Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
3.1 times the library visits per person than the typical Oklahoma town.
Trash day: look up yoursPerkins grades C− overall, 77th among Oklahoma's 131 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. On the other side, the median household income is $35K, and 32% of residents live below the poverty line. It also does better than most on schools: its schools outperform 73% of the state's. Its lowest everyday mark is in health: CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 84% of the country. A typical home there costs about $221K, 4.4 years of the Stillwater area’s $50K median household income. 32% of residents live below the poverty line in Perkins, where Oklahoma’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 6 of Oklahoma’s 229 towns score lower on cost of living. Perkins's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Where Perkins beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Perkins-Tryon Es | PK–2 | 441 |
| Perkins-Tryon Intermediate Es | 3–5 | 366 |
| Perkins-Tryon MS | 6–8 | 330 |
Perkins Downtown Historic District2,831 counted in 2010 and 3,205 in 2020; an estimated 3,271 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 Perkins is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 719 in 1900, 3,205 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1898 and 2 maps from 1909 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Perkins, 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 Perkins.
Perkins fares better on crime within Oklahoma than nationally, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns.
Perkins’ trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile. 4.9 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. More trails than any other town in Oklahoma.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Oklahoma Territorial Plaza | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Perkins-Tryon school district. Three of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Perkins-Tryon HS, with 454 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perkins-Tryon EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 441 | – |
| Perkins-Tryon HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 454 | A |
| Perkins-Tryon Intermediate EsTop results in townGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 366 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
Against the 1,335 U.S. towns with household incomes like Perkins’s, it is healthier than 76%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income. Within Oklahoma it is less healthy than 52% of the 131 graded towns: much of Oklahoma scores lower on these measures.
19% of adults smoke cigarettes in Perkins. Perkins beats the Oklahoma average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 27% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Perkins.
| Perkins | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 23% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 34% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 19% | 17% |
| What stands out | Perkins | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.9% | 8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
32% of residents live below the poverty line, against 15.3% across Oklahoma, which weighs on its D for jobs and income. The median household earns $35,456, against $65,039 across Oklahoma.
The median age in Perkins is 26.1 years. Children under 18 are 39% of residents (24% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 22% of residents (37% statewide). 14% of Perkins residents are 65 or older.
| Perkins | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 26.1 years | 36.3 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 21% | 20% | 29% |
57% women, 43% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.1 points. Across Oklahoma, 50.2% of residents are women.
| Perkins | OK | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 21.7% | 12.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 17.1% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.8% | 13.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.1% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.6% | 11.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.3% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.6% | 9.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.7% | 6.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.9% | 10.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.9% | 30.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 36.9% | 22.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.3% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.2% | 18.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.8% | 9.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,300, single groups can be off by several points
Jobs based here grew from 679 in 2013 to 996.
Most working residents leave Perkins for work: only 11% work in town. Since 2013, Perkins has added 317 jobs, to 996 in 2023. Among 131 Oklahoma towns, just 4 have a lower median household income than Perkins.
| Perkins | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $35,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 22% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
July afternoons average 94°, hotter than in 95% of U.S. towns; January nights average 26.2°.
Perkins has chilly winters and hot summers. About 5 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Perkins | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 94°F | 93°F | 85°F |
| January low | 26°F | 28°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 14.9 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 85% of Oklahoma’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 55 to 19 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Among 124 Oklahoma towns, just 3 have a lower violent crime rate than Perkins.
| Perkins | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.3 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.4 per 1,000 residents | 14.1 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 58% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Perkins since 2017.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Typical home values rose 5% in the year to September 2026.
| Perkins | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 61% | 62% | 73% |
| Median rent | $838 a month | $875 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Perkins. Close and well known come first.
10 mi Stadium & arenaBoone Pickens Stadium36 mi Theme parkFrontier City
10 mi MuseumNational Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
40 mi MuseumNational Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
11 mi GardenOklahoma Botanical Garden and Arboretum
21 mi MuseumChandler ArmoryBoone Pickens Stadium: XStewart2007, CC BY-SA 4.0 · National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum: Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2 · National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Oklahoma Botanical Garden and Arboretum: Jibran1 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Chandler Armory: Skyring, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Perkins
About 3 of every 100 Perkins residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
Where Perkins’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Perkins on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Perkins.
City in Oklahoma, United States
Perkins (Iowa-Oto: Pékinⁿ Chína^i) is a city in southern Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, Perkins had a population of 3,205. The name is derived from Walden Perkins, a congressman who helped establish the local post office. The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma is headquartered here.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Perkins grades C− overall, better than 23% of U.S. towns and #77 of 131 in Oklahoma. It grades C− for health, B for safety and B+ for schools, and has the most trail per square mile in the state. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
3 notable people were born here, including Jeremy Hefner and Doyle Holly.
.jpg){kind=link}
