Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,129, settled in 1894.
The best of Thomas’ subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A for walkability and schools; the weakest is a D for incomes. Only 2 of Oklahoma’s 227 towns score higher on walkability. Thomas Community Building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Thomas's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 81% of U.S. towns. Thomas has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Thomas beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Es | PK–6 | 260 |
| Thomas-Fay-Custer Unified JHS | 7–9 | 94 |
| Thomas-Fay-Custer Unified HS | 10–12 | 105 |
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Thomas is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,371 in 1910, 1,143 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 1909 and a map from 1985 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Thomas, 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 Thomas.
Its public schools are run by the Thomas-Fay-Custer Unified District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 260 | A+ |
| Thomas-Fay-Custer Unified HSLargest public high schoolGrades 10–12 | Grades 10–12 | 105 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
Thomas beats the Oklahoma average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 42% of adults have obesity in Thomas, above both Oklahoma’s towns (41%) and U.S. towns (35%). 39% of Thomas adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Thomas | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 41% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 23% |
| What stands out | Thomas | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 9% | 7.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Thomas home is worth about $153,000, down 0.6% in a year, 31% below the Oklahoma typical home. Thomas’ median rent is $723 a month, against $873 a month in Oklahoma’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 69% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Thomas has chilly winters and hot summers. The July high in Thomas is 95°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Thomas’ violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents. Thomas reports less crime per resident than 64% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade. Thomas’ property crime rate is 6.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Thomas | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.2 per 1,000 residents | 14 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Most working residents leave Thomas for work: only 16% work in town. Jobs based in Thomas fell to 361 in 2023, 204 fewer than in 2013. 14% of residents live below the poverty line in Thomas.
| Thomas | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 22% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 18% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $63,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (23% statewide); children under 18 are 29% of residents (24% statewide). 22% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 28% across Oklahoma.
| Thomas | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 29% | 25% | 22% |
| Median age | 39.6 years | 36.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 22% | 20% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 16% | 18% |
Somewhere between 36% and 63% women
The Census survey reached too few of Thomas’ residents to say more: its margin here is ±13.6 points. Across Oklahoma, 50.2% of residents are women.
| Thomas | OK | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.7% | 12.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.9% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.4% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.3% | 13.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.3% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.7% | 11.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.5% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.9% | 9.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.4% | 6.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.5% | 10.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.6% | 30.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.1% | 22.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.1% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14% | 18.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.7% | 9.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sewell Park | 0.3 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Thomas
About 3 of every 100 Thomas residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
City in Oklahoma, United States
Thomas is a city in Custer County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, Thomas had a population of 1,143.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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+.