Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 5,424, founded in 1870. 60% more library visits per person than the typical Oklahoma town.
Vinita earns a D, 118th of 131 graded towns in Oklahoma, mostly because of health and incomes. On CDC estimates, its residents' health ranks in the bottom 2% nationally. The median household income is $47K, and 22% of residents live below the poverty line. One bright spot: homes are within reach, about $190K for a typical one, or 3.7 years of the county’s $52K median household income. Only 6 of Oklahoma’s 229 towns score lower on hazard risk. Vinita has 9 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Randall Tire Company and Spraker Service Station. Among 131 Oklahoma towns, just 5 have a lower typical July afternoon high than Vinita