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Place dossier plate
SheetOK-BRISTOW-OK · Bristow, OK 4,261 pop · income 8th pct · 23 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Bristow
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Bristow on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Normandy · lowest
33,421
Normandy · lowest
33,421 median HH income
43.5% of the leader · rank #1
Bristow · this city
40,000
Bristow · this city
40,000 median HH income
52.1% of the leader · rank #2
Rock Point · near
40,000
Rock Point · near
40,000 median HH income
52.1% of the leader · rank #3
Winkelman · near
40,000
Winkelman · near
40,000 median HH income
52.1% of the leader · rank #4
Ovid · near
40,000
Ovid · near
40,000 median HH income
52.1% of the leader · rank #5
Attapulgus · near
40,000
Attapulgus · near
40,000 median HH income
52.1% of the leader · rank #6
Slaughterville · highest
76,759
Slaughterville · highest
76,759 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Bristow on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 4,261.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Bristow - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Bristow places in the 8th percentile for household income and the 25th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
8th
percentile, household income
13th
percentile, home value
14th
percentile, median rent
25th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Bristow, OK
4,261 people live in Bristow, Oklahoma - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $40,000 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 22.9%. Home values in Bristow run a median of $110,800, and the median resident age is 37.3 years. About 9.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 45.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 28 residential building permits were authorized in Bristow (Building Boom), up 250% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 2370.9 incidents per 100,000 residents, near the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 59.5°F with 42.1 inches of precipitation per year and 6.7 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in Oklahoma run below the national norm: the state registers 87.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $995 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Oklahoma run around $205, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 55.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Bristow's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from population change to housing and income to schools and households to reported crime to comparison shortlist to climate and hazard context to work and mobility to within-city variation; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Bristow, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, matched public-school count, commute-mode shares, within-city Census tract profiles.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
Is Bristow growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +127 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +3.0% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 28 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
How far does income reach against housing in Bristow?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 22.9%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Which cities make useful reference points for Bristow?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Oklahoma, the closest population matches are Broken Bow (4,215 residents, $50,744 income); Slaughterville (4,214 residents, $76,759 income); Pocola (4,359 residents, $48,333 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Lonoke, AR (4,260 residents); Sparta, MI (4,260 residents); Ligonier, IN (4,263 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
PlainCities matches 23 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Bristow?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 4 public schools within the city match. 9.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Poverty estimate
22.9%
Bachelor's degree+
9.0%
Matched public schools
4
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Bristow?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2370.9 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, near the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 4% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
2370.9
Violent rate
516.4
Property rate
1854.5
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 59.5°F, with 42.1 inches of precipitation and 6.7 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Oklahoma is 55.5 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
FEMA risk index (state avg)
55.5
Annual precipitation
42.1 in
Mean temperature
59.5°F
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
What does the journey to work look like in Bristow?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 77.7%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
77.7%
Work from home
6.0%
Public transit
0.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 1,540 workers age 16+.
Lowest-decile income · poverty 22.9% (Highest-decile poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
87.8 (US=100)
Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Oklahoma average
F
City profile score · Bristow, OK
26/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living A+
87.8 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Violent crime F
516 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Poverty rate F
22.9%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income F
$40,000
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share F
9.0%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Bristow profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 94/100 (A+) · 87.8 index
Violent crime: 15/100 (F) · 516 /100k
Poverty rate: 9/100 (F) · 22.9%
Household income: 7/100 (F) · $40,000
Bachelor's+ share: 4/100 (F) · 9.0%
Where Bristow sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Bristow's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Bristow highlighted among 11 peers.Read the chart values
Bristow, OK (this city): home $110,800, crime 2,371/100k
Lonoke, AR : home $123,700, crime 3,059/100k
Sparta, MI : home $190,100, crime 958/100k
Buchanan, MI : home $138,400, crime 1,901/100k
Normandy, MO : home $91,400, crime 3,375/100k
Laureldale, PA : home $169,100, crime 909/100k
Broken Bow, OK : home $159,000, crime 4,924/100k
Pocola, OK : home $134,200, crime 607/100k
Marlow, OK : home $115,100, crime 1,324/100k
McLoud, OK : home $146,300, crime 1,192/100k
Perry, OK : home $101,800, crime 1,362/100k
How does Bristow compare to other US cities?
Where Bristow sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income8% higher than other cities
Home value13% pricier than other cities
Median rent14% pricier than other cities
Safety25% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Oklahoma and the picture shifts: Bristow ranks #152 of 203 Oklahoma cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Bristow against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Oklahoma only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Oklahoma-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Bristow near the bottom of Oklahoma's cities
Among the 671 Oklahoma cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Bristow ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Bristow only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#507 of 639
20th percentile in Oklahoma
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 671
0th percentile in Oklahoma
Median Home Value
#284 of 628
55th percentile in Oklahoma
Poverty Rate
#108 of 671
84th percentile in Oklahoma
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#499 of 671
25th percentile in Oklahoma
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Oklahoma only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
8th percentile nationally for median household income · 25th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Bristow's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Bristow's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Bristow's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$110,800Among the most affordablemore affordable than 87% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Bristow's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.8×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#5,417 of 15,516
More affordable than 65% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#4,716 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.8×, Bristow sits in the affordable band:
national rank #5,417 of 15,516 and #4,716 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$40,000Bristow, OK median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Bristow, OK median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Bristow, OK.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)9.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)22.9%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)45.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
4,261
Median Income
$40,000
Median Home Value
$110,800
Median Age
37.3
Poverty Rate
22.9%
Labor force participation
45.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
9.0%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2370.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
516.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1854.5
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
59.5°F
Annual Precipitation
42.1"
Annual Snowfall
6.7"
Schools
Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Bristow's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
4,254 residents
2021
4,267 residents
2022
4,259 residents
2023
4,271 residents
2024
4,294 residents
2025
4,381 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
28
housing units authorized
Single-Family
28
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
6.6
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
8
8
0
$1.3M
2020
12
12
0
$1.5M
2021
4
4
0
$0.4M
2022
7
7
0
$1.0M
2023
14
14
0
$3.1M
2024
28
28
0
$3.4M
Permit volume increased 250% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
77.7%
Carpool
11.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
3.3%
Work from Home
6.0%
Other
1.1%
Based on 1,540 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Oklahoma statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $205
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Oklahoma at $205 (electricity about $115 , water and sewer about $40 ).
These are Oklahoma statewide averages, not a meter reading for Bristow. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Oklahoma's BEA cost-of-living index is 87.8 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Bristow is $995/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Oklahoma statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 55.5 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Oklahoma statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Bristow sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Bristow compares to similar-size Oklahoma cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.