Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Nowata earns a D, 111th of 131 graded towns in Oklahoma, mostly because of health and incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 96% of the country. The median household income is $48K, and 26% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: homes are within reach, about $151K for a typical one, or 2.8 years of the county’s $54K median household income. Nowata’s violent crime rate is 6.6 per 1,000 residents, where Oklahoma’s towns sit at 2.7 and U.S. towns at 1.6. Nowata has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them United States Post Office Nowata and Nowata County Courthouse. Among 131 Oklahoma towns, just 5 have a lower July high than Nowata.
Where Nowata beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Nowata is from typical.
Its grades run from A for cost of living (better than 94% of comparable towns) to D− for health (better than 4%), so the D overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 498 in 1900, 3,517 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 4 maps from 1901 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Nowata, 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 Nowata.
Nowata trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and trades workers with Bartlesville and other neighbors, but it has seen reported crime rise beyond ordinary swings.
3.6 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Nowata’s trail density is 1.1 miles per square mile.
| Nowata | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.6% | 7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. John H Morgan Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Nowata school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nowata EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 361 | D |
| Nowata HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 188 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
22% of Nowata adults smoke cigarettes. Nowata beats the Oklahoma average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 38% of Nowata adults get no exercise outside work.
| Nowata | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 12% |
| What stands out | Nowata | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 11.9% | 8% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 5.3% | 3.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10% | 7.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Reported crimes rose from 70 to 76 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. At 31 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 60% of Oklahoma’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Homes are within reach (about $151K for the typical one, A for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 24 miles. The median property tax bill is $591, against $1,599 across Oklahoma, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The median rent in Nowata is $752 a month. The typical Nowata home is worth about $151,000, up 4.4% in a year, 32% below the Oklahoma typical home. 61% of households own their home in Nowata.
| Nowata | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $752 a month | $875 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 61% | 62% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 73% of U.S. communities. Since 1999, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Nowata.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Bartlesville F P Fld weather station, 22 miles away, records that about 71 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 83% of Oklahoma places with climate records. July afternoons average 91.7°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 86% of Oklahoma places with climate records; January nights average 25.8°.
Nowata has chilly winters and warm summers. About 8 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Nowata has about as many jobs (1,325) as working residents, but only 344 people both live and work here.
About one in 4 of Nowata’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Nowata grew to 1,325 in 2023, 104 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Bartlesville (15%), Tulsa (13%) and Oklahoma City (4%).
| Nowata | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Nowata; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Nowata residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
2 places in Nowata on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Nowata.
City in Oklahoma, United States
Nowata (Lenape: Nuwatu, Nuwi ta ) is a city in and the county seat of Nowata County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, Nowata had a population of 3,517. The area where it was established was then part of the Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Nowata grades D overall, better than 9% of U.S. towns and #111 of 131 in Oklahoma. It grades D− for health, C for safety and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
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.
7 notable people were born here, including Larry Dixon and Flora Campbell.
