Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Miami grades D overall, 121st of 131 graded towns in Oklahoma, mostly because of health and safety. Residents are less healthy than 94% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. It reports more crime per resident than 90% of U.S. towns, including 61 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. In its favor, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 74% of U.S. towns. 35% of working residents work locally in Miami, above both Oklahoma’s towns (22%) and U.S. towns (8%). Only 15 of Oklahoma’s 229 towns score lower on hazard risk. Miami has 10 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Coleman Theatre and George L. Coleman Sr. House.
Where Miami beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College | 1,094 |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Miami is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,527 in 1900, 12,969 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1907 on.
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Miami, 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 Miami.
Miami has seen reported crime fall by a third or more and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Oklahoma; it also has a long record of flood insurance claims.
21% of adults smoke cigarettes in Miami. Miami beats the Oklahoma average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 37% of adults get no exercise outside work in Miami.
| Miami | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | Miami | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 11% | 8% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 12.9% | 9.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.9% | 16.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Miami school district. Three of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Miami HS, with 459 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nichols Upper EsLargest public middle schoolGrades 4–6 | Grades 4–6 | 454 | B |
| Miami HSLargest public high schoolGrades 10–12 | Grades 10–12 | 459 | C |
| Roosevelt EsTop results in townGrades 1–3 | Grades 1–3 | 207 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 594 to 351 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Miami is 4.7 per 1,000 residents. Miami reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 90% report less. The property crime rate in Miami is 22.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Miami | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 22.5 per 1,000 residents | 14 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
790 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 72 properties have flooded more than once.
Miami’s FEMA risk score is 87 of 100. Since 1984, 790 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Miami.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The median property tax bill is $772, against $1,599 across Oklahoma, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Miami home is worth about $130,000, up 7.3% in a year, 41% below the Oklahoma typical home. 56% of Miami households own their home.
| Miami | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 62% | 73% |
| Median rent | $835 a month | $875 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Columbus weather station, 20 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 208 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 81% of Oklahoma places with climate records. The Columbus weather station, 20 miles away, records that about 46 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 89% of Oklahoma places with climate records.
Among 131 Oklahoma towns, just 2 have a lower July high than Miami. Miami has chilly winters and warm summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 3 of Miami’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Miami has added 960 jobs, to 5,863 in 2023. The top destinations are Tulsa (6%), Joplin (5%) and Commerce (4%).
| Miami | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 23% | 18% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 4.4% | 6.6% | 11% |
| Median household income | $46,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1.4 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Riverview Park, at 75 acres.
| Miami | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.4% | 7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Riverview Park | — | 75 |
| 2. Torbert Park | — | 7 |
| 3. Taylor Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Miami
About 8 of every 100 Miami residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
10 places in Miami on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Miami.
City in Oklahoma, United States
Miami ( my-AM-ə) is a city in and the county seat of Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States, founded in 1891. Lead and zinc mining were established by 1918, causing the area's economy to boom. This area was part of Indian Territory. Miami is the capital of the federally recognized Miami Tribe of Oklahoma (after which it is named), the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma, the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma, the Peoria Tribe of Indians, and the Shawnee Tribe. As of the 2020 census, its population was 12,969.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Miami.
| Town | OK rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | #121 | D | B | D | C | D |
| North Miami | — | — | — | — | — | — |
North Miami isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Miami with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Miami grades D overall, better than 6% of U.S. towns and #121 of 131 in Oklahoma. It grades D for health, D for safety and C for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 2.6 years of the area's median household income ($49,947 across the Miami, 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 B.
13 notable people were born here, including Don Porter and Lucien Ballard.
