Kay County, Oklahoma Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Kay County is located in Oklahoma with a total population of 43,625. It is the 22nd most populous county out of 77 in Oklahoma. The county encompasses 11 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Kay County is 38.5 years. This is 4% higher than the state median of 37.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Kay County is $58,423. This is 10% lower than the state median of $65,039. It is also 28% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 16.0%. This is 4% higher than the state poverty rate of 15.3%. The unemployment rate is 5.8%. This is 16% higher than the state rate of 5.0%. The median home value is $124,700. Housing costs are 38% lower than the state median of $199,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.1x, Kay County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 69.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 5% higher than the state average of 65.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Kay County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 71.2% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 9.0%. The Black or African American population (1.8%) is well below the state average of 6.8%. The Asian population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 2.4%.

Education

19.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 32% 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 90.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Kay County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Oklahoma and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.