City profile · Oklahoma · Census ACS 2023

El Reno, OK

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for El Reno - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

17,919
Residents
$54,459
Median income
$157,000
Median home
$1,244
Median rent (state)

El Reno - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, El Reno lands in the 26th percentile for household income and the 44th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

26th
percentile, household income
29th
percentile, home value
40th
percentile, median rent
44th
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: El Reno, OK

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 17,919 residents in El Reno, a small town within Oklahoma. The typical household in El Reno brings in $54,459 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 15.4%. El Reno's housing stock carries a median value of $157,000, and the median resident age is 34.7 years. 17.7% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 53.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 122 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Stable), down 2% from five years earlier. El Reno reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1562.8 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 59.1°F with 34.5 inches of precipitation per year and 3.6 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. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,244 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $205 across Oklahoma, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Workers in El Reno report an average commute of 20.7 minutes, with 83.8% driving alone and 6.3% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 83.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (High).

Population

17,919 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Oklahoma

Median Household Income

$54,459 /yr

Poverty 15.4%

Cost of Living Index (state)

87.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Oklahoma average

How does El Reno compare to other US cities?

El Reno measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 26% higher than other cities
Home value 29% pricier than other cities
Median rent 40% pricier than other cities
Safety 44% 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: El Reno ranks #103 of 203 Oklahoma cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below El Reno's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Oklahoma, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

26thIncome percentile
44thSafety percentile

26th percentile nationally for median household income · 44th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

El Reno's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

El Reno'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 45 Avg. percentile National median
El Reno'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 El Reno's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$157,000 Among the most affordable more affordable than 71% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. El Reno $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - El Reno, OK El Reno, OK's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not El Reno, OK-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution El Reno, OK median $54,459/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
El Reno, OK's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for El Reno, OK. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 17.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 15.4%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 53.4%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
17,919
Median Income
$54,459
Median Home Value
$157,000
Median Age
34.7
Poverty Rate
15.4%
Labor force participation
53.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
17.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1562.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
205.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1357.4
per 100,000 residents

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
59.1°F
Annual Precipitation
34.5"
Annual Snowfall
3.6"

Schools

Total Schools
9
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
16,000 residents18,000 residents20,000 residents22,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 17,125 residents 20,730 residents ▲ +21.1%
El Reno's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Stable
Total Permits (2024)
122
housing units authorized
Single-Family
104
detached homes
Multifamily
18
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
6.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 124
2020 90
2021 154
2022 81
2023 178
2024 122

Permit volume decreased 2% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
20.7 minutes
Drive Alone
83.8%
Carpool
8.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.9%
Work from Home
6.3%

Based on 7,459 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Oklahoma - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$50
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$40
avg/month
Total Utilities
$205
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Oklahoma state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Oklahoma state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county El Reno sits in

Cost of Living Index
87.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,244/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
83.5 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Oklahoma

McAlester
18,098 people
Altus
18,670 people
Durant
19,209 people
Ada
16,536 people
Tahlequah
16,513 people
Chickasha
16,349 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to El Reno's 17,919 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Ashtabula, OH
17,919 people
Portsmouth, OH
17,919 people
Conyers, GA
17,916 people
Parole, MD
17,910 people
Mount Holly, NC
17,928 people
Los Lunas, NM
17,932 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to El Reno's $54,459 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Buena Vista, VA
$54,458 median income
Eastport, MI
$54,457 median income
Gays, IL
$54,464 median income
Gadsden, SC
$54,464 median income
Hogansville, GA
$54,453 median income
Claysburg, PA
$54,453 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - El Reno, OK Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition El Reno, OK - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 68.5% 6.8% 8.4% 6.7% 8.8% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.2% White 68.5% Black or African American 6.8% Asian 0.6% American Indian 8.4% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 6.7% Two or more races 8.8% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How El Reno compares to nearby Oklahoma cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
El Reno (this city) 17,919 $54,459
McAlester 18,098 $48,044
Altus 18,670 $55,550
Durant 19,209 $44,753
Census ACS 5-year FIPS OK FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about El Reno, OK?

What is the population of El Reno, OK? +

El Reno, OK has a population of 17,919 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in El Reno, OK? +

The median household income in El Reno is $54,459 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in El Reno? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for El Reno; the closest available measure is the Oklahoma state average, a cost of living index of 87.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Oklahoma vary by metro area.

Is El Reno, OK safe? +

El Reno has a total crime rate of 1562.8 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in El Reno, OK? +

Homes in El Reno carry a median value of $157,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in El Reno? +

El Reno has an average annual temperature of 59.1°F, 34.5 inches of precipitation, and 3.6 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.