Dry Creek, Oklahoma Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 249, Dry Creek's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Dry Creek is a small community located in Oklahoma, within Cherokee County. The total population is 249. It ranks as the 512th most populous out of 834 Census-designated places in Oklahoma.

Age Demographics

The median age in Dry Creek is 62.7 years. This is 69% higher than the state median of 37.0 years. Only 3.2% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 23.7% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Dry Creek is $40,500. This is 38% lower than the state median of $65,039. It is also 50% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 19.7%. This is 28% higher than the state poverty rate of 15.3%. The unemployment rate is 5.3%. This is 6% higher than the state rate of 5.0%. The median home value is $81,300. Housing costs are 59% lower than the state median of $199,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.0x, Dry Creek is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 91.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 38% higher than the state average of 65.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Dry Creek is White (non-Hispanic), making up 60.2% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 4.0%. The Hispanic or Latino population (4.0%) is well below the state average of 12.7%.

Education

23.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 16% lower than the state rate of 28.3%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Dry Creek, Oklahoma is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Oklahoma state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 834 Census-designated places in Oklahoma. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.