Census-designated place · Oklahoma
Dry Creek, Oklahoma
Dry Creek, census-designated place, in Cherokee County, Oklahoma. Dry Creek had 233 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 249 (±63). GEOID 4021755.
Residents, 2020 Census
233
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 249 ±63
Median household income
$40,500
±$21,709 (90% margin)
Oklahoma: $65,039
Median home value
$81,300
±$24,871 (90% margin)
Oklahoma: $199,800
Median gross rent
not published
Oklahoma: $1,014
Where is Dry Creek and what county is it in?
Dry Creek is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Cherokee County, Oklahoma. It covers 8.7 square miles of land, 27 residents per square mile in 2020.
Dry Creek is in the Tahlequah, OK micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Dry Creek, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 233 residents in Dry Creek, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 249 (±63).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Dry Creek is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Dry Creek | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 249 ±63 | 47,942 | no clear change |
| Households | 134 ±30 | 18,698 | +54 |
| Average household size | 1.86 ±0.29 | 2.47 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 183 ±33 | 22,363 | no clear change |
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 Dry Creek?
The median resident of Dry Creek is 62.7 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 60.2%, then non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 26.1%.
| Measure | Dry Creek | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 62.7 ±6.8 | 37.3 | +13.7 |
| Under 18 years | 3.2% ±3.6 pts | 21.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 47.0% ±13.3 pts | 17.8% | – |
| Male | 51.0% ±10.6 pts | 48.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.0% ±5.9 pts | 8.0% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 60.2% ±10.9 pts | 44.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.5 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.8% ±5.8 pts | 0.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 26.1% ±8.2 pts | 31.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.8% ±4.5 pts | 13.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.2% ±6.6 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 13.5% ±11.1 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 13.3% ±7.3 pts | 6.5% | – |
| With a disability | 20.9% ±7.5 pts | 21.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 19.7% ±10.7 pts | 18.2% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.9% ±7.3 pts | 89.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 23.7% ±8.1 pts | 29.2% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.5% ±6.3 pts | 10.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.6% ±7.3 pts | 85.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±9.5 pts | 2.2% | – |
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 Dry Creek earn?
Half of Dry Creek's 134 households earn less than $40,500 a year (±$21,709), against $53,218 in Cherokee County and $65,039 in Oklahoma. In 2015-2019 it was $35,737 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 19.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Dry Creek | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $40,500 ±$21,709 | $53,218 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $50,733 ±$10,777 | $72,290 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,990 ±$6,571 | $29,253 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 19.7% ±12.0 pts | 18.2% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±92.0 pts | 20.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 2.2% ±4.8 pts | 16.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.3% ±4.8 pts | 92.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 78.4% ±12.4 pts | 82.8% | – |
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 Dry Creek?
Owners occupy 91.0% of Dry Creek's occupied homes and renters 9.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $81,300 by its owner (±$24,871).
| Measure | Dry Creek | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $81,300 ±$24,871 | $168,500 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0% ±100.0 pts | 33.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,542 ±$451 | $1,271 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 91.0% ±7.7 pts | 65.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 9.0% ±7.7 pts | 34.3% | – |
| Housing units | 183 ±33 | 22,363 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.1% ±5.4 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±75.1 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 30.1% ±12.1 pts | 64.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 67.8% ±12.6 pts | 19.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.6% ±2.7 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 16.4% ±7.7 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±12.7 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.0% ±4.6 pts | 6.9% | – |
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 Dry Creek work and get to work?
87.5% of Dry Creek's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 29.8 minutes.
| Measure | Dry Creek | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 31.5% ±10.0 pts | 56.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% ±7.4 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 87.5% ±12.9 pts | 73.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 0.0% ±28.6 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±28.6 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±28.6 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 12.5% ±12.9 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 29.8 min ±6.8 | 23.8 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 Dry Creek?
No census tract lies mostly in Dry Creek; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9782.02Cherokee County | 2,926 | $51,389 |
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 Dry Creek) · Census block assignment files
How does Dry Creek compare with other places in Oklahoma?
Dry Creek 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.
Dry Creek's figures with every place in Oklahoma (CSV)
Every place in Oklahoma, sortable · Compare Dry Creek 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 Dry Creek?
25 of the 56 figures for Dry Creek 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 Dry Creek 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' school search.