Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Tahlequah grades C overall, 68th among Oklahoma's 131 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its schools outperform 75% of the state's and it is more walkable than 82% of U.S. towns. On the other side, the median household income is $50K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. 38% of working residents work locally in Tahlequah, against 22% in Oklahoma’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. On cost of living, just 17 of Oklahoma’s 229 towns do worse. Its National Register listings include Cherokee Female Seminary and Cherokee National Jail.
Where Tahlequah beats most towns.
Cherokee Female Seminary
Its founding year, 1828, comes before those of 98% of the Oklahoma towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 1,482 in 1900, 16,209 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 4 maps from 1898 on.
16 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Tahlequah is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Tahlequah, 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 Tahlequah.
Tahlequah draws workers from Park Hill and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has seen reported crime rise by about half.
There are 8.0 miles of trail across 8 parks and preserves. The density of trails in Tahlequah is 0.6 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cherokee Capitol Square | 0.4 mi | 3 |
| 2. Mission Park | — | 12 |
| 3. Sequoyah Park | 0.1 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The largest public high school is Tahlequah HS, with 1,358 students. Three of its 7 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. Its public schools are run by the Tahlequah school district.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tahlequah MSLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 730 | B+ |
| Tahlequah HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,358 | B+ |
| Heritage EsTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 501 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
9,344 jobs are based in Tahlequah, 1.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Half the trips to work are shorter than 23 miles. Tahlequah’s typical journey to work stands at 17 minutes. The top destinations are Tulsa (9%), Muskogee (7%) and Oklahoma City (4%). 5.6% of Tahlequah workers do their job from home.
| Tahlequah | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 5.6% | 6.6% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 5,635 U.S. towns with household incomes like Tahlequah’s, it is less healthy than 58%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income. Within Oklahoma it is less healthy than 51% of the 131 graded towns: much of Oklahoma scores lower on these measures.
15% of adults report frequent physical distress in Tahlequah. This Oklahoma town beats the Oklahoma average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. In Tahlequah, just over two in five adults sleep under 7 hours, and 36% feel lonely.
| Tahlequah | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 34% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 21% | 14% |
| What stands out | Tahlequah | OK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.6% | 7.8% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 13.5% | 9.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Since 1986, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Tahlequah. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in nearly four fifths of U.S. communities. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 9 declared disasters, most recently in 2022. FEMA puts 57% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 11% to tornadoes.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Only 40.2% of households own their home, against 65.8% across Oklahoma.
The share of adults 25 and older in Tahlequah who hold a bachelor’s degree or more: 35%. Adults 18 to 34 are 36% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 28% of residents (37% statewide). Population is up 6.5% in the town since 2020, to 17,508 by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. In Tahlequah, the age of the median resident is 29.3 years.
| Tahlequah | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 29.3 years | 36.3 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 20% | 25% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 20% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 16% | 18% |
53% women, 47% men
About 88 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.6 points). Across Oklahoma, 50.2% of residents are women. Median age: women 33.5, men 27.4.
| Tahlequah | OK | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.5% | 12.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.5% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 23.2% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.6% | 13.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.1% | 11.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.1% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8% | 9.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.9% | 6.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.9% | 10.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.3% | 30.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.5% | 22.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.8% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.5% | 18.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13% | 9.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The Tahlequah weather station records that about 52 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 92% of Oklahoma places with climate records. July afternoons average 91.8°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 84% of Oklahoma places with climate records; January nights average 26.8°.
Only 6 of the 131 Oklahoma towns we compare have a lower peak summer temperature than Tahlequah. About 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Tahlequah | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 92°F | 93°F | 85°F |
| January low | 27°F | 28°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
On the market in Tahlequah: a median 33 days to sell. Home values are up 8.4% over the year to September 2026. In Tahlequah, the median rent is $835 a month.
| Tahlequah | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 40% | 62% | 73% |
| Median rent | $835 a month | $875 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes rose from 161 to 318 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Tahlequah’s property crime rate comes in at 17.7 per 1,000 residents. Only 6 of the 124 Oklahoma towns we compare have a lower violent offense rate than Tahlequah. Within Oklahoma, it does better than 71% of towns.
| Tahlequah | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 17.7 per 1,000 residents | 14 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Tahlequah. Close and well known come first.
20 mi MuseumUSS Batfish
17 mi LandmarkFort Gibson
3 mi MuseumCherokee Heritage Center34 mi Theme parkDry Gulch, U.S.A.
27 mi MuseumFive Civilized Tribes Museum
25 mi MuseumThree Rivers Museum2K visitors a yearUSS Batfish: Blackwing.1, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Gibson: Fred Q. Casler, Photographer, Public domain · Cherokee Heritage Center: Uyvsdi, Public domain · Five Civilized Tribes Museum: Uyvsdi, Public domain · Three Rivers Museum: JudeHalley, Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Tahlequah
About 14 of every 100 Tahlequah residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
16 places in Tahlequah on the National Register of Historic Places.
32 notable people were born in Tahlequah.
City in Oklahoma, United States
Tahlequah ( TAL-ə-kwah; Cherokee: ᏓᎵᏆ, daligwa [dàlígʷá]) is a city in Cherokee County, Oklahoma located at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It is part of the Green Country region of Oklahoma and was established as a capital of the 19th-century Cherokee Nation in 1839, as part of the new settlement in Indian Territory after the Cherokee Native Americans were forced west from the American Southeast on the Trail of Tears. As of the 2020 census, Tahlequah had a population of 16,209. Tahlequah is the capital of the two federally recognized Cherokee tribes based in Oklahoma, the modern Cherokee Nation and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians. Tahlequah is also the county seat of Ch…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Tahlequah.
Grandview has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Park Hill and Grandview report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Tahlequah with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Tahlequah grades C overall, better than 25% of U.S. towns and #68 of 131 in Oklahoma. It grades C− for health, B− for safety and A− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Within Oklahoma, it does better than 71% of towns.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
32 notable people were born here, including Wilma Mankiller and Adrian Houser.
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