Polk County, Arkansas: commercial real estate data.
Polk County, Arkansas has a population of 19,361 across 858 square miles, up 1.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $860.2 m in 2024, 429 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 22 7(a) approvals worth $9.1 m.
120 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Polk County
How many people live in Polk County
- Population19,361
- Households7,898
- Average household size2.45
- Median household income$49,191
- Median age44.3
- Median gross rent$711 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$138,400
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,532
- Population under 184,360
- Share under 1822.5 percent
- Population 65 and over4,399
- Share 65 and over22.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,602
- Civilian labor force8,482
- Unemployment rate7.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.5 percent
- Rank by population among Arkansas counties35th of 75
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1920th
Polk County is the 35th largest of 75 Arkansas counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.7 percent against 22.5 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Polk County
Is Polk County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.11 percent
- Census 2020 base population19,221
- Births, 2024202
- Deaths, 2024328
- Natural change, 2024-126
- Net domestic migration, 202466
- Net international migration, 20244
- Total net migration, 202470
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024703
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1440th
The county has grown 1.11 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Polk County
Where people moving to Polk County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving431
- People arriving, from those returns854
- Adjusted gross income arriving$22.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$51,060
- Largest single originPolk County Non-migrants (6,126 households)
- Largest single destination (6,126 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County Non-migrants | 6,126 | 13,438 | $318.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 290 | 564 | $16.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 185 | 361 | $11.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 121 | 238 | $4.6 m |
| Other flows - West | 67 | 135 | $3.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 38 | 68 | $1.5 m |
| Sevier County | 20 | 52 | $721,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Polk County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Polk County
What the Polk County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$860.2 m
- County GDP, 2023$768.2 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202412.0 percent
- GDP change over five years59.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Arkansas counties37th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1969th
- GDP per resident$44,430
Output grew 12.0 percent in the latest year and 59.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Polk County
Who employs people in Polk County
- Covered employment, annual average5,837
- Establishments reporting486
- Average annual pay$42,869
- Average weekly wage$824
- Sector 31-33, employment1,262
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$45,034
- Sector 44-45, employment915
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$27,222
- Sector 72, employment426
- Sector 72, average annual pay$17,555
- Sector 23, employment220
- Sector 23, average annual pay$50,235
- Sector 48-49, employment173
- Sector 52, employment169
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,262 | 34 | $45,034 |
| Sector 44-45 | 915 | 64 | $27,222 |
| Sector 72 | 426 | 38 | $17,555 |
| Sector 23 | 220 | 38 | $50,235 |
| Sector 48-49 | 173 | 26 | $51,325 |
| Sector 52 | 169 | 28 | $46,715 |
| Sector 81 | 137 | 37 | $38,107 |
| Sector 53 | 45 | 17 | $44,634 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,262 jobs, 21.6 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Polk County
What businesses operate in Polk County
- Establishments, all industries429
- Employment at those establishments4,995
- Annual payroll$191.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.2
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Polk County
What is being built in Polk County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20244
- Declared construction value permitted$836,304
- Single family units authorised4
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$209,076
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.5
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Polk County
How much SBA lending happens in Polk County
- 7(a) approvals recorded22
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$9.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$415,068
- Median 7(a) approval$422,000
- 10th percentile approval$23,500
- 90th percentile approval$865,000
- Largest single approval$1,015,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)69
- Jobs per approval3.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals10
- Median 7(a) term144 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer13.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter10
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals4.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBroilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production (13)
- Most active lenderFirst Financial Bank (17)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.4 m
- Average 504 approval$3,434,000
- Median 504 approval$3,434,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval0.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved0.0
- Most active CDCRural Missouri, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals95.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$12.6 m
The average approval of $415,068 sits close to the median of $422,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 13.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Polk County
Do SBA loans in Polk County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded8
- Paid in full7
- Charged off1
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Exempt from disclosure10
- Status: Charged off1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 8 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Polk County
Which parts of Polk County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- MENA, approvals16
- COVE, approvals3
- WICKES, approvals1
- GRANNIS, approvals1
- Hatfield, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| MENA | 16 | $5,947,000 |
| COVE | 3 | $1,007,000 |
| WICKES | 1 | $1,015,000 |
| GRANNIS | 1 | $675,000 |
| Hatfield | 1 | $487,500 |
MENA accounts for 16 approvals against 3 in COVE. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Polk County
How big is Polk County
- Land area858 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Arkansas counties11th of 75
- Width, east to west30.8 mi
- Height, north to south37.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land23
- Establishments per square mile0.50
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Polk County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Polk County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population19,361
- Households7,898
- Average household size2.45
- Median household income$49,191
- Median age44.3
Common questions
Polk County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Polk County, Arkansas?
19,361, in 7,898 households, ranking 35th of 75 Arkansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Polk County growing?
The population has grown 1.11 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 202 births against 328 deaths, with net migration of 70. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Polk County?
$49,191. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $138,400, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $711 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Polk County?
429 establishments, employing 4,995 people with an annual payroll of $191.7 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Polk County?
Average annual pay is $42,869, or $824 a week, across 5,837 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Polk County?
22 7(a) approvals totalling $9.1 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $422,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $3.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Polk County?
4 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $836,304. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Polk County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Polk County come from?
The largest single origin is Polk County Non-migrants, with 6,126 households. Arriving households report an average income of $51,060 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Polk County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Polk County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.