Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,878, settled in 1882.
Sulphur gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $173K, 2.6 years of the county’s $66K median household income. It grades B overall, 20th among Oklahoma's 131 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 84% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, 12% of its land is conserved. Sulphur's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 90% of U.S. towns. Sulphur has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Platt National Park Historic District and Murray County Courthouse. Sulphur’s average trip to work is 18 minutes, below both Oklahoma’s towns (22 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes).
Where Sulphur beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Sulphur is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,198 in 1900, 5,065 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1967 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sulphur, 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 Sulphur.
Sulphur trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, trades workers with Ardmore and other neighbors and looks healthier within Oklahoma than nationally.
Within Oklahoma it is less healthy than 53% of the 131 graded towns: much of Oklahoma scores lower on these measures.
43% of adults have high blood pressure in Sulphur. Sulphur beats the Oklahoma average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 35% of adults get no exercise outside work in Sulphur.
| Sulphur | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 40% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 34% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 41% | 35% |
| What stands out | Sulphur | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.9% | 16.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.8% | 7.3% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.4% | 3.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Sulphur school district. Three of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Sulphur HS, with 460 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sulphur EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 380 | – |
| Sulphur HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 460 | A− |
| Sulphur MSTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 310 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
Homes are within reach (about $173K for the typical one, A for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 24 miles. Values fell 5.1% in the past year while the Oklahoma typical home rose 2.6%.
Typical home values fell 5.1% in the year to September 2026.
| Sulphur | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 67% | 62% | 73% |
| Median rent | $954 a month | $870 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Sulphur has mild winters and hot summers. Sulphur’s July high is 94°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Sulphur since 1990.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1.1 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Chickasaw National Recreation Area, 458 acres with 1.1 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chickasaw National Recreation Area | 1.1 mi | 458 |
| 2. Flower Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Sulphur has about as many jobs (2,102) as working residents, but only 462 people both live and work here.
About one in 4 of Sulphur’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Sulphur has lost 343 jobs, to 2,102 in 2023. 16% of Sulphur residents live below the poverty line.
| Sulphur | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 22% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 18% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Adults 18 to 34 are 19% of residents (23% statewide). The median age in Sulphur is 41.9 years. 20% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 28% across Oklahoma.
| Sulphur | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.9 years | 36.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 20% | 20% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 24% | 25% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 19% | 16% | 18% |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.2 points. Across Oklahoma, 50.2% of residents are women.
| Sulphur | OK | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.2% | 12.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.5% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.2% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.6% | 13.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.9% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.9% | 11.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.1% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.8% | 9.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.9% | 6.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 18.2% | 10.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.5% | 30.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.8% | 22.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 3.5% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.6% | 18.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.4% | 9.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,900, single groups can be off by several points
Within Oklahoma, it does better than 69% of towns.
| Sulphur | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.3 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13.7 per 1,000 residents | 14.1 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Sulphur; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Sulphur residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Oklahoma.
4 places in Sulphur on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Sulphur.
City in Oklahoma, United States
Sulphur is a city in, and the county seat of Murray County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 5,065 at the 2020 census. The area around Sulphur has been noted for its mineral springs since well before the city was founded late in the 19th century. The city received its name from the presence of sulfur in the water.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Sulphur grades B overall, better than 59% of U.S. towns and #20 of 131 in Oklahoma. It grades C− for health, C+ for safety and B+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Within Oklahoma, it does better than 69% of towns.
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.
7 notable people were born here, including James Robert Hightower and John Sparks.
