Payne County, Oklahoma Demographics 2026

Name: Payne County, Oklahoma Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Payne County, Oklahoma has a population of 82,972, the 8th most populous county in Oklahoma. The median household income is $49,809 and the median home value is $223,300. The poverty rate is 22.6%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Payne County Quick Facts

Population 82,972

Median Household Income $49,809

Median Home Value $223,300

Poverty Rate 22.6%

Unemployment Rate 5.7%

Median Age 27.7 years

Homeownership Rate 51.0%

Affordability Ratio 4.5x

Bachelor's Degree+ 39.7%

High School Graduation 93.6%

Cities/Places 11

Population 82,972 8th of 77

Median Income $49,809 23% lower than state

Poverty Rate 22.6%

Unemployment 5.7%

How Payne County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	82,290	82,972	+0.8%
Median household income	$48,937	$49,809	+1.8%
Median home value	$217,700	$223,300	+2.6%

Median Household Income

Payne

$49,809

$65,039

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Payne

$223,300

$199,800

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 26.6%

$25K-$50K 23.5%

$50K-$100K 26.8%

$100K+ 23.1%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

11.1%

$10K-$15K

6.2%

$15K-$20K

4.9%

$20K-$25K

4.5%

$25K-$30K

4.4%

$30K-$35K

5.4%

$35K-$40K

4.5%

$40K-$45K

5.0%

$45K-$50K

4.1%

$50K-$60K

6.6%

$60K-$75K

9.6%

$75K-$100K

10.5%

$100K-$125K

8.2%

$125K-$150K

4.0%

$150K-$200K

5.0%

$200K+

5.9%

Employment

5.7% Unemployment Rate State: 5.0%|National: 5.2%

59.2% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 51.0%

Renter 49.0%

Affordability Index Moderate

4.5x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $917/mo 22.1% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

18.4%

18-34

40.5%

35-54

19.3%

55-74

16.3%

75+

5.5%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 58 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Payne County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Stillwater	49,269	$43,700	27.4%	$237,200
Cushing	8,367	$44,136	22.0%	$114,500
Perkins	3,262	$35,456	32.0%	$172,200
Drumright	2,361	$45,580	24.7%	$85,600
Yale	998	$42,750	27.7%	$82,400
Glencoe	516	$49,821	31.2%	$90,600
Ripley	259	$41,250	18.5%	$81,700
Mulhall	257	$76,250	9.3%	$93,400
Ingalls	229	$68,750	16.2%	N/A
Orlando	106	$46,250	13.2%	$65,000
Mehan	22	N/A	13.6%	N/A

Explore Oklahoma Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Payne County is located in Oklahoma with a total population of 82,972. It is the 8th most populous county out of 77 in Oklahoma. The county encompasses 11 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Payne County is 27.7 years. This is 25% lower than the state median of 37.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Payne County is $49,809. This is 23% lower than the state median of $65,039. It is also 38% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 22.6%. This is 47% higher than the state poverty rate of 15.3%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 5.7%. This is 15% higher than the state rate of 5.0%. The median home value is $223,300. Housing costs are 12% higher than the state median of $199,800. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.5x. 51.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 22% lower than the state average of 65.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Payne County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 73.5% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 6.6%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (4.2% vs 2.4%).

Education

39.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Payne County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 40% higher 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 93.6%. Notably, 18.0% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Payne 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Payne County, Oklahoma?

Payne County has a population of 82,972, making it the 8th most populous county in Oklahoma.

What is the median income in Payne County?

The median household income in Payne County is $49,809 with a poverty rate of 22.6%.

How many cities are in Payne County, Oklahoma?

Payne County contains 11 Census-designated places.