Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Public schools that outperform most of Oklahoma.
Elk City grades C overall, 66th among Oklahoma's 131 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its schools outperform 81% of the state's. On the other side, the median household income is $51K, and 23% of residents live below the poverty line. 46% of working residents work locally in Elk City, above both the Oklahoma town median (22%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). On cost of living, just 22 of Oklahoma’s 229 towns do worse. Elk City has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Whited Grist Mill and Hedlund Motor Company Building.
Where Elk City beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Elk City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,165 in 1910, 11,561 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1930 and 2 maps from 1961 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elk City, 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 Elk City.
Elk City fares better on crime within Oklahoma than nationally, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns.
5.0 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ackley Park | 0.1 mi | 17 |
| 2. Rotary Park | — | 4 |
| 3. Kiwanis Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Elk City school district.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elk City EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 729 | C+ |
| Elk City HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 627 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
Against the 6,223 U.S. towns with household incomes like Elk City’s, it is less healthy than 57%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income. Within Oklahoma it is healthier than 54% of the 131 graded towns: much of Oklahoma scores lower on these measures.
Elk City beats the Oklahoma average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 34% of Elk City adults get no exercise outside work.
| Elk City | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 34% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 8.1% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 40% | 35% |
| What stands out | Elk City | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.3% | 8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Elk City home is worth about $169,000, up 4.6% in a year, 24% below the Oklahoma typical home.
| Elk City | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 64% | 62% | 73% |
| Median rent | $943 a month | $870 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
July afternoons average 94.6°, hotter than in 95% of U.S. towns; January nights average 25.9°.
Elk City has chilly winters and hot summers. The July high in Elk City is 95°F. About 9 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Elk City | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 95°F | 93°F | 85°F |
| January low | 26°F | 28°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here fell from 6,703 in 2013 to 5,259. The average commute for its 4,131 working residents takes 14 minutes, against 22.4 across Oklahoma.
Elk City’s average trip to work is 14 minutes. Jobs based in Elk City fell to 5,259 in 2023, 1,444 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Oklahoma City (7%), Clinton (3%) and Sayre (3%).
| Elk City | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $51,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1988, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Elk City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 18.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 79% of Oklahoma’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 17 reported in 2025, 1.5 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Elk City; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Elk City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
4 places in Elk City on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Elk City.
City in Oklahoma, US
Elk City is a city in Beckham County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 11,561 at the time of the 2020 census, a slight decrease from the 11,693 figure of the 2010 census. Elk City is located on Interstate 40 and Historic U.S. Route 66 in western Oklahoma, approximately 110 miles (180 km) west of Oklahoma City and 150 miles (240 km) east of Amarillo, Texas.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Elk City grades C overall, better than 26% of U.S. towns and #66 of 131 in Oklahoma. It grades C− for health, B− for safety and A− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 3.2 years of the area's median household income ($53,328 across the Elk City, OK area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
7 notable people were born here, including Jimmy Webb and Tex Gibbons.
