RolandOK
A town of 4,146, settled in 1888.
Is Roland a good place to live?
Roland gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $189K for a typical one, or 3.2 years of the Fort Smith metro’s $58K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 84th of 131 in Oklahoma. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 96% of the country. Only 6 of Oklahoma’s 205 towns score lower on civic life. 8.9% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Roland, against 20% in Oklahoma’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns.
What makes Roland stand out
Where Roland beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
91% of working residents leave Roland for work
Where Roland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
How Roland grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Roland is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Roland: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Roland, 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 Roland.
For health, Roland earns a D−
23% of adults smoke cigarettes in Roland. Roland beats the Oklahoma average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 47% of adults have obesity in Roland.
| Roland | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 41% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 19% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | Roland | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 23% | 16.3% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 25.7% | 18.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Roland’s public schools trail 56% of Oklahoma districts
Its public schools are run by the Roland school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Roland HS, with 339 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roland EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 406 | A |
| Roland HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 339 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
About one in three of Roland’s working residents commute to Fort Smith
55% of working residents cross a state line to work, Van Buren among the top destinations. Jobs based here grew from 621 in 2013 to 974.
Most working residents leave Roland for work: only 9% work in town. Jobs based in Roland grew to 974 in 2023, 353 more than in 2013. 18% of Roland residents live below the poverty line.
| Roland | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 9.1% | 22% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 18% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Roland, expect mild winters and hot summers
Roland has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Roland is 93°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Roland sees more crime per resident than 65% of U.S. towns
Roland’s violent crime rate is 3.3 per 1,000 residents. Within Oklahoma, it does better than 56% of towns.
| Roland | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.3 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 11.9 per 1,000 residents | 14.1 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Property crime per 1,000 residents
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Roland
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 2004, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Roland.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
For cost of living, Roland earns a B+
The typical Roland home is worth about $189,000, up 3.2% in a year, 14% below the Oklahoma typical home.
| Roland | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 62% | 73% |
| Median rent | $855 a month | $875 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| Roland | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7.6% | 6.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. City Park | 0.5 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Spiro Mounds and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Roland. Close and well known come first.
8 mi Ancient siteSpiro Mounds
4 mi National Historic SiteFort Smith National Historic Site107K visitors a year
10 mi National forestOzark–St. Francis National Forest
29 mi State parkDevil's Den State Park
5 mi MuseumFort Smith Trolley Museum
5 mi MuseumW.H.H. Clayton HousePhoto credits
Spiro Mounds: Herb Roe Original uploader was Heironymous Rowe at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Smith National Historic Site: Photolitherland (talk) Chris Litherland, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ozark–St. Francis National Forest: Paul A. Mistretta, USDA Forest Service, CC BY 3.0 us · Devil's Den State Park: jaystout, CC BY 2.0 · Fort Smith Trolley Museum: Steve Morgan, CC BY-SA 3.0 · W.H.H. Clayton House: Hakbak, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Everything we know about Roland
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Roland
About 2 of every 100 Roland residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
About Roland
Town in Oklahoma, United States
Roland is a town in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area and the second most populated place in Sequoyah County. The population was 3,316 at the 2020 census, slightly higher than the 3,169 recorded in the 2010 census and the 2,842 recorded in the 2000 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1888
- Area
- 2.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 482 ft
- ZIP code
- 74954
Roland’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Roland.
Moffett isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Roland with a neighbor →
Questions about Roland
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Roland, OK a good place to live?
Roland grades C− overall, better than 20% of U.S. towns and #84 of 131 in Oklahoma. It grades D− for health, C+ for safety and C+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Roland, OK safe?
Within Oklahoma, it does better than 56% of towns.
Is Roland, 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 B+.
What is Roland, OK known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Joshua L. Wheeler and Jaxon Wiggins.