Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,070, settled in 1896.
Heavener gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $122K for a typical one, or 2.4 years of the county’s $52K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 94th of 131 in Oklahoma. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $34K, and 33% of residents live below the poverty line, and CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 94% of the country. 33% of residents live below the poverty line in Heavener, above both the Oklahoma town median (18%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 3 of the 131 Oklahoma towns we compare have a lower median household income than Heavener. The biggest park or preserve is Heavener Blues Park, at 41 acres.
Where Heavener beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
3,414 counted in 2010 and 2,985 in 2020; an estimated 3,070 in 2025.
The decline has turned around: up 3.1% since 2020, after a 12.6% drop in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Heavener is from typical.
Its grades run from A for cost of living (better than 89% of comparable towns) to D− for jobs and income (better than 3%), so the C− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 234 in 1900, 2,985 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1959 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Heavener, 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 Heavener.
Heavener is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has seen reported crime fall by about half, but it has poverty well above the Oklahoma rate.
Against the 1,163 U.S. towns with household incomes like Heavener’s, it is less healthy than 55%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
41% of adults get no exercise outside work in Heavener. Heavener beats the Oklahoma average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 19% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Heavener.
| Heavener | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 34% | 25% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 11% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 21% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 23% | 19% |
| What stands out | Heavener | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 19.4% | 11.3% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 27.7% | 18.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.4% | 16.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Heavener school district. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Heavener HS, with 300 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavener EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 542 | C+ |
| Heavener HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 300 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
The median property tax bill is $407, against $1,599 across Oklahoma, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The median rent in Heavener is $688 a month. Typical home values rose 4.9% in the year to September 2026. 60% of Heavener households own their home.
| Heavener | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $688 a month | $875 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 60% | 62% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 79% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Heavener Blues Park | — | 41 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Heavener has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Heavener’s July high is 93°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here fell from 1,980 in 2013 to 1,352.
About one in 4 of Heavener’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Heavener fell to 1,352 in 2023, 628 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Poteau (14%), Fort Smith (6%) and Oklahoma City (3%).
| Heavener | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 28% | 22% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Reported crimes fell from 52 to 27 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within Oklahoma, it does better than 75% of towns.
| Heavener | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.5 per 1,000 residents | 14.1 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.3 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of Heavener
About 3 of every 100 Heavener residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
City in Oklahoma, United States
Heavener is a town in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, Heavener had a population of 2,985. Heavener is notable for the Heavener Runestone just outside the city limits.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Heavener grades C− overall, better than 16% of U.S. towns and #94 of 131 in Oklahoma. It grades D for health, B− for safety and C for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within Oklahoma, it does better than 75% of towns.
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.
2 notable people were born here, including Jack Davis and A. L. Bennett.