 43rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 93 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 27.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Polk County's population has increased from 5.0% to 6.3%.

Polk County is more Hispanic than neighboring York County (6.2% Hispanic), Merrick County (5.6% Hispanic), and Nance County (2.6% Hispanic). Polk County is less Hispanic than neighboring Platte County (23.7% Hispanic).

Polk County's Native American/Other Population

14 residents of Polk County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Polk County is comparable to the share in Nebraska overall, where 1% of the population is Native American/Other. Polk County ranks 57th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 93 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 44.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Polk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Polk County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Merrick County (0% Native American/Other). Polk County is less Native American/Other than neighboring York County (0.8% Native American/Other), Butler County (0.4% Native American/Other), and Nance County (0.8% Native American/Other).

Polk County's Multiracial Population

151 residents of Polk County, or 2.9% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Polk County is comparable to the share in Nebraska overall, where 3.8% of the population is Multiracial. Polk County ranks 18th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 93 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Polk County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 10.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Polk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.9%.

Polk County is more Multiracial than neighboring Platte County (2.4% Multiracial), and Nance County (2.2% Multiracial). Polk County is less Multiracial than neighboring York County (3.3% Multiracial), Butler County (3.1% Multiracial), and Merrick County (3.1% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.