Worst Small Towns In Oklahoma For 2020


Using science and data, we can tell you which teeny specks in OK are the pits.

Sam Sparkes, RoadSnacks
December 27, 2019 - 55,342 views
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Editor’s Note: This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don’t freak out we updated this article for 2020. This is our sixth time ranking the worst small places to live in Oklahoma.

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Most Americans have never been to Oklahoma. However, as the people who live there know, Oklahoma is an awesome state.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Oklahoma has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Sooner State. Don't shoot the messenger, this is all using data.

After analyzing more than 157 of Oklahoma's smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Oklahoma where you'd never want to live:

These are the worst small towns in Oklahoma for 2020:

  1. Wetumka
  2. Wewoka
  3. Heavener
  4. Turley
  5. Antlers (Photos)
  6. Cherry Tree
  7. Okemah (Photos)
  8. Vian
  9. Panama
  10. Kenwood

So what is the worst small town to call home in oklahoma for 2020? According to the most recent census data, Wetumka is the worst small town to live in Oklahoma.

Of course, many of these cities would rank highly if they were in other states, since Oklahoma has its stuff figured out.

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.

And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Oklahoma or the worst places to live in Oklahoma.

If you're looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

The 10 Worst Small Towns In Oklahoma For 2020

1. Wetumka

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,325
Rank Last Year: 2 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $52,500 (11th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 10.1% (23rd worst)
More on Wetumka:  Data

2. Wewoka

Overall SnackAbility

1
/10

Population: 3,367
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $51,400 (9th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 11.3% (14th worst)
More on Wewoka:  Data

3. Heavener

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 3,334
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 2)
Median Home Value: $49,900 (5th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 6.3% (79th worst)
More on Heavener:  Data

4. Turley

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,615
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 2)
Median Home Value: $47,400 (3rd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 13.7% (6th worst)
More on Turley:  Data

5. Antlers

Antlers, OK

Source: Wikipedia User Photolitherland | CC BY 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 2,594
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 3)
Median Home Value: $66,400 (31st worst)
Unemployment Rate: 12.5% (10th worst)
More on Antlers:  Data | Photos

6. Cherry Tree

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,052
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $64,300 (29th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (133rd worst)
More on Cherry Tree:  Data

7. Okemah

Okemah, OK

Source: Wikipedia User |
Overall SnackAbility

1
/10

Population: 3,191
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 4)
Median Home Value: $54,000 (12th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 18.0% (2nd worst)
More on Okemah:  Data | Photos

8. Vian

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 1,275
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 4)
Median Home Value: $75,200 (62nd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 12.9% (9th worst)
More on Vian:  Data

9. Panama

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,244
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 6)
Median Home Value: $55,000 (15th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 7.5% (55th worst)
More on Panama:  Data

10. Kenwood

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,095
Rank Last Year: 23 (Up 13)
Median Home Value: $82,100 (90th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 8.1% (41st worst)
More on Kenwood:  Data

How do you decide if a place is lousy or not?

In order to rank the worst small towns to live in Oklahoma, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. It isn't a stretch to assume that people like low crime, solid education, things to do and a stable economy.

So we scraped the internet for those criteria, and it spit out the answer. Like magic.

How we determined the worst small towns to live in Oklahoma for 2020

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using FBI crime data and the Census's 2014-2018 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:

  • Population Density (The lower the worse)
  • Highest Unemployment Rates
  • Low housing costs (meaning there's no demand)
  • Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
  • Education (Number of high school dropouts)
  • High Crime

We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which, there were a lot - 157 to be exact.

Additional note: We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets its crime numbers from the cities themselves. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased.

There You Have It - The Worst Small Towns In Oklahoma

If you're analyzing teeny places in the Sooner State with the worst economic situations, where there's high crime and there's not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

If you're curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Oklahoma, according to science:

  1. Kiefer (Pop. 2,462)
  2. North Enid (Pop. 1,059)
  3. Nichols Hills (Pop. 3,891)

For more Oklahoma reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Worst Small Towns In Oklahoma

