What is the poverty rate in Oklahoma?
Refreshed monthly
The poverty rate was about 14.9% of Oklahoma’s population as of 2024. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2024, 592,663 people in Oklahoma were considered in poverty.
14.9%
of the population (2024)
593K
people living under the poverty line (2024)
The state's poverty rate was 14.9% in 2024, the lowest based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010. It was 1 percentage point lower than the previous year. Oklahoma's poverty rate hit a peak in 2012 of 17.2%.
In 2024, 14.9% of Oklahoma's population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate, 2010–2024
While the poverty rate shows the overall trend, the total number matters because many aid programs and funding decisions are based on how many people are in poverty, not just the percentage. In 2024, 592,663 people living in Oklahoma were in poverty — down 7% from the 2012 peak of 637,429.
In 2024, 592,700 people in Oklahoma were in poverty.
People living under poverty line, 2010–2024
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
What is the child poverty rate in Oklahoma?
From 2014 to 2024, the poverty rate for children under 18 in Oklahoma decreased from 22.4% to 18.9%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 16.2% to 14.1%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 8.5% to 11.9%.
In 2024, 18.9% of children in Oklahoma were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group, 2014–2024
How does poverty differ by race in Oklahoma?
Among racial or ethnic groups in Oklahoma during 2024, six had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race), some other race, and two or more races.
Two had a lower than average poverty rate: Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander; and White alone, not Hispanic or Latino.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race) population shifted the most, decreasing from 27.2% in 2014 to 18.3% in 2024.
In Oklahoma, the poverty rate for the Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race) population decreased from 27.2% in 2014 to 18.3% in 2024.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity, 2014–2024
What counties in Oklahoma have the highest and lowest poverty rates?
In 2019-2023, the poverty rate among Oklahoma counties ranged from 7.8% in McClain County to 27.4% in Okfuskee County. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — Oklahoma County — was 15.7%.
In 2019-2023, the poverty rate among Oklahoma counties ranged from 7.8% to 27.4%.
Poverty rate
Poverty rate, by county (2023)
| 1. | Okfuskee County | 27.4% |
| 2. | Kiowa County | 25.0% |
| 3. | Payne County | 23.9% |
| 4. | Pushmataha County | 23.7% |
| 5. | Beckham County | 23.2% |
| 6. | Cotton County | 22.9% |
| 7. | Jefferson County | 22.8% |
| 8. | Seminole County | 22.4% |
| 9. | Choctaw County | 22.0% |
| 10. | Johnston County | 21.9% |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
