Pawnee County, Oklahoma

OK · FIPS 40117 Republican

Located in Oklahoma, Pawnee County has a population of 15,795 residents and a median age of 41.6 years, making it the #2,110 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.2%. The median home value is $131,500, and the median household income is $58,738, which is 22% below the national median.

15,795
Population
#2,110 of 3,222
$58,738
Median Income
-21.8% #2,200 of 3,222
41.6 years
Median Age
+6.9% #1,632 of 3,222
18.2%
Poverty Rate
+44.4% #2,476 of 3,222

Demographics

Pawnee County has a population of 15,795, making it the #2,110 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.6 years, which is 6.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.5%
Native Born
1.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Pawnee County is $58,738, ranking #2,200 out of 3,222 counties — 21.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.2% and unemployment stands at 4.4%.

Income#2,200
$58,738
-21.8%
vs nation
32th percentile
Per Capita#2,552
$29,179
-29.3%
vs nation
21th percentile
Poverty#2,476
18.2%
+44.4%
vs nation
23th percentile
Unemployment#1,598
4.4%
-16.9%
vs nation
50th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Pawnee County is $131,500 (-53.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $864/mo and the homeownership rate is 79.5%.

Home Value#2,499
$131,500
-53.4%
vs nation
22th percentile
Rent#1,648
$864
-25.7%
vs nation
49th percentile
Homeownership#712
79.5%
+23.5%
vs nation
78th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Pawnee County, 16.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 49.9% below the national average, ranking #2,519 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
16.9% −49.9% vs nation
Rank #2,519 of 3,222
22th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Pawnee County is 71.4 years. 20.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 14.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,640
71.4
-5.0%
vs nation
14th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,905
20.3%
+3.8%
vs nation
39th percentile
Diabetes#1,886
11.4%
+2.4%
vs nation
40th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,799
38.3%
+2.7%
vs nation
43th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,564
6.2
+9.2%
vs nation
19th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,183
4.8
+7.2%
vs nation
31th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,560
14.2%
+35.5%
vs nation
19th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,230
29.1%
+10.3%
vs nation
29th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,251
16.3%
+13.1%
vs nation
28th percentile

Substance Use

18.5% of adults in Pawnee County smoke , 40.7% are obese , and 16.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 39.7 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,836
18.5%
+3.0%
vs nation
42th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,285
40.7%
+7.4%
vs nation
27th percentile
Excessive Drinking#358
16.0%
-19.3%
vs nation
89th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,592
39.7
+22.7%
vs nation
25th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Pawnee County is 10.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 24.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 20.3 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,199
10.6
+32.0%
vs nation
22th percentile
Suicide Rate#2,004
24.0
+21.8%
vs nation
22th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,218
28.5
+59.6%
vs nation
10th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,609
20.3
0.0%
vs nation
43th percentile

Families & Children

22.4% of children in Pawnee County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 31.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,451
31.9
+45.8%
vs nation
18th percentile
Child Poverty#2,235
22.4%
+17.9%
vs nation
29th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Pawnee County is 54.3%. The mean commute time is 30.8 min, which is 11.6% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
54.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
30.8 min +11.6% vs nation
Rank #751 of 3,222
77th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Pawnee County voted Republican with a margin of 58.9%. The vote was 19.7% Dem / 78.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +58.9%
19.7% 78.6%
Dem 6,880 votes Rep
2020 REP +57.5%
20.1% 77.6%
Dem 6,786 votes Rep
2016 REP +53.2%
21.1% 74.3%
Dem 6,346 votes Rep
2012 REP +40.0%
30% 70%
Dem 6,041 votes Rep
2008 REP +37.4%
31.3% 68.7%
Dem 6,596 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Pawnee County, Oklahoma

Pawnee County, Oklahoma has a total population of 15,795, making it the 2,110th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Pawnee County is 41.6 years, which is 6.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Pawnee County is $58,738, which ranks #2,200 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 21.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.4%.

The median home value in Pawnee County is $131,500, 53.4% below the national median. Renters in Pawnee County pay a median gross rent of $864 per month. The homeownership rate is 79.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Pawnee County, 16.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 49.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 30.8 min.

Pawnee County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 74.3% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (10.7%) and American Indian (non-Hispanic) (9.1%).

All data for Pawnee 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.