Rank Town Population Unemployment Rate Home Value
1 Wetumka 1,325 10.1% $52,500
2 Wewoka 3,367 11.3% $51,400
3 Heavener 3,334 6.3% $49,900
4 Turley 2,615 13.7% $47,400
5 Antlers 2,594 12.5% $66,400
6 Cherry Tree 1,052 2.9% $64,300
7 Okemah 3,191 18.0% $54,000
8 Vian 1,275 12.9% $75,200
9 Panama 1,244 7.5% $55,000
10 Kenwood 1,095 8.1% $82,100
11 Arkoma 1,872 11.9% $74,700
12 Waurika 2,148 6.6% $57,900
13 Carnegie 1,875 10.3% $50,800
14 Atoka 3,059 6.9% $76,800
15 Warner 1,493 10.1% $71,100
16 Locust Grove 1,541 10.2% $79,200
17 Broken Bow 4,102 6.0% $78,100
18 Tishomingo 3,063 10.2% $72,300
19 Westville 1,717 7.7% $75,600
20 Jay 2,499 4.8% $73,600
21 Afton 1,189 9.6% $63,400
22 Yale 1,176 15.8% $62,000
23 Stilwell 4,012 5.4% $74,400
24 Commerce 2,293 7.7% $54,700
25 Brushy 1,156 8.4% $92,300
26 Stigler 2,725 10.0% $82,200
27 Shady Point 1,033 10.2% $79,800
28 Frederick 3,685 3.8% $44,000
29 Coalgate 1,987 13.6% $76,600
30 Wilburton 2,663 9.0% $75,300
31 Wister 1,031 15.5% $68,500
32 Checotah 3,188 8.9% $84,300
33 Fairfax 1,384 11.9% $37,600
34 Beggs 1,453 14.1% $72,600
35 Boley 1,207 5.3% $80,000
36 Nowata 3,674 7.2% $67,100
37 Pawhuska 3,516 6.7% $57,900
38 Geary 1,245 7.1% $56,200
39 Muldrow 3,276 10.0% $82,100
40 Comanche 1,565 8.9% $59,000
41 Mangum 2,837 9.2% $56,600
42 Granite 1,910 12.0% $66,500
43 Konawa 1,173 6.6% $63,200
44 Talihina 1,010 10.9% $60,000
45 Chelsea 1,990 8.5% $73,100
46 Eufaula 2,886 5.5% $107,400
47 Shattuck 1,291 4.2% $66,600
48 Rush Springs 1,264 10.8% $56,700
49 Hominy 3,457 7.8% $61,300
50 Kingston 1,714 5.2% $71,500
51 Hobart 3,562 3.0% $54,800
52 Maysville 1,196 1.1% $67,000
53 Drumright 2,854 5.2% $72,600
54 Bushyhead 1,169 6.9% $101,000
55 Sperry 1,201 6.7% $70,500
56 Colbert 1,331 8.6% $81,800
57 Park Hill 3,969 3.6% $107,400
58 Stratford 1,362 4.2% $73,700
59 Waynoka 1,093 5.2% $58,000
60 Spiro 2,604 4.3% $82,200
61 Apache 1,415 9.8% $73,100
62 Snyder 1,467 7.0% $65,800
63 Pink 2,155 8.2% $90,300
64 Texanna 2,400 6.2% $107,900
65 Walters 2,686 8.4% $75,700
66 Hollis 1,921 4.0% $52,300
67 Hartshorne 2,087 8.0% $77,200
68 Pawnee 2,141 4.8% $77,600
69 Tonkawa 3,090 5.9% $66,900
70 Pocola 4,066 7.8% $98,700
71 Davis 2,808 7.4% $92,200
72 Meridian 1,631 8.1% $75,100
73 Madill 3,900 3.4% $86,000
74 Copeland 1,852 9.2% $127,200
75 Spencer 4,012 9.4% $75,300
76 Oakhurst 2,364 4.5% $88,800
77 Chandler 3,103 7.9% $94,500
78 Okeene 1,152 0.9% $72,200
79 Healdton 2,740 5.4% $69,400
80 Newkirk 2,232 8.1% $74,200
81 Maud 1,143 8.3% $48,500
82 Calera 2,596 7.8% $94,300
83 Salina 1,210 8.0% $83,400
84 Hennessey 2,584 3.5% $109,000
85 Mounds 1,061 4.2% $115,100
86 Kellyville 1,233 1.6% $77,300
87 Roland 3,646 3.9% $87,800
88 Caddo 1,221 3.9% $77,100
89 Marietta 2,713 2.4% $82,300
90 Boise City 1,076 1.6% $50,600
91 Bray 1,112 10.8% $107,400
92 Bristow 4,194 4.2% $82,000
93 Lexington 2,413 5.7% $79,800
94 Beaver 1,469 7.3% $73,000
95 Marlow 4,512 8.0% $104,800
96 Fairland 1,139 4.5% $85,700
97 Stroud 2,714 7.1% $84,500
98 Barnsdall 1,140 4.0% $57,300
99 Wynnewood 2,026 3.7% $69,000
100 Krebs 2,049 8.0% $106,800
Download The Entire Oklahoma Ranking Data

How Is The Area In ?

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