Census-designated place · Oklahoma
Rocky Ford, Oklahoma
Rocky Ford, census-designated place, mostly in Cherokee County (79.5% of its 2020 residents), with a part in Delaware County, Oklahoma. Rocky Ford had 283 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 290 (±111). GEOID 4063715.
Residents, 2020 Census
283
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 290 ±111
Median household income
$61,250
±$37,001 (90% margin)
Oklahoma: $65,039
Median home value
$150,000
±$24,581 (90% margin)
Oklahoma: $199,800
Median gross rent
not published
Oklahoma: $1,014
Where is Rocky Ford and what county is it in?
Rocky Ford is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, mostly in Cherokee County (79.5% of its 2020 residents), with a part in Delaware County, Oklahoma. It covers 6.9 square miles of land, 41 residents per square mile in 2020.
Rocky Ford is in the Tahlequah, OK micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
| County | 2020 residents | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County | 225 | 79.5% |
| Delaware County | 58 | 20.5% |
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Rocky Ford, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 283 residents in Rocky Ford, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 290 (±111).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Rocky Ford is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Rocky Ford | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 290 ±111 | 47,942 | +248 |
| Households | 92 ±31 | 18,698 | +77 |
| Average household size | 3.15 ±0.73 | 2.47 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 110 ±35 | 22,363 | +93 |
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 Rocky Ford?
The median resident of Rocky Ford is 39.7 years old; 22.1% are under 18 and 13.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 47.9%, then non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 45.5%.
| Measure | Rocky Ford | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.7 ±14.1 | 37.3 | – |
| Under 18 years | 22.1% ±9.0 pts | 21.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 13.4% ±7.4 pts | 17.8% | – |
| Male | 49.0% ±6.6 pts | 48.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±8.3 pts | 8.0% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 47.9% ±17.8 pts | 44.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.3 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 45.5% ±17.2 pts | 31.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.5% ±6.6 pts | 13.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.0% ±1.5 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.8% ±5.4 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 12.4% ±7.9 pts | 6.5% | – |
| With a disability | 19.7% ±8.3 pts | 21.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 22.8% ±9.4 pts | 18.2% | −27.2 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 86.9% ±7.0 pts | 89.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 18.6% ±9.6 pts | 29.2% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.4% ±4.2 pts | 10.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.3% ±6.8 pts | 85.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.4% ±3.6 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 Rocky Ford earn?
Half of Rocky Ford's 92 households earn less than $61,250 a year (±$37,001), against $53,218 in Cherokee County and $65,039 in Oklahoma. In 2015-2019 it was $51,535 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Rocky Ford | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,250 ±$37,001 | $53,218 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $81,798 ±$15,373 | $72,290 | – |
| Per capita income | $30,008 ±$6,620 | $29,253 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 5.5% ±4.8 pts | 18.2% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 4.7% ±9.7 pts | 20.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 17.4% ±13.2 pts | 16.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.5% ±7.0 pts | 92.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.9% ±9.5 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 Rocky Ford?
Owners occupy 84.8% of Rocky Ford's occupied homes and renters 15.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $150,000 by its owner (±$24,581).
| Measure | Rocky Ford | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $150,000 ±$24,581 | $168,500 | +$93,880 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0% ±92.0 pts | 33.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,358 ±$128 | $1,271 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 84.8% ±11.0 pts | 65.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 15.2% ±11.0 pts | 34.3% | – |
| Housing units | 110 ±35 | 22,363 | +93 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±26.9 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±69.5 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 75.5% ±14.3 pts | 64.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 17.3% ±11.5 pts | 19.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±20.2 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 15.5% ±9.1 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±20.2 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.3% ±6.3 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 Rocky Ford work and get to work?
80.6% of Rocky Ford's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 27.8 minutes.
| Measure | Rocky Ford | Cherokee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 59.9% ±14.3 pts | 56.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.7% ±3.9 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 80.6% ±14.2 pts | 73.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.0% ±7.4 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±16.9 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 3.0% ±4.7 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 10.4% ±9.9 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.8 min ±4.5 | 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 Rocky Ford?
No census tract lies mostly in Rocky Ford; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9776Cherokee County | 5,495 | $63,971 |
| Tract 3761Delaware County | 4,938 | $53,295 |
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 Rocky Ford) · Census block assignment files
How does Rocky Ford compare with other places in Oklahoma?
Rocky Ford 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.
Rocky Ford's figures with every place in Oklahoma (CSV)
Every place in Oklahoma, sortable · Compare Rocky Ford 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 Rocky Ford?
26 of the 56 figures for Rocky Ford 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 Rocky Ford 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.