Oklahoma Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Oklahoma, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Oklahoma. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Oklahoma. The estimated population of Oklahoma is 3,948,136 people, with a median age of 36.8.

We can look at the total population in Oklahoma over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
3,948,136
 -0.03% +1.33%
2020
3,949,342
+0.42%
-
2019
3,932,870
+0.38%
-
2018
3,918,137
+0.56%
-
2017
3,896,251
 - -

Population of Oklahoma by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
64.2%
66.5%
 -3.46%
Black/African American
7.1%
7.2%
 -1.39%
Native
7.2%
7.1%
 +1.41%
Hispanic
11.2%
10.1%
 +10.89%
Asian
2.2%
2%
 +10.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.2%
0.1%
 +100.00%
Two Or More Races
7.7%
6.9%
 +11.59%
Other
0.2%
0.1%
 +100.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Oklahoma by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 36.8 +0.27% 35.8 +0.85% 37.8 -0.26%
2020 36.7 +0.27% 35.5 +0.57% 37.9 +0.26%
2019 36.6 +0.55% 35.3 +0.28% 37.8 +0.27%
2018 36.4 +0.28% 35.2 +0.28% 37.7 0%
2017 36.3 - 35.1 - 37.7 -

The median age of Oklahoma gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 273,702 -2.95% 260,837 -2.61% 265,699 254,085
10 to 19 270,169 +4.39% 255,976 +4.23% 282,164 266,946
20 to 29 283,269 -1.68% 270,304 -2.25% 278,477 264,254
30 to 39 257,221 +3.65% 249,639 +5.13% 266,755 262,668
40 to 49 233,100 +2.29% 233,780 -1.36% 238,459 230,600
50 to 59 249,157 -4.31% 258,838 -6.93% 238,589 241,352
60 to 69 198,157 +7.94% 217,139 +5.76% 214,353 229,870
70+ 165,840 +8.55% 219,123 +6.45% 180,431 233,434

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Oklahoma is $56,956.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Oklahoma.

  • Under 25
    $33,672.00
  • 25 to 44
    $63,274.00
  • 45 to 64
    $66,678.00
  • 65 and over
    $46,258.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Oklahoma, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Oklahoma, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Oklahoma is currently $78,040.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

5.12% of households in Oklahoma are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Oklahoma against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    20.18%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    23.69%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    18.66%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    12.70%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    14.30%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    5.35%
  • $200,000 or more
    5.12%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Oklahoma is $30,976.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Oklahoma by the total population of Oklahoma.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Oklahoma, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Oklahoma to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    11.23%
  • Bachelor's degree
    29.56%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    12.71%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    43.50%
  • Less than high school diploma
    3.00%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Oklahoma that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Oklahoma over the age of 16 is 3,094,226.

Of those people, a total of 61.50% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Oklahoma is 57.70%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 214,984 40.20% 15.80%
20 to 24 years 271,501 75.00% 7.70%
25 to 29 years 271,230 80.00% 5.80%
30 to 34 years 264,386 80.20% 5.10%
35 to 44 years 503,103 80.00% 4.40%
45 to 54 years 459,972 77.40% 3.80%
55 to 59 years 250,962 69.40% 3.50%
60 to 64 years 242,256 55.40% 2.70%
65 to 74 years 367,032 26.20% 2.20%
75 years and over 248,800 8.00% 2.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Oklahoma. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 2,239,002 60.70% 4.40%
Black or African American 219,651 62.10% 8.90%
American Indian and Alaska Native 224,320 60.30% 6.90%
Asian 71,128 66.70% 3.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 5,416 60.30% 6.30%
Other 84,621 70.40% 4.80%
Two or more races 250,088 64.60% 6.60%
Hispanic or Latino 286,711 70.40% 5.20%
Not Hispanic or Latino 2,098,064 60.10% 4.30%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Oklahoma as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Oklahoma is 1,786,742, with median earnings of $36,961.00.

