Town · Oklahoma
Bernice, Oklahoma
Bernice, town, in Delaware County, Oklahoma. Bernice had 434 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 3.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 422 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 396 (±73). GEOID 4005550.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
434
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 422 · ACS 2020-2024: 396 ±73
Median household income
$40,833
±$11,190 (90% margin)
Oklahoma: $65,039
Median home value
$116,700
±$17,358 (90% margin)
Oklahoma: $199,800
Median gross rent
$742
±$206 (90% margin)
Oklahoma: $1,014
Where is Bernice and what county is it in?
Bernice is a town in Delaware County, Oklahoma. It covers 0.8 square miles of land, 517 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Bernice, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 434 people lived in Bernice on July 1, 2025, up 3.3% since 2020, slower than Oklahoma (+4.1%). The 2020 Census counted 422 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 396 (±73).
| Measure | Bernice | Delaware County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 396 ±73 | 41,279 | no clear change |
| Households | 186 ±31 | 17,161 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.13 ±0.27 | 2.37 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 315 ±29 | 24,396 | no clear change |
Bernice's population since 2000
From 504 in 2000 to 434 in 2025: down 13.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Bernice as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Bernice?
The median resident of Bernice is 57.8 years old; 18.2% are under 18 and 32.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 75.3%, then non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 11.4%.
| Measure | Bernice | Delaware County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 57.8 ±5.8 | 46.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.2% ±7.4 pts | 19.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 32.1% ±8.7 pts | 25.7% | – |
| Male | 47.2% ±5.3 pts | 49.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.3% ±2.5 pts | 4.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 75.3% ±7.7 pts | 62.1% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±1.5 pts | 1.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 11.4% ±5.1 pts | 19.9% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 10.1% ±4.5 pts | 11.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.0% ±2.1 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.6% ±2.2 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 11.4% ±5.6 pts | 8.6% | – |
| With a disability | 39.1% ±10.2 pts | 22.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 16.4% ±6.0 pts | 13.7% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 80.7% ±6.3 pts | 88.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 12.7% ±5.2 pts | 19.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.6% ±3.6 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.4% ±5.4 pts | 87.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.5% ±1.1 pts | 4.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Bernice earn?
Half of Bernice's 186 households earn less than $40,833 a year (±$11,190), against $56,676 in Delaware County and $65,039 in Oklahoma. In 2015-2019 it was $39,742 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 26.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Bernice | Delaware County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $40,833 ±$11,190 | $56,676 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $49,948 ±$8,064 | $77,839 | – |
| Per capita income | $24,527 ±$4,700 | $36,971 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 26.2% ±9.3 pts | 19.0% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 43.9% ±22.7 pts | 26.5% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 14.5% ±8.7 pts | 15.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 90.3% ±6.9 pts | 92.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 84.4% ±6.6 pts | 85.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Bernice?
Owners occupy 89.2% of Bernice's occupied homes and renters 10.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $116,700 by its owner (±$17,358). The median renter pays $742 a month including utilities, and 92.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Bernice | Delaware County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $116,700 ±$17,358 | $175,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $742 ±$206 | $913 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 92.3% ±19.0 pts | 37.7% | +45.1 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,116 ±$137 | $1,279 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 89.2% ±5.7 pts | 77.1% | +11.8 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 10.8% ±5.7 pts | 22.9% | – |
| Housing units | 315 ±29 | 24,396 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.9% ±3.4 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±58.2 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 60.6% ±8.1 pts | 66.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 37.8% ±7.6 pts | 25.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.3% ±1.6 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 6.3% ±3.5 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 4.8% ±3.0 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.2% ±3.3 pts | 4.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Bernice work and get to work?
72.3% of Bernice's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 23.6 minutes.
| Measure | Bernice | Delaware County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 42.3% ±8.7 pts | 49.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% ±4.7 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.3% ±11.2 pts | 75.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 14.6% ±10.1 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±17.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 8.5% ±7.7 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.6% ±5.3 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 23.6 min ±4.3 | 28.6 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Bernice?
No census tract lies mostly in Bernice; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 3758.03Delaware County | 1,987 | $51,619 |
| Tract 3758.05Delaware County | 2,386 | $69,271 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Bernice) · Census block assignment files
How does Bernice compare with other places in Oklahoma?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Bernice is the 13,780th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 322nd-most populous of 591 in Oklahoma.
Bernice is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 322nd | 591 |
Bernice's figures with every place in Oklahoma (CSV)
Every place in Oklahoma, sortable · Compare Bernice with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Bernice?
17 of the 57 figures for Bernice on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Bernice are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Bernice.