Polk County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
Polk County, Minnesota has a population of 30,705 across 1,971 square miles, down 2.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.69 bn in 2024, 733 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 87 7(a) approvals worth $31.8 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Polk County
How many people live in Polk County
- Population30,705
- Households12,360
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$73,107
- Median age39.8
- Median gross rent$855 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$222,800
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over20,733
- Population under 187,520
- Share under 1824.5 percent
- Population 65 and over5,862
- Share 65 and over19.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6417,323
- Civilian labor force15,974
- Unemployment rate3.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.9 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties35th of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1457th
Polk County is the 35th largest of 87 Minnesota counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.5 percent against 19.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
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 base-2.48 percent
- Census 2020 base population31,188
- Births, 2024221
- Deaths, 2024401
- Natural change, 2024-180
- Net domestic migration, 202456
- Net international migration, 2024100
- Total net migration, 2024156
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-590
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2626th
The county has lost 2.48 percent of its population 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 arriving713
- People arriving, from those returns1,305
- Adjusted gross income arriving$37.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$52,606
- Largest single originPolk County Non-migrants (11,333 households)
- Largest single destination (11,333 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County Non-migrants | 11,333 | 23,938 | $875.9 m |
| Grand Forks County | 207 | 368 | $9.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 193 | 389 | $12.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 188 | 344 | $9.8 m |
| Other flows - West | 76 | 144 | $5.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 75 | 154 | $4.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 42 | 91 | $2.3 m |
| Cass County | 38 | 54 | $1.3 m |
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$1.69 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.76 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-4.0 percent
- GDP change over five years14.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Minnesota counties38th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1418th
- GDP per resident$55,173
Output grew -4.0 percent in the latest year and 14.9 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 average12,036
- Establishments reporting1,029
- Average annual pay$54,723
- Average weekly wage$1,052
- Sector 62, employment2,021
- Sector 62, average annual pay$57,460
- Sector 31-33, employment1,844
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$71,261
- Sector 44-45, employment1,282
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,870
- Sector 72, employment870
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,798
- Sector 11, employment621
- Sector 23, employment496
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 2,021 | 97 | $57,460 |
| Sector 31-33 | 1,844 | 42 | $71,261 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,282 | 96 | $30,870 |
| Sector 72 | 870 | 68 | $20,798 |
| Sector 11 | 621 | 169 | $52,215 |
| Sector 23 | 496 | 104 | $85,177 |
| Sector 42 | 466 | 43 | $73,813 |
| Sector 48-49 | 378 | 45 | $57,989 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,021 jobs, 16.8 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 industries733
- Employment at those establishments8,944
- Annual payroll$421.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.9
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, 202444
- Declared construction value permitted$14.8 m
- Single family units authorised44
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$335,879
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.6
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 recorded87
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$31.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$365,117
- Median 7(a) approval$120,000
- 10th percentile approval$17,900
- 90th percentile approval$997,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)572
- Jobs per approval6.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active15
- Distinct industries receiving approvals47
- Median 7(a) term84 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer17.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms15
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter69
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals3.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countAll Other Grain Farming (10)
- Most active lenderUltima Bank Minnesota (46)
- 504 approvals recorded21
- 504 gross approval dollars$8.7 m
- Average 504 approval$415,048
- Median 504 approval$241,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval5.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.2
- Most active CDCMidwest Business Finance Corporation (13)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals80.6 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$40.5 m
The average approval of $365,117 sits well above the median of $120,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 17.2 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 recorded36
- Paid in full36
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure46
- Status: Paid in full36
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Of the 36 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
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 lending10
- FERTILE, approvals19
- FOSSTON, approvals18
- East Grand Forks, approvals16
- Erskine, approvals7
- Mentor, approvals7
- CROOKSTON, approvals6
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| FERTILE | 19 | $2,512,900 |
| FOSSTON | 18 | $5,561,400 |
| East Grand Forks | 16 | $12,591,300 |
| Erskine | 7 | $1,709,200 |
| Mentor | 7 | $144,000 |
| CROOKSTON | 6 | $6,063,000 |
| Mcintosh | 5 | $774,400 |
| WINGER | 4 | $749,000 |
FERTILE accounts for 19 approvals against 18 in FOSSTON. 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 area1,971 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties8th of 87
- Width, east to west74 mi
- Height, north to south46.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land16
- Establishments per square mile0.37
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.
- Population30,705
- Households12,360
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$73,107
- Median age39.8
Common questions
Polk County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Polk County, Minnesota?
30,705, in 12,360 households, ranking 35th of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Polk County growing?
The population has fallen 2.48 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 221 births against 401 deaths, with net migration of 156. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Polk County?
$73,107. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $222,800, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $855 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Polk County?
733 establishments, employing 8,944 people with an annual payroll of $421.3 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 $54,723, or $1,052 a week, across 12,036 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?
87 7(a) approvals totalling $31.8 m since FY2020, across 15 lenders, with a median approval of $120,000, plus 21 504 approvals worth $8.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Polk County get paid back?
Of the 36 loans that have reached a final outcome, 36 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Polk County?
44 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $14.8 m. 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 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 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 11,333 households. Arriving households report an average income of $52,606 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.