Census-designated place · Oklahoma
Keys, Oklahoma
Keys, census-designated place, in Cherokee County, Oklahoma. Keys had 1,030 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 982 (±270). GEOID 4039625.
Residents, 2020 Census
1,030
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 982 ±270
Median household income
$38,600
±$17,117 (90% margin)
Oklahoma: $65,039
Median home value
$130,200
±$74,067 (90% margin)
Oklahoma: $199,800
Median gross rent
$836
±$74 (90% margin)
Oklahoma: $1,014
Where is Keys and what county is it in?
Keys 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 9.7 square miles of land, 106 residents per square mile in 2020.
Keys 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 Keys, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 1,030 residents in Keys, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 982 (±270).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Keys is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Keys | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 982 ±270 | 47,942 | +548 |
| Households | 400 ±103 | 18,698 | +259 |
| Average household size | 2.46 ±0.38 | 2.47 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 434 ±101 | 22,363 | +245 |
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 Keys?
The median resident of Keys is 35.9 years old; 28.0% are under 18 and 14.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 40.1%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 35.0%.
| Measure | Keys | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.9 ±11.1 | 37.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 28.0% ±9.4 pts | 21.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 14.9% ±8.1 pts | 17.8% | – |
| Male | 45.3% ±7.2 pts | 48.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.5% ±2.6 pts | 8.0% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 35.0% ±10.8 pts | 44.9% | −42.9 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 40.1% ±12.6 pts | 31.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 23.3% ±13.2 pts | 13.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.7% ±5.5 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 10.5% ±7.5 pts | 6.5% | – |
| With a disability | 28.7% ±8.9 pts | 21.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 20.4% ±10.6 pts | 18.2% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 86.5% ±11.7 pts | 89.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 24.0% ±12.1 pts | 29.2% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 9.9% ±9.0 pts | 10.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 96.0% ±4.4 pts | 85.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.5% ±1.0 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 Keys earn?
Half of Keys's 400 households earn less than $38,600 a year (±$17,117), against $53,218 in Cherokee County and $65,039 in Oklahoma. In 2015-2019 the median was $93,379 in 2024 dollars, so it fell by $54,779 after inflation. 32.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Keys | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $38,600 ±$17,117 | $53,218 | −$54,779 |
| Mean household income | $52,105 ±$13,426 | $72,290 | – |
| Per capita income | $21,905 ±$5,088 | $29,253 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 32.2% ±14.3 pts | 18.2% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 40.7% ±27.3 pts | 20.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 12.3% ±11.7 pts | 16.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.3% ±6.1 pts | 92.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 79.3% ±12.7 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 Keys?
Owners occupy 60.0% of Keys's occupied homes and renters 40.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $130,200 by its owner (±$74,067). The median renter pays $836 a month including utilities, and 51.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Keys | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $130,200 ±$74,067 | $168,500 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $836 ±$74 | $831 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 51.5% ±27.1 pts | 33.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,411 ±$193 | $1,271 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 60.0% ±15.0 pts | 65.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 40.0% ±15.0 pts | 34.3% | – |
| Housing units | 434 ±101 | 22,363 | +245 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±9.9 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±14.4 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 54.8% ±14.4 pts | 64.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 37.6% ±15.0 pts | 19.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.4% ±2.6 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 30.6% ±11.8 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 5.5% ±7.6 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.8% ±9.5 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 Keys work and get to work?
82.6% of Keys's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 26.0 minutes.
| Measure | Keys | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 52.8% ±12.9 pts | 56.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.6% ±6.9 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 82.6% ±11.0 pts | 73.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 9.0% ±6.5 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.6 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 4.9% ±8.1 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.5% ±5.7 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 26.0 min ±7.4 | 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 Keys?
No census tract lies mostly in Keys; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9783.01Cherokee County | 3,231 | $60,695 |
| Tract 9783.02Cherokee County | 2,747 | $57,804 |
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 Keys) · Census block assignment files
How does Keys compare with other places in Oklahoma?
Keys ranks 209th of 228 places in Oklahoma with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 224th | 229 |
| Residents per square mile | 218th | 229 |
| Median household income | 209th | 228 |
| Per capita income | 195th | 229 |
| Median home value | 124th | 228 |
| Median gross rent | 116th | 223 |
| Poverty rate | 13th | 218 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59th | 226 |
| Median age | 136th | 229 |
| Owner-occupied share | 164th | 229 |
| Travel time to work | 52nd | 229 |
Keys's figures with every place in Oklahoma (CSV)
Every place in Oklahoma, sortable · Compare Keys 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 Keys?
22 of the 57 figures for Keys 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 Keys 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.