Carter County, Oklahoma

OK · FIPS 40019 Republican

Located in Oklahoma, Carter County has a population of 48,555 residents and a median age of 38.3 years, making it the #1,033 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.2%. The median home value is $168,500, and the median household income is $60,723, which is 19% below the national median.

48,555
Population
#1,033 of 3,222
$60,723
Median Income
-19.2% #2,018 of 3,222
38.3 years
Median Age
-1.5% #2,528 of 3,222
16.2%
Poverty Rate
+28.9% #2,166 of 3,222

Demographics

Carter County has a population of 48,555, making it the #1,033 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.3 years, which is 1.5% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.9%
Native Born
3.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Carter County is $60,723, ranking #2,018 out of 3,222 counties — 19.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.2% and unemployment stands at 3.8%.

Income#2,018
$60,723
-19.2%
vs nation
37th percentile
Per Capita#1,752
$34,057
-17.5%
vs nation
46th percentile
Poverty#2,166
16.2%
+28.9%
vs nation
33th percentile
Unemployment#1,207
3.8%
-28.0%
vs nation
63th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Carter County is $168,500 (-40.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $980/mo and the homeownership rate is 66.8%.

Home Value#1,842
$168,500
-40.2%
vs nation
43th percentile
Rent#1,065
$980
-15.7%
vs nation
67th percentile
Homeownership#2,582
66.8%
+3.8%
vs nation
20th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Carter County, 19.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 40.9% below the national average, ranking #2,014 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
19.9% −40.9% vs nation
Rank #2,014 of 3,222
38th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Carter County is 71.7 years. 21.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 16.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,571
71.7
-4.6%
vs nation
16th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,181
21.7%
+10.9%
vs nation
31th percentile
Diabetes#2,167
12.1%
+8.7%
vs nation
31th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,154
39.5%
+5.9%
vs nation
32th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,447
6.1
+7.8%
vs nation
22th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,345
4.9
+9.7%
vs nation
25th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,750
16.0%
+52.9%
vs nation
13th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,729
32.3%
+22.4%
vs nation
13th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,504
17.2%
+19.4%
vs nation
20th percentile

Substance Use

19.3% of adults in Carter County smoke , 40.7% are obese , and 15.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 24.8 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,084
19.3%
+7.5%
vs nation
34th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,284
40.7%
+7.4%
vs nation
27th percentile
Excessive Drinking#218
15.2%
-23.4%
vs nation
93th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#877
24.8
-23.3%
vs nation
59th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Carter County is 5.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 25.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 21.0 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#709
5.6
-29.8%
vs nation
54th percentile
Suicide Rate#2,107
25.5
+29.4%
vs nation
18th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,760
21.1
+18.2%
vs nation
29th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,699
21.0
+3.7%
vs nation
40th percentile

Families & Children

22.8% of children in Carter County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.6 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 34.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#454
5.6
-17.3%
vs nation
67th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,607
34.7
+59.0%
vs nation
13th percentile
Child Poverty#2,287
22.8%
+20.0%
vs nation
27th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Carter County is 55.2%. The mean commute time is 22.9 min, which is 17.0% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
55.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
22.9 min −17.0% vs nation
Rank #2,351 of 3,222
27th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Carter County voted Republican with a margin of 54.8%. The vote was 21.9% Dem / 76.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.2 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +54.8%
21.9% 76.7%
Dem 19,488 votes Rep
2020 REP +52.6%
22.9% 75.5%
Dem 19,479 votes Rep
2016 REP +52.6%
21.6% 74.2%
Dem 18,533 votes Rep
2012 REP +42.6%
28.7% 71.3%
Dem 17,120 votes Rep
2008 REP +40.6%
29.7% 70.3%
Dem 18,844 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Carter County, Oklahoma

Carter County, Oklahoma has a total population of 48,555, making it the 1,033rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Carter County is 38.3 years, which is 1.5% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Carter County is $60,723, which ranks #2,018 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 19.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.8%.

The median home value in Carter County is $168,500, 40.2% below the national median. Renters in Carter County pay a median gross rent of $980 per month. The homeownership rate is 66.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Carter County, 19.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 40.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 85.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.9 min.

Carter County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 66.5% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (10.5%) and Hispanic or Latino (8.6%).

All data for Carter County, Oklahoma comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.