Polk County, Missouri: commercial real estate data.
Polk County, Missouri has a population of 32,444 across 636 square miles, up 4.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.17 bn in 2024, 600 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 77 7(a) approvals worth $43.5 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Polk County
How many people live in Polk County
- Population32,444
- Households12,059
- Average household size2.69
- Median household income$59,647
- Median age38.1
- Median gross rent$814 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$205,800
- Home value to household income3.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over21,286
- Population under 187,595
- Share under 1823.4 percent
- Population 65 and over5,931
- Share 65 and over18.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6418,918
- Civilian labor force14,775
- Unemployment rate4.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.5 percent
- Rank by population among Missouri counties36th of 115
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1410th
Polk County is the 36th largest of 115 Missouri counties by population. A median home costs 3.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.4 percent against 18.3 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 base4.91 percent
- Census 2020 base population31,522
- Births, 2024372
- Deaths, 2024387
- Natural change, 2024-15
- Net domestic migration, 2024205
- Net international migration, 202461
- Total net migration, 2024266
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,491
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents548th
The county has grown 4.91 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 arriving994
- People arriving, from those returns2,026
- Adjusted gross income arriving$51.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$51,461
- Largest single originPolk County Non-migrants (10,600 households)
- Largest single destination (10,600 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County Non-migrants | 10,600 | 23,574 | $635.5 m |
| Greene County | 303 | 575 | $15.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 296 | 632 | $18.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 175 | 327 | $7.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 115 | 230 | $6.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 91 | 216 | $6.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 90 | 186 | $4.6 m |
| Dallas County | 60 | 137 | $3.0 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$1.17 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.12 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.3 percent
- GDP change over five years40.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Missouri counties42nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1710th
- GDP per resident$36,014
Output grew 4.3 percent in the latest year and 40.9 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 average9,503
- Establishments reporting790
- Average annual pay$46,113
- Average weekly wage$887
- Sector 62, employment1,442
- Sector 62, average annual pay$46,893
- Sector 44-45, employment1,329
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,159
- Sector 31-33, employment846
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$47,073
- Sector 72, employment716
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,019
- Sector 61, employment462
- Sector 23, employment382
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 1,442 | 153 | $46,893 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,329 | 108 | $30,159 |
| Sector 31-33 | 846 | 32 | $47,073 |
| Sector 72 | 716 | 48 | $19,019 |
| Sector 61 | 462 | 10 | $33,218 |
| Sector 23 | 382 | 89 | $49,644 |
| Sector 42 | 364 | 32 | $68,244 |
| Sector 52 | 197 | 37 | $61,261 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,442 jobs, 15.2 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 industries600
- Employment at those establishments7,340
- Annual payroll$309.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.5
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, 2024188
- Declared construction value permitted$27.0 m
- Single family units authorised84
- Multifamily units authorised104
- Multifamily share of units55.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$143,550
- Units authorised per 1,000 households15.6
Multifamily is 55.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Polk County
How much SBA lending happens in Polk County
- 7(a) approvals recorded77
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$43.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$564,542
- Median 7(a) approval$225,000
- 10th percentile approval$40,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,800,000
- Largest single approval$3,657,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)393
- Jobs per approval5.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active16
- Distinct industries receiving approvals49
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer33.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms26
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter46
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countChicken Egg Production (5)
- Most active lenderOakStar Bank (48)
- 504 approvals recorded9
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.8 m
- Average 504 approval$416,667
- Median 504 approval$314,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval3.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.2
- Most active CDCRural Missouri, Inc. (9)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals89.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$47.2 m
The average approval of $564,542 sits well above the median of $225,000, 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. 33.8 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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 recorded18
- Paid in full18
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full18
- Status: Exempt from disclosure57
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Of the 18 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 lending8
- BOLIVAR, approvals57
- HUMANSVILLE, approvals8
- Fair Play, approvals3
- Flemington, approvals3
- Brighton, approvals2
- DUNNEGAN, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| BOLIVAR | 57 | $30,951,900 |
| HUMANSVILLE | 8 | $8,619,300 |
| Fair Play | 3 | $2,170,500 |
| Flemington | 3 | $217,000 |
| Brighton | 2 | $184,000 |
| DUNNEGAN | 2 | $1,163,000 |
| HALF WAY | 1 | $14,000 |
| GOODSON | 1 | $150,000 |
BOLIVAR accounts for 57 approvals against 8 in HUMANSVILLE. 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 area636 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Missouri counties44th of 115
- Width, east to west24.8 mi
- Height, north to south28.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land51
- Establishments per square mile0.94
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.
- Population32,444
- Households12,059
- Average household size2.69
- Median household income$59,647
- Median age38.1
Common questions
Polk County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Polk County, Missouri?
32,444, in 12,059 households, ranking 36th of 115 Missouri counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Polk County growing?
The population has grown 4.91 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 372 births against 387 deaths, with net migration of 266. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Polk County?
$59,647. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $205,800, which is 3.5 times income, and median gross rent is $814 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Polk County?
600 establishments, employing 7,340 people with an annual payroll of $309.3 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 $46,113, or $887 a week, across 9,503 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?
77 7(a) approvals totalling $43.5 m since FY2020, across 16 lenders, with a median approval of $225,000, plus 9 504 approvals worth $3.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Polk County get paid back?
Of the 18 loans that have reached a final outcome, 18 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?
188 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $27.0 m. Multifamily was 55.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Polk County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 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 10,600 households. Arriving households report an average income of $51,461 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.