Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Purcell gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $223K, 3.1 years of the Oklahoma City metro’s $72K median household income. It grades C overall, 58th of 131 graded towns in Oklahoma. The low prices come with trade-offs. Its police reported 24 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 80% of U.S. towns, and CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 78% of the country. Purcell has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them McClain County Courthouse and Hotel Love. Purcell’s July high is 94°F, close to Oklahoma’s towns (93°F) and above U.S. towns (85°F).
Where Purcell beats most towns.
McClain County Courthouse5,884 counted in 2010 and 6,651 in 2020; an estimated 7,030 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 5.7% since 2020, after 13% in the decade before.
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 Purcell is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,277 in 1900, 6,651 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 3 maps from 1893 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Purcell, 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 Purcell.
Purcell trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with Oklahoma City and other neighbors.
| Purcell | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7.2% | 6.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. McClain County Fairgrounds | — | 14 |
| 2. Weaver Park | — | 5 |
| 3. McCurdy Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Purcell school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Purcell HS, with 438 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purcell EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 387 | – |
| Purcell HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 438 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 243 to 149 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Purcell is 3.4 per 1,000 residents. Purcell reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 80% report less. The property crime rate in Purcell is 17.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Purcell | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 17.8 per 1,000 residents | 14 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Within Oklahoma it is healthier than 62% of the 131 graded towns: much of Oklahoma scores lower on these measures.
41% of adults have high blood pressure in Purcell. Purcell tracks Oklahoma closely on all 32 CDC measures. 14% of adults binge drink in Purcell.
| Purcell | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 40% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 14% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 34% | 25% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
July afternoons average 94°, hotter than in 95% of U.S. towns; January nights average 27.9°.
Purcell has chilly winters and hot summers. About 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Purcell has about as many jobs (2,252) as working residents, but only 373 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Purcell for work: only 14% work in town. Purcell’s average trip to work is 19 minutes. Since 2013, Purcell has lost 525 jobs, to 2,252 in 2023.
| Purcell | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 22% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 18% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $63,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1983, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Purcell.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Homes are within reach (about $223K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 23 miles.
57% of Purcell households own their home. The typical Purcell home is worth about $223,000, up 0.6% in a year, close to the Oklahoma typical home.
| Purcell | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 62% | 73% |
| Median rent | $868 a month | $875 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Purcell. Close and well known come first.
13 mi Stadium & arenaGaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
32 mi MuseumOklahoma City National Memorial419K visitors a year39 mi Theme parkFrontier City
36 mi MuseumNational Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
24 mi MuseumMuseum of Osteology35 mi Zoo & aquariumOklahoma City Zoo and Botanical GardenGaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium: Toniklemm, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Oklahoma City National Memorial: User:Dual Freq, CC BY 2.5 · National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Museum of Osteology: SkeletonsRCool, CC BY-SA 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Purcell
About 4 of every 100 Purcell residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
3 places in Purcell on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Purcell.
City in Oklahoma, US
Purcell is a city in and the county seat of McClain County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 6,651, a 13% increase from 2010. Founded in 1887, Purcell was a railroad town named after Edward B. Purcell, an official with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway ("AT&SF"). Purcell is often called the "Quarterhorse Capital of the World", and its official motto is "Heart of Oklahoma." The city has registered trademarks on both titles.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Purcell.
| Town | OK rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purcell | #58 | C | B+ | C− | B+ | C− |
| Goldsby | #15 | B+ | B− | — | B+ | B+ |
| Slaughterville | #81 | C− | A− | — | B | D |
| Lexington | — | — | A | B− | C+ | D− |
Lexington has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Goldsby and Slaughterville report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Purcell with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Purcell grades C overall, better than 30% of U.S. towns and #58 of 131 in Oklahoma. It grades C− for health, C− for safety and B+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
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 B+.
8 notable people were born here, including Lester Lane and Wallace Fox.
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