What is the poverty rate in Oklahoma?
Refreshed monthly
The poverty rate was about 14.4% of Oklahoma’s population as of 2025. 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 2025, 578,000 people in Oklahoma were considered in poverty.
14.4%
of the population (2025)
578K
people living under the poverty line (2025)
The state's poverty rate was 14.4% in 2025, the lowest based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010. It was 0.5 percentage points lower than the previous year. Oklahoma's poverty rate hit a peak in 2012 of 17.2%.
In 2025, 14.4% of Oklahoma's population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate, 2010–2025
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 2025, 578,000 people living in Oklahoma were in poverty — down 9.3% from the 2012 peak of 637,400.
Get weekly insights
Subscribe for data-driven insights. No spin, just the facts.
In 2025, 578,000 people in Oklahoma were in poverty.
People living under poverty line, 2010–2025
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 2015 to 2025, the poverty rate for children under 18 in Oklahoma decreased from 22.2% to 18.5%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 15.5% to 13.7%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 8.4% to 11.6%.
In 2025, 18.5% of children in Oklahoma were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group, 2015–2025
How does poverty differ by race in Oklahoma?
Among racial or ethnic groups in Oklahoma during 2025, six had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: American Indian and Alaska Native; Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race); Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander; some other race; and two or more races
Two had a lower than average poverty rate: White, not Hispanic or Latino; and Asian.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander population shifted the most, decreasing from 30.6% in 2015 to 20.6% in 2025.
In Oklahoma, the poverty rate for the Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander population decreased from 30.6% in 2015 to 20.6% in 2025.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity, 2015–2025
What counties in Oklahoma have the highest and lowest poverty rates?
In 2020–2024, the poverty rate among Oklahoma counties ranged from 7.4% in Cimarron County to 25.8% in Okfuskee County. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — Oklahoma County — was 16%
In 2020-2024, the poverty rate among Oklahoma counties ranged from 7.4% to 25.8%.
Poverty rate
Poverty rate, by county (2024)
| 1. | Okfuskee County | 25.8% |
| 2. | Choctaw County | 23.2% |
| 3. | Jefferson County | 23.1% |
| 4. | Kiowa County | 22.9% |
| 5. | Johnston County | 22.9% |
| 6. | Harmon County | 22.7% |
| 7. | Payne County | 22.6% |
| 8. | Beckham County | 21.7% |
| 9. | Seminole County | 21.7% |
| 10. | Adair County | 21.5% |
Keep exploring
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
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.
