City profile · Oklahoma · Census ACS 2023

Okemah, OK

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

3,058
Residents
$32,232
Median income
$65,000
Median home
$937
Median rent (state)

Okemah - the verdict

Okemah ranks in the 3rd percentile for household income and the 13th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

3rd
percentile, household income
2nd
percentile, home value
9th
percentile, median rent
13th
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: Okemah, OK

Okemah is a small town in Oklahoma, home to 3,058 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $32,232 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 43.6%. Typical homes in Okemah are valued around $65,000, and the median resident age is 34.4 years. Educational attainment runs 11.3% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 43.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 3 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Low Activity). Okemah's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 3279.8 crimes per 100,000 residents, above the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 61.8°F with 43.5 inches of precipitation per year and 5.0 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 $937 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $205 across Oklahoma, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Okemah workers runs 17.9 minutes, with 71.7% driving alone and 4.4% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 40.4 out of 100 (Low).

Population

3,058 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Oklahoma

Median Household Income

$32,232 /yr

Poverty 43.6%

Cost of Living Index (state)

87.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Oklahoma average

How does Okemah compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 3% higher than other cities
Home value 2% pricier than other cities
Median rent 9% pricier than other cities
Safety 13% 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: Okemah ranks #181 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 Okemah 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 Okemah near the bottom of Oklahoma's cities

Among the 671 Oklahoma cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Okemah ranks #324 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Okemah only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#600 of 639
6th percentile in Oklahoma
Median Gross Rent
#324 of 671
0th percentile in Oklahoma
Median Home Value
#541 of 628
14th percentile in Oklahoma
Poverty Rate
#18 of 671
97th percentile in Oklahoma
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#430 of 671
35th percentile in Oklahoma

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.

3rdIncome percentile
13thSafety percentile

3rd percentile nationally for median household income · 13th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Okemah's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Okemah'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 37 Avg. percentile National median
Okemah'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 Okemah's home value compares nationally

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

$65,000 Among the most affordable more affordable than 98% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Above this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $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. Okemah $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 - Okemah, OK Okemah, OK's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Okemah, 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 Okemah, OK median $32,232/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%
Okemah, 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 Okemah, OK. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 11.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 43.6%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 43.5%

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

Population
3,058
Median Income
$32,232
Median Home Value
$65,000
Median Age
34.4
Poverty Rate
43.6%
Labor force participation
43.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
11.3%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
3279.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
656.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2623.8
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
61.8°F
Annual Precipitation
43.5"
Annual Snowfall
5.0"

Schools

Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
3,020 residents3,040 residents3,060 residents3,080 residents3,100 residents 202020212022202320242025 3,059 residents 3,091 residents ▲ +1.0%
Okemah's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

🏗️ Low Activity
Total Permits (2024)
3
housing units authorized
Single-Family
3
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 0
2020 4
2021 5
2022 5
2023 3
2024 3

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
17.9 minutes
Drive Alone
71.7%
Carpool
13.1%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
5.3%
Work from Home
4.4%
Other
5.5%

Based on 909 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 Okemah sits in

Cost of Living Index
87.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$937/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
40.4 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Oklahoma

Checotah
3,057 people
Cache
3,045 people
Park Hill
3,092 people
Tishomingo
3,097 people
Tonkawa
3,018 people
Wewoka
3,112 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Okemah's 3,058 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Beulah, ND
3,058 people
Wormleysburg, PA
3,058 people
Hilltop, SC
3,058 people
Toa Alta zona urbana, PR
3,058 people
Lakeview Estates, GA
3,057 people
Unadilla, GA
3,057 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Okemah's $32,232 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

McAlmont, AR
$32,231 median income
Silver Springs, FL
$32,228 median income
Smithers, WV
$32,237 median income
Rumford, ME
$32,240 median income
Exeland, WI
$32,240 median income
Whites Landing, OH
$32,241 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Okemah, 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 Okemah, OK - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 61.4% 25.6% 10.6% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.9% White 61.4% Black or African American 2.2% Asian 0.0% American Indian 25.6% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.2% Two or more races 10.6% 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 Okemah 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
Okemah (this city) 3,058 $32,232
Checotah 3,057 $37,125
Cache 3,045 $61,554
Park Hill 3,092 $49,583
Census ACS 5-year FIPS OK FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Okemah, OK?

What is the population of Okemah, OK? +

The population of Okemah, OK stands at 3,058 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Okemah, OK? +

Median annual household income in Okemah runs $32,232, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Okemah? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Okemah; 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 Okemah, OK safe? +

Okemah has a total crime rate of 3279.8 per 100,000 residents, which is above 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 Okemah, OK? +

A typical home in Okemah is worth $65,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Okemah? +

Okemah has an average annual temperature of 61.8°F, 43.5 inches of precipitation, and 5.0 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

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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.