Census-designated place · Oklahoma
Lost City, Oklahoma
Lost City, census-designated place, in Cherokee County, Oklahoma. Lost City had 767 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 852 (±154). GEOID 4044075.
Residents, 2020 Census
767
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 852 ±154
Median household income
$64,375
±$19,030 (90% margin)
Oklahoma: $65,039
Median home value
$154,400
±$28,494 (90% margin)
Oklahoma: $199,800
Median gross rent
$1,667
±$853 (90% margin)
Oklahoma: $1,014
Where is Lost City and what county is it in?
Lost City 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 23.5 square miles of land, 33 residents per square mile in 2020.
Lost City 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 Lost City, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 767 residents in Lost City, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 852 (±154).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Lost City is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Lost City | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 852 ±154 | 47,942 | no clear change |
| Households | 305 ±55 | 18,698 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.79 ±0.43 | 2.47 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 337 ±50 | 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 Lost City?
The median resident of Lost City is 35.0 years old; 26.9% are under 18 and 15.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 36.0%, then non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 33.7%.
| Measure | Lost City | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.0 ±5.4 | 37.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 26.9% ±6.4 pts | 21.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 15.3% ±5.9 pts | 17.8% | – |
| Male | 47.3% ±5.7 pts | 48.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 16.3% ±8.8 pts | 8.0% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 36.0% ±9.3 pts | 44.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±1.9 pts | 0.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 33.7% ±8.9 pts | 31.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 12.7% ±6.7 pts | 13.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.7% ±2.8 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.5% ±5.2 pts | 6.5% | – |
| With a disability | 28.4% ±9.8 pts | 21.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 19.1% ±8.0 pts | 18.2% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 96.4% ±3.1 pts | 89.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 22.9% ±9.6 pts | 29.2% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.6% ±2.5 pts | 10.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.0% ±3.5 pts | 85.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±2.9 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 Lost City earn?
Half of Lost City's 305 households earn less than $64,375 a year (±$19,030), against $53,218 in Cherokee County and $65,039 in Oklahoma. In 2015-2019 it was $56,510 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 6.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Lost City | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,375 ±$19,030 | $53,218 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $76,322 ±$10,115 | $72,290 | – |
| Per capita income | $26,651 ±$4,188 | $29,253 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 6.8% ±4.3 pts | 18.2% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 3.1% ±5.3 pts | 20.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 14.1% ±8.0 pts | 16.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.8% ±4.0 pts | 92.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.5% ±6.0 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 Lost City?
Owners occupy 88.9% of Lost City's occupied homes and renters 11.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $154,400 by its owner (±$28,494). The median renter pays $1,667 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Lost City | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $154,400 ±$28,494 | $168,500 | +$52,129 |
| Median gross rent | $1,667 ±$853 | $831 | +$886 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0% ±49.2 pts | 33.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,035 ±$182 | $1,271 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 88.9% ±10.0 pts | 65.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 11.1% ±10.0 pts | 34.3% | – |
| Housing units | 337 ±50 | 22,363 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±8.8 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±43.3 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 73.9% ±11.7 pts | 64.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 19.3% ±9.3 pts | 19.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 3.6% ±4.8 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.9% ±5.9 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 6.2% ±9.0 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.6% ±2.2 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 Lost City work and get to work?
82.4% of Lost City's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 36.6 minutes.
| Measure | Lost City | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 48.3% ±8.6 pts | 56.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% ±4.2 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 82.4% ±8.6 pts | 73.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.2% ±4.8 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±7.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±7.8 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.4% ±7.6 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 36.6 min ±6.3 | 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 Lost City?
No census tract lies mostly in Lost City; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9777.02Cherokee County | 3,442 | $43,472 |
| Tract 9776Cherokee County | 5,495 | $63,971 |
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 Lost City) · Census block assignment files
How does Lost City compare with other places in Oklahoma?
Lost City 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.
Lost City's figures with every place in Oklahoma (CSV)
Every place in Oklahoma, sortable · Compare Lost City 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 Lost City?
22 of the 57 figures for Lost City 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 Lost City 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.