Bbmemorialstadium, 2001
Broken Bow’s story
115 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,983 in 1920, 4,228 in 2020. The archive holds 14 old photos and papers going back to 2001 and 2 maps from 1902 on.
- 1911Broken Bow is settled
Broken BowOK
A town of 4,211, settled in 1911.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
4,211
2025 Census estimate · +0.8% since 2020
Typical home
$337K
+0.2% in a year
Household income
$40K
median
Median age
33.4
years
Jobs based here
2,250
Balanced
TownGrade
D
#125 of 131 in OK
Is Broken Bow a good place to live?
Broken Bow earns a D, ranked 125th of 131 in Oklahoma, mostly because of health and safety. Residents are less healthy than 98% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its police reported 19 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 95% of U.S. towns. In its favor, a typical home costs about $337K, 6.5 years of the county’s $52K median household income. 34% of residents live below the poverty line in Broken Bow, where Oklahoma’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 22 of Oklahoma’s 229 towns score lower on history. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 77% of U.S. towns.
What makes Broken Bow stand out
Where Broken Bow beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
Broken Bow$337K
Oklahoma$221K
Cost of livingA−
More affordable than 78% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
32 measures vs. Oklahoma
0 better11 too close to call21 worse
| Widest gap | Broken Bow | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 29.7% | 18.5% |
Worth knowing · HealthD−
Trails OK on 21 of 32 CDC measures, beats it on none
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
How Broken Bow grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Broken Bow is from typical.
HealthMccurtain Memorial Hospital 11 miles awayD−Open →SafetyDOpen →Jobs & income2,250 jobs based hereC−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7 of 20; 9% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →SchoolsC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 3% conserved landC+Open →History3 notable people born hereDOpen →Civic life2.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market$337K typical home, up 0.2% in a year–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 33.4; 17% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Broken Bow: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Broken Bow, and how to reach them.
PowerChoctaw Electric Coop13.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMccurtain Co. RWD #8 (Mt. Fork Water)No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Broken Bow’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Oklahoma you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person until 25 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 25 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSecretary, McCurtain County Election BoardMcCurtain County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Feb 2018
ZIP code7472874728 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Broken Bow.
Broken Bow has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Oklahoma, but it has poverty well above the Oklahoma rate and reports property crime at about twice the Oklahoma rate.
HealthD−
Broken Bow’s grade for health is a D−
45% of Broken Bow adults have obesity. Among adults here, 40% get no exercise outside work and 30% worry about having enough food.
2%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Broken Bow | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 34% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 21% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 23% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Oklahoma
0 better11 too close to call21 worse
| What stands out | Broken Bow | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 29.7% | 18.5% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 15.2% | 9.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 16.2% | 10.3% |
Mccurtain Memorial Hospital
11 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
9th
percentile among OK towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsC+
Broken Bow’s public schools trail 57% of Oklahoma districts
The public schools here belong to the Broken Bow school district. The largest public high school is Broken Bow HS, with 606 students. Below: Two of its 4 schools, each with why it was picked.
43%of OK districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dierks EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 387 | – |
| Broken Bow HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 606 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
SafetyD
In Broken Bow, property crime runs higher than in the typical Oklahoma or U.S. town
Property crime runs at 40.7 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Oklahoma rate, most of it theft.
Broken Bow’s violent offense rate comes in at 4.5 per 1,000 residents.
5%of U.S. towns report more crimeDSafety Grade
| Broken Bow | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 40.7 per 1,000 residents | 14 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Broken Bow4.5
Oklahoma4.1
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Broken Bow40.7
Oklahoma18.4
U.S.15.5
5th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
4th
percentile among OK towns
19
violent crimes reported in 2025
172
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade A−
Compared with most of Oklahoma and the rest of the country, the median rent in Broken Bow is lower
At 6.5 years of the county’s $52K median household income, the typical home (about $337K) costs more against local pay than in 99% of Oklahoma towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living. The typical value, about $337K, is 18% below its June 2023 peak.
The share of households in Broken Bow who are owner-occupiers: 55%. Homes here are typically worth about $337,000, about the same as a year ago, 52% above the Oklahoma typical home.
$337KZillow home value
| Broken Bow | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 62% | 73% |
| Median rent | $625 a month | $875 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Broken Bow$337K
Oklahoma$221K
+0.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers: that is Broken Bow’s year
Expect July afternoons of 93° and January nights of 31°, with about 2 inches of snow a winter.
2″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter33–56°
Spring50–74°
Summer69–91°
Fall51–76°
Nov 2
typical first frost
Apr 1
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
High risk in Broken Bow, with inland flooding at the top
51% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 14%. Broken Bow’s risk rating from FEMA is 66 of 100. Since 2019, Broken Bow has seen 2 flood insurance claims paid out.
66risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
2
paid flood claims since 2019
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
A job hub: Broken Bow has 1.3 jobs for every working resident and draws in 1,883 commuters
The top destinations are Hochatown (15%), Idabel (11%) and Oklahoma City (3%). One in 5 of Broken Bow’s working residents works locally. The middle household income for Broken Bow comes to $40,000. Half the trips to work are shorter than 10 miles.
22%work in town
| Broken Bow | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $40,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 22% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Broken Bow22%
Hochatown15%
Idabel11%
Oklahoma City3%
Durant2%
10 mi
median commute distance
2,250
jobs based in Broken Bow
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 23% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsC+
Conservation land takes up 3.3% of Broken Bow
The biggest park or preserve is Broken Bow City Park, at 27 acres. Trails run 0.3 miles in 3 parks and preserves. For Broken Bow, the density of trails is 0.1 miles per square mile.
3.3%conserved
| Broken Bow | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.3% | 7% | 4.3% |
3.3%
conserved · 130 of 3,929 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Broken Bow City Park | — | 27 |
| 2. Wayne Brown Field | — | 9 |
| 3. Brook Tims Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Broken Bow
19pages on Broken Bow
The big questions
SchoolsC+Behind 57% of OK districts · 4 schoolsSafetyD4.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthD−Better than OK on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA−$337K typical home · up 0.2% in a yearWork & commuteC−$40K median household income · 2,250 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 66% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Broken Bow; the nearest are
Cossatot Community College of the University of ArkansasCommunity college · Public · De Queen, AR21.4 mi$4,200 in-state tuitionTexas A&M University-TexarkanaUniversity or college · Public · Texarkana, TX52.2 mi$8,349 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Broken Bow residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
Famous people from Broken Bow
3 notable people were born in Broken Bow.
About Broken Bow
City in Oklahoma, United States
Broken Bow is a city in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 4,228 at the 2020 census. It is named after Broken Bow, Nebraska, the former hometown of the city's founders, the Dierks brothers.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 6.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 469 ft
- ZIP code
- 74728
- Area code
- 580
Broken Bow’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Broken Bow.
HochatownBroken Bow
How the neighbors grade
| Town | OK rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broken Bow | #125 | D | A− | D | C+ | D− |
| Hochatown | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Hochatown isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Broken Bow with a neighbor →
Questions about Broken Bow
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Broken Bow, OK a good place to live?
Broken Bow grades D overall, better than 5% of U.S. towns and #125 of 131 in Oklahoma. It grades D− for health, D for safety and C+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
What is Broken Bow, OK known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Gail Davies and Frank Parker.