Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,087, settled in 1903.
Boley’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for safety; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 53% of residents live below the poverty line in Boley, where Oklahoma’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. No town in Oklahoma scores lower than Boley on incomes. Residents are less healthy than 93% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Boley Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Boley has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Boley beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Boley | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 17% | 10.3% |
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Boley is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,334 in 1910, a low of 423 in 1980, 1,091 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1902 and 2 maps from 1967 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Boley, 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 Boley.
27% of adults smoke cigarettes in Boley, against 18% in Oklahoma’s towns and 14% across U.S. towns. 43% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Boley. Among 132 Oklahoma towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who binge drink than Boley.
| Boley | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 18% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 41% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 40% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 36% |
| What stands out | Boley | OK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.2% | 7.8% |
| Fewer adults with depression | 20.2% | 25.5% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 17% | 10.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The property crime rate in Boley is 0.9 per 1,000 residents. Of the 125 Oklahoma towns we compare, none has a lower violent crime rate than Boley. Boley reports less crime per resident than 78% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
| Boley | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 14 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Most working residents leave Boley for work: only 6% work in town. Boley’s average trip to work is 11 minutes. Of the 132 Oklahoma towns we compare, none has a lower median household income than Boley.
| Boley | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 11 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $26,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.5% | 22% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 71% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Boley has chilly winters and hot summers. July afternoons reach 93°, January nights drop to 27° and about 5 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
None within 15 miles of Boley; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Boley residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
Where Boley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 notable people were born in Boley.
Town in Oklahoma, United States
Boley is a town in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,091 at the 2020 Census. Boley was incorporated in 1905 as a predominantly Black pioneer town with persons having Native American ancestry among its citizens. Of the 50 identifiable Black towns established in Oklahoma between 1865 to 1920, Boley is one of only 13 still in existence. Boley is currently home to barbeque equipment maker, Smokaroma, Inc, and the John Lilley Correctional Center. The Boley Public School District closed the high school in 2007 and the elementary in 2010 due to declining enrollment. The Boley Historic District is a National Historic Landmark. Currently Boley hosts The Annual Boley Rode…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
4 notable people were born here, including Pumpsie Green and Zenobia Powell Perry.
