Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,880, settled in 1893. 2.6 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Oklahoma town.
Alva grades B overall, 18th among Oklahoma's 131 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its public schools beat 80% of Oklahoma towns on state tests and graduation and it has 6 miles of trail. On the other side, the median household income is $41K, and 26% of residents live below the poverty line. 43% of working residents work locally in Alva, against 22% in Oklahoma’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Only 1 of Oklahoma’s 227 towns score higher on walkability. Alva has 12 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Stine Building and Science Hall.
Where Alva beats most towns.
3.8% of the town is conserved land, across 10 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Alva is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,499 in 1900, a peak of 7,440 in 1970, 5,028 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1880 and 3 maps from 1969 on.
12 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Alva, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Alva.
Alva fares better on crime within Oklahoma than nationally, is shaped by its college students and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Its A for the outdoors ranks #2 of 131 in Oklahoma.
5.5 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves. Alva’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Alva Recreation Complex, at 113 acres.
| Alva | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.8% | 7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Alva Recreation Complex | 0.1 mi | 113 |
| 2. Hatfield Park | — | 96 |
| 3. Woods County Fair | — | 57 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Alva school district. Three of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–1 | Grades PK–1 | 240 | – |
| Alva HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 279 | B+ |
| Longfellow EsTop results in townGrades 2–3 | Grades 2–3 | 156 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
At 2 years of the county’s $53K median household income, the typical home (about $107K) costs less against local pay than in 79% of Oklahoma towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living. At about $107K, home values are up 10% in five years, against a rise of 26% across Oklahoma.
The typical Alva home is worth about $107,000, up 7.1% in a year, 51% below the Oklahoma typical home. 50% of Alva households own their home.
| Alva | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 50% | 62% | 73% |
| Median rent | $877 a month | $870 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
July afternoons average 95.3°, hotter than in 96% of U.S. towns; January nights average 22.7°. The Alva 1w weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 199 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 87% of Oklahoma places with climate records.
Alva has chilly winters and hot summers. The July high in Alva is 95°F. Among 131 Oklahoma towns, just 2 have a lower January low than Alva.
| Alva | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 95°F | 93°F | 85°F |
| January low | 23°F | 28°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 66% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Alva since 2000.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 13.5 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 88% of Oklahoma’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 5 reported in 2025, 1 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The average commute for its 2,126 working residents takes 11.2 minutes, against 22.4 across Oklahoma.
Among 131 Oklahoma towns, just 1 have a lower average trip to work than Alva. Jobs based in Alva fell to 2,219 in 2023, 194 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Oklahoma City (7%), Enid (3%) and Woodward (2%).
| Alva | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 11 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $41,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 2,584 U.S. towns with household incomes like Alva’s, it is healthier than 93%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income. Within Oklahoma it is healthier than 84% of the 131 graded towns: much of Oklahoma scores lower on these measures.
Alva beats the Oklahoma average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 27% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Alva.
| Alva | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 23% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 40% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 25% |
| What stands out | Alva | OK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.7% | 14.1% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 10.7% | 12.8% |
| Fewer adults getting cholesterol checked | 80.9% | 84.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Alva
College town 22 of every 100 Alva residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
8 notable people were born in Alva.
City in Oklahoma, United States
Alva is a city in and the county seat of Woods County, Oklahoma, United States, along the Salt Fork Arkansas River. The population was 5,028 at the time of the 2020 Census, up from 4,945 at the 2010 census. The main campus of Northwestern Oklahoma State University is in Alva.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Alva grades B overall, better than 60% of U.S. towns and #18 of 131 in Oklahoma. It grades B− for health, B for safety and A− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 2 years of the area's median household income ($53,275 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
8 notable people were born here, including Jack Ging and Marilyn Mason.