Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Public schools that outperform most of Oklahoma.
Residents are less healthy than 98% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Overall it grades C−, 71st of 131 graded towns in Oklahoma. Its public schools beat 81% of Oklahoma towns on state tests and graduation. Its weakest subject is incomes: the median household income is $37K, and 19% of residents live below the poverty line. Checotah has 7 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Honey Springs Battlefield NHL and Oklahoma Odd Fellows Home at Checotah. Among 131 Oklahoma towns, just 5 have a lower median household income than Checotah. Checotah is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 69% of U.S. towns.
Where Checotah beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Checotah is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Honey Springs Battlefield NHL is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 805 in 1900, 3,018 in 2020. The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 2 maps from 1963 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Checotah, 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 Checotah.
Checotah has property taxes about half the Oklahoma norm, but it has household incomes well below the Oklahoma norm.
42% of Checotah adults get no exercise outside work, against 34% in Oklahoma’s towns and 25% across U.S. towns. 48% of adults have high blood pressure in Checotah. Checotah beats the Oklahoma average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20.
| Checotah | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 34% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 40% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 12% |
| What stands out | Checotah | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.8% | 76.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 28.2% | 16.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Checotah school district. Three of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Checotah HS, with 389 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 433 | – |
| Checotah HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 389 | C− |
| Checotah Intermediate EsTop results in townGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 287 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
The median property tax bill is $666, against $1,599 across Oklahoma, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Checotah home is worth about $157,000, up 9.5% in a year, 29% below the Oklahoma typical home. At $768 a month, Checotah’s median rent is where Oklahoma’s towns sit at $875 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. 58% of Checotah households own their home.
| Checotah | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 58% | 62% | 73% |
| Median rent | $768 a month | $875 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Checotah has mild winters and hot summers. Checotah’s July high is 93°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average trip to work in Checotah is 18 minutes. Jobs based in Checotah fell to 1,515 in 2023, 150 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Muskogee (13%), Tulsa (11%) and Eufaula (6%).
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Within Oklahoma, it does better than 67% of towns.
| Checotah | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 11.9 per 1,000 residents | 14.1 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 55% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Checotah since 2021.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Checotah
About 3 of every 100 Checotah residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
7 places in Checotah on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Checotah.
City in Oklahoma, United States
Checotah is a city in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, United States. It was named for Samuel Checote, the first chief of the Creek Nation elected after the Civil War. Its population was 3,018 at the 2020 census, down from 3,335 in 2010. Checotah is home to numerous antique malls, a Civil War battle site, and a downtown historic district. Checotah claims to be the steer wrestling capital of the world. Early boosters called Checotah "The Gem of the Prairie".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Checotah grades C− overall, better than 25% of U.S. towns and #71 of 131 in Oklahoma. It grades D− for health, C+ for safety and A− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within Oklahoma, it does better than 67% of towns.
That is 3.4 years of the area's median household income ($46,281 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−.
7 notable people were born here, including Mel McDaniel and Jim G. Lucas.
