Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Tecumseh grades D overall, 97th among Oklahoma's 131 graded towns, mostly because of health and safety. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 89% of the country. It reports more crime per resident than 76% of U.S. towns, including 29 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. What it does well: homes are within reach, about $134K for a typical one, or 2.2 years of the Shawnee area’s $61K median household income. Tecumseh’s violent crime rate is 4.5 per 1,000 residents, above both the Oklahoma town median (2.7) and the median of U.S. towns (1.6). Barnard Elementary School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 73% of U.S. towns.
Where Tecumseh beats most towns.
Where Tecumseh’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Tecumseh is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,193 in 1900, 6,302 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1909 and 3 maps from 1909 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Tecumseh, 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 Tecumseh.
Tecumseh is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has property taxes about half the Oklahoma norm.
Against the 5,235 U.S. towns with household incomes like Tecumseh’s, it is less healthy than 69%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income. Within Oklahoma it is less healthy than 63% of the 131 graded towns: much of Oklahoma scores lower on these measures.
20% of Tecumseh adults smoke cigarettes. Tecumseh beats the Oklahoma average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 42% of Tecumseh adults have high blood pressure.
| Tecumseh | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 40% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| What stands out | Tecumseh | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.5% | 16.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.8% | 8% |
| More smokers | 19.6% | 16.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Tecumseh school district. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Tecumseh HS, with 684 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Timbers EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 409 | C− |
| Tecumseh HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 684 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
The median property tax bill is $765, against $1,599 across Oklahoma, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
57% of households own their home in Tecumseh. The typical Tecumseh home is worth about $134,000, up 2.4% in a year, 39% below the Oklahoma typical home. Tecumseh’s median rent is $805 a month.
| Tecumseh | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 62% | 73% |
| Median rent | $805 a month | $875 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The property crime rate in Tecumseh is 18 per 1,000 residents. Tecumseh reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 76% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Most working residents leave Tecumseh for work: only 9% work in town. Jobs based in Tecumseh fell to 1,285 in 2023, 116 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Oklahoma City (21%), Shawnee (21%) and Norman (4%).
| Tecumseh | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.2% | 22% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 18% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 8.8% | 6.6% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 17 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Tecumseh.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Tecumseh | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2% | 7% | 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. Slick Humphrey Park | 0.6 mi | 18 |
| 2. WM Charles Martin Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Tecumseh has chilly winters and hot summers. July afternoons reach 93°, January nights drop to 28° and about 1 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
2 within 15 miles of the center of Tecumseh
About 4 of every 100 Tecumseh residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
City in Oklahoma, United States
Tecumseh (Meskwaki: Takamithîheki) is a city in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma. The population was 6,302 by the 2020 United States census. It was named for the noted Shawnee chief, Tecumseh. The locale was designated as the county seat at Oklahoma's statehood, but a county-wide election moved the seat to Shawnee in 1930.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Tecumseh grades D overall, better than 14% of U.S. towns and #97 of 131 in Oklahoma. It grades D for health, C− for safety and C+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
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.