Women in Oklahoma earning approximately 70.40% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 1,786,742 $36,961.00
Male 949,385 $43,647.00
Female 837,357 $30,715.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 178,323 $62,594.00
Business and Financial 84,045 $57,164.00
Computer and Mathematical 39,751 $67,310.00
Architecture and Engineering 31,756 $79,218.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 12,996 $56,755.00
Community and Social Service 34,465 $39,750.00
Legal 17,515 $66,486.00
Educational and Library 111,274 $38,860.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 24,907 $33,176.00
Healthcare Practitioners 114,166 $56,212.00
Healthcare Support 53,351 $24,647.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 19,003 $34,872.00
Law Enforcement 16,504 $49,488.00
Food Preparation and Serving 101,444 $13,608.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 65,555 $20,507.00
Personal Care and Service 49,389 $18,926.00
Sales 173,726 $28,144.00
Office and Administrative Support 207,738 $32,207.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 11,321 $24,743.00
Construction and Extraction 110,485 $38,490.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 74,189 $47,031.00
Production 114,730 $39,215.00
Transportation and Material Moving 67,591 $42,348.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 106,509 $73,628.00 71,814 $51,657.00
Business and Financial 35,934 $68,001.00 48,111 $51,665.00
Computer and Mathematical 29,811 $72,663.00 9,940 $53,964.00
Architecture and Engineering 26,888 $80,667.00 4,868 $66,132.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 7,766 $63,183.00 5,230 $52,166.00
Community and Social Service 13,421 $40,605.00 21,044 $39,369.00
Legal 8,615 $89,009.00 8,900 $52,661.00
Educational and Library 29,556 $47,504.00 81,718 $36,164.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 12,492 $37,602.00 12,415 $27,858.00
Healthcare Practitioners 28,335 $76,407.00 85,831 $52,630.00
Healthcare Support 6,571 $26,255.00 46,780 $24,411.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 14,602 $39,399.00 4,401 $24,149.00
Law Enforcement 13,427 $52,598.00 3,077 $40,322.00
Food Preparation and Serving 39,972 $14,318.00 61,472 $13,242.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 38,815 $23,376.00 26,740 $16,423.00
Personal Care and Service 11,479 $25,375.00 37,910 $17,394.00
Sales 86,365 $40,447.00 87,361 $20,963.00
Office and Administrative Support 47,795 $39,027.00 159,943 $30,847.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 9,073 $26,764.00 2,248 $16,250.00
Construction and Extraction 106,991 $38,878.00 3,494 $27,668.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 70,987 $47,495.00 3,202 $37,044.00
Production 89,936 $43,320.00 24,794 $27,385.00
Transportation and Material Moving 59,652 $44,233.00 7,939 $25,475.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 1,503,868 households in Oklahoma, with an average household size of 2.56 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 979,479 families in Oklahoma with an average family size of 3.17 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 718,823 77,375 183,281 524,389
Average Household Size 3.21 3.38 3.41 1.25
Total Families 718,823 77,375 183,281 0
Average Household Size 3.18 2.98 3.19 0

Poverty

Of the 979,479 families in Oklahoma, 11.00% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Oklahoma:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 1,741,721 housing units in Oklahoma.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 1,503,868 86.34%
Vacant 237,853 13.66%

26.94% of the total 1,741,721 housing units in Oklahoma are rental units. This is approximately 469,169 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 993,391 are occupied by the owner - or 57.04% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Oklahoma is $862.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Oklahoma that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    41,308
  • Less than $500
    49,906
  • $500 to $999
    257,731
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    124,621
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    27,377
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    5,623
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    1,674
  • $3,000 or more
    2,237

Property Value

The median value of a property in Oklahoma is $150,800.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Oklahoma that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    107,841
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    195,094
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    190,216
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    178,422
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    173,881
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    105,313
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    33,941
  • $1,000,000 or more
    8,683

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Oklahoma. The chart below shows the number of properties in Oklahoma that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    128,498
  • 1940 to 1949
    87,559
  • 1950 to 1959
    174,208
  • 1960 to 1969
    194,332
  • 1970 to 1979
    319,273
  • 1980 to 1989
    249,851
  • 1990 to 1999
    199,303
  • 2000 to 2009
    228,383
  • 2010 to 2013
    156,202
  • 2014 or later
    4,112

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Oklahoma that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    81,196
  • 1 vehicle available
    482,015
  • 2 vehicles available
    578,852
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    361,805

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Oklahoma get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Oklahoma that commute to work in a particular way.

22.2 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Oklahoma.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    70,479
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    216,453
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    265,876
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    288,422
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    257,602
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    108,175
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    204,645
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    38,937
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    41,496
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    89,172
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    50,832
  • 90 or more minutes
    30,913

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Oklahoma in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Counties in Oklahoma

We have data for 77 counties in Oklahoma. Click on a county below to see more information about the demographics of that county, with links to cities and towns within that county.

Zip Codes in Oklahoma

If you want to find out more about the population and demographics of specific zip codes in Oklahoma, click on the links below.