Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,514, settled in 1891.
Marlow gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $123K, 2 years of the Duncan area’s $62K median household income. It grades B− overall, ranked 26th of 131 in Oklahoma. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 79% of the country. On the plus side, its public schools beat 79% of Oklahoma towns on state tests and graduation. 22% of residents live below the poverty line in Marlow, against 18% in Oklahoma’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns.
Where Marlow beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Marlow Es | PK–5 | 702 |
| Marlow MS | 6–8 | 282 |
| Marlow HS | 9–12 | 371 |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Marlow is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,016 in 1900, 4,385 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 3 maps from 1950 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Marlow, 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 Marlow.
Marlow pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay.
At 2 years of the Duncan area’s $62K median household income, the typical home (about $123K) costs less against local pay than in 79% of Oklahoma towns; that ratio is one input to its A for cost of living.
The typical Marlow home is worth about $123,000, down 1.2% in a year, 44% below the Oklahoma typical home.
| Marlow | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 70% | 62% | 73% |
| Median rent | $902 a month | $870 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A− for schools comes with an A for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $123K.
Its public schools are run by the Marlow school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Marlow HS, with 371 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marlow EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 702 | A |
| Marlow HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 371 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
Against the 7,910 U.S. towns with household incomes like Marlow’s, it is less healthy than 62%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income. Within Oklahoma it is healthier than 61% of the 131 graded towns: much of Oklahoma scores lower on these measures.
43% of Marlow adults have high blood pressure. Marlow beats the Oklahoma average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 34% of Marlow adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Marlow | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 40% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 38% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 14% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 34% | 25% |
| What stands out | Marlow | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 7.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.6% | 8% |
| More adults with arthritis | 32.6% | 27.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
July afternoons average 94.2°, hotter than in 95% of U.S. towns; January nights average 28.9°.
Marlow has mild winters and hot summers. Marlow’s July high is 94°F. About 6 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Marlow | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 94°F | 93°F | 85°F |
| January low | 29°F | 28°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Marlow has about as many jobs (1,662) as working residents, but only 247 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Marlow for work: only 14% work in town. Since 2013, Marlow has added 283 jobs, to 1,662 in 2023. The top destinations are Duncan (29%), Oklahoma City (11%) and Lawton (9%).
| Marlow | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 22% | 8% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 1992, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Marlow.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Oklahoma average. 27% of residents are under 18 in Marlow. Marlow has grown 3.2% since 2020, to 4,514 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Marlow | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 27% | 25% | 22% |
| Median age | 34.9 years | 36.3 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 21% | 20% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 16% | 18% |
54% women, 46% men
About 87 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.6 points). Across Oklahoma, 50.2% of residents are women.
| Marlow | OK | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 17.8% | 12.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.6% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.4% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.3% | 13.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.6% | 11.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.7% | 9.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.6% | 6.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.6% | 10.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 42.4% | 30.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.6% | 22.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.5% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.6% | 18.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.4% | 9.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,500, single groups can be off by several points
0.9 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
| Marlow | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.1% | 6.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Red Bud Park | 0.6 mi | 14 |
| 2. Miller Park | — | 18 |
| 3. Southwest Park | — | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Reported crimes fell from 66 to 52 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within Oklahoma, it does better than 73% of towns.
| Marlow | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 9.7 per 1,000 residents | 14.1 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.8 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Marlow; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Marlow residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
2 places in Marlow on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Marlow.
City in Oklahoma, United States
Marlow is a city in Stephens County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 4,385 at the time of the 2020 Census. Marlow is located 10 miles north of Duncan, Oklahoma, and 30 miles east of Lawton, Oklahoma.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Marlow.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Marlow grades B− overall, better than 55% of U.S. towns and #26 of 131 in Oklahoma. It grades C− for health, B− for safety and A− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Within Oklahoma, it does better than 73% 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.
8 notable people were born here, including Joe Dial and Herman C. Wallace.
