Polk County, Oregon: commercial real estate data.
Polk County, Oregon has a population of 89,662 across 741 square miles, up 3.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $3.14 bn in 2024, 1,587 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 107 7(a) approvals worth $22.8 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Polk County
How many people live in Polk County
- Population89,662
- Households32,986
- Average household size2.72
- Median household income$85,118
- Median age37.8
- Median gross rent$1,299 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$454,700
- Home value to household income5.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher31.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over59,597
- Population under 1819,385
- Share under 1821.6 percent
- Population 65 and over17,062
- Share 65 and over19.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6453,215
- Civilian labor force43,469
- Unemployment rate5.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.9 percent
- Rank by population among Oregon counties12th of 36
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents671st
Polk County is the 12th largest of 36 Oregon counties by population. A median home costs 5.3 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.6 percent against 19.0 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 base3.57 percent
- Census 2020 base population87,430
- Births, 2024882
- Deaths, 2024920
- Natural change, 2024-38
- Net domestic migration, 202422
- Net international migration, 2024271
- Total net migration, 2024293
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,062
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents764th
The county has grown 3.57 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 arriving3,410
- People arriving, from those returns6,052
- Adjusted gross income arriving$217.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$63,699
- Largest single originPolk County Non-migrants (30,348 households)
- Largest single destination (30,348 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County Non-migrants | 30,348 | 63,150 | $2.56 bn |
| Marion County | 1,185 | 2,232 | $73.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 796 | 1,405 | $53.7 m |
| Other flows - West | 502 | 898 | $35.7 m |
| Yamhill County | 252 | 486 | $14.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 169 | 295 | $10.8 m |
| Washington County | 148 | 262 | $9.8 m |
| Benton County | 128 | 192 | $8.3 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$3.14 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.76 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 202414.1 percent
- GDP change over five years45.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Oregon counties16th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents945th
- GDP per resident$35,058
Output grew 14.1 percent in the latest year and 45.6 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 average21,937
- Establishments reporting2,330
- Average annual pay$52,263
- Average weekly wage$1,005
- Sector 62, employment4,291
- Sector 62, average annual pay$46,566
- Sector 72, employment2,064
- Sector 72, average annual pay$23,156
- Sector 44-45, employment1,812
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,432
- Sector 31-33, employment1,635
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$53,123
- Sector 23, employment1,273
- Sector 81, employment724
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 4,291 | 376 | $46,566 |
| Sector 72 | 2,064 | 174 | $23,156 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,812 | 143 | $34,432 |
| Sector 31-33 | 1,635 | 90 | $53,123 |
| Sector 23 | 1,273 | 288 | $62,761 |
| Sector 81 | 724 | 227 | $36,250 |
| Sector 54 | 539 | 225 | $70,793 |
| Sector 56 | 497 | 119 | $49,397 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 4,291 jobs, 19.6 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 industries1,587
- Employment at those establishments16,046
- Annual payroll$759.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.7
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, 2024177
- Declared construction value permitted$57.3 m
- Single family units authorised151
- Multifamily units authorised26
- Multifamily share of units14.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$323,835
- Units authorised per 1,000 households5.4
Multifamily is 14.7 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 recorded107
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$22.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$212,870
- Median 7(a) approval$50,000
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$390,300
- Largest single approval$4,428,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)803
- Jobs per approval7.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active21
- Distinct industries receiving approvals66
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer8.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms9
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter96
- Franchise loans5
- Franchise share of approvals4.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countAll Other Specialty Trade Contractors (4)
- Most active lenderColumbia Bank (52)
- 504 approvals recorded10
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.3 m
- Average 504 approval$533,800
- Median 504 approval$318,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval5.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.5
- Most active CDCEvergreen Business Capital (5)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals91.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$28.1 m
The average approval of $212,870 sits well above the median of $50,000, 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 8.4 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 recorded27
- Paid in full27
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Cancelled21
- Status: Paid in full27
- Status: Exempt from disclosure54
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed5
Of the 27 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 lending9
- DALLAS, approvals35
- MONMOUTH, approvals27
- SALEM, approvals22
- Independence, approvals14
- RICKREALL, approvals3
- WILLAMINA, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| DALLAS | 35 | $11,664,300 |
| MONMOUTH | 27 | $2,897,500 |
| SALEM | 22 | $4,461,300 |
| Independence | 14 | $2,612,500 |
| RICKREALL | 3 | $220,000 |
| WILLAMINA | 2 | $75,000 |
| Grand Ronde | 2 | $771,500 |
| FALLS CITY | 1 | $25,000 |
DALLAS accounts for 35 approvals against 27 in MONMOUTH. 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 area741 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Oregon counties30th of 36
- Width, east to west33.6 mi
- Height, north to south24.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land121
- Establishments per square mile2.14
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.
- Population89,662
- Households32,986
- Average household size2.72
- Median household income$85,118
- Median age37.8
Common questions
Polk County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Polk County, Oregon?
89,662, in 32,986 households, ranking 12th of 36 Oregon counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Polk County growing?
The population has grown 3.57 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 882 births against 920 deaths, with net migration of 293. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Polk County?
$85,118. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $454,700, which is 5.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,299 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Polk County?
1,587 establishments, employing 16,046 people with an annual payroll of $759.4 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 $52,263, or $1,005 a week, across 21,937 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?
107 7(a) approvals totalling $22.8 m since FY2020, across 21 lenders, with a median approval of $50,000, plus 10 504 approvals worth $5.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Polk County get paid back?
Of the 27 loans that have reached a final outcome, 27 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?
177 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $57.3 m. Multifamily was 14.7 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 30,348 households. Arriving households report an average income of $63,699 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.