PanamaOK
A town of 1,314, settled in 1899.
Is Panama a good place to live?
The best of Panama’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a D for incomes. 29% of residents live below the poverty line in Panama, against 18% in Oklahoma’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 21 of Oklahoma’s 229 towns score lower on hazard risk. Residents are less healthy than 93% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Only 4 of Oklahoma’s 229 towns score lower on the outdoors. Panama has 1 place on the National Register. Panama has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Panama stand out
Where Panama beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
1,314 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Panama grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Panama is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Panama: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Panama, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Panama.
For health, Panama earns a D
22% of Panama adults smoke cigarettes, where Oklahoma’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 14%. 37% of adults get no exercise outside work in Panama. Panama beats the Oklahoma average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15.
| Panama | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 17% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 23% | 19% |
| What stands out | Panama | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.9% | 16.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.8% | 8% |
| More smokers | 22% | 16.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Panama’s schools rank behind 53% of Oklahoma districts
Its public schools are run by the Panama school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panama EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 414 | B− |
| Panama HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 223 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
Panama’s typical home value is about $120K
The typical Panama home is worth about $120,000, down 0.9% in a year, 46% below the Oklahoma typical home. The median rent in Panama is $776 a month.
| Panama | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $776 a month | $873 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 65% | 62% | 73% |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Very high risk in Panama, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 84% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
A smaller share of working residents work locally in Panama than in most of Oklahoma or the rest of the country
1.6% of Panama working residents work locally. Jobs based in Panama fell to 77 in 2023, 97 fewer than in 2013. Panama’s median household income is $47,000.
| Panama | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 22% | 8% |
| Median household income | $47,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 7.8% | 6.6% | 11% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Panama has mild winters and hot summers
Panama has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 93°, January nights drop to 29° and snow is almost unheard of.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Crime reported in Panama
Panama's reported crime rate is well below Oklahoma's. Among 125 Oklahoma towns, just 8 have a lower property crime rate than Panama. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Panama | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.4 per 1,000 residents | 14 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Property crime per 1,000 residents
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Spiro Mounds and 6 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Panama. Close and well known come first.
11 mi Ancient siteSpiro Mounds
13 mi National forestOzark–St. Francis National Forest
19 mi National Historic SiteFort Smith National Historic Site107K visitors a year
40 mi State parkRobbers Cave State Park
20 mi MuseumFort Smith Trolley Museum33 mi GardenKerr Arboretum and Botanical AreaPhoto credits
Spiro Mounds: Herb Roe Original uploader was Heironymous Rowe at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ozark–St. Francis National Forest: Paul A. Mistretta, USDA Forest Service, CC BY 3.0 us · Fort Smith National Historic Site: Photolitherland (talk) Chris Litherland, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Robbers Cave State Park: Thomas & Dianne Jones from Okmulgee, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Fort Smith Trolley Museum: Steve Morgan, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Everything we know about Panama
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Panama
About 6 of every 100 Panama residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Oklahoma.
Panama has shrunk 7% since 2010
1,413 counted in 2010 and 1,269 in 2020; an estimated 1,314 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
About Panama
Town in Oklahoma, United States
Panama is a town in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, Panama had a population of 1,269.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 453 ft
- ZIP code
- 74951
Questions about Panama
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Panama, OK expensive?
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.