Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Pawnee’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for history; the weakest is a D for incomes. 35% of working residents work locally in Pawnee, above both the Oklahoma town median (22%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Only 12 of Oklahoma’s 229 towns score higher on cost of living. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 85% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Only 7 of Oklahoma’s 229 towns score higher on history. Pawnee has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Pawnee beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Pawnee Indian Agency2,196 counted in 2010 and 1,936 in 2020; an estimated 1,974 in 2025.
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 Pawnee is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,464 in 1900, a peak of 2,861 in 1950, 1,936 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1930 on.
9 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pawnee, 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 Pawnee.
The typical Pawnee home is worth about $89,000, down 2.3% in a year, 60% below the Oklahoma typical home. Pawnee’s median rent is $829 a month, against $873 a month in Oklahoma’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
| Pawnee | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $829 a month | $873 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 62% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Pawnee school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pawnee EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 293 | B− |
| Pawnee HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 188 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
Pawnee beats the Oklahoma average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 13% of Pawnee adults binge drink.
| Pawnee | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 40% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 14% |
| What stands out | Pawnee | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.6% | 3.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.8% | 7.3% |
| More adults with diabetes | 15% | 12.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Among 132 Oklahoma towns, just 6 have a higher FEMA risk score than Pawnee. Since 1986, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Pawnee.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The violent crime rate in Pawnee is 4 per 1,000 residents.
| Pawnee | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.6 per 1,000 residents | 14 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Pawnee has chilly winters and hot summers. Pawnee’s July high is 93°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 3 of Pawnee’s working residents works in town. 15% of residents live below the poverty line in Pawnee. The top destinations are Stillwater (9%), Oklahoma City (8%) and Tulsa (7%).
| Pawnee | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $41,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 18% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Pawnee; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Pawnee residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
9 places in Pawnee on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Pawnee.
City in Oklahoma, United States
Pawnee (Pawnee: Paári, Iowa-Oto: Páñi Chína) is a city in and the county seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, United States. The town is northeast of Stillwater at the junction of U.S. Route 64 and State Highway 18. It was named for the Pawnee tribe, which was relocated to this area between 1873 and 1875. The population was 1,936 as of the 2020 Census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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+.
11 notable people were born here, including Saginaw Grant and Chester Gould.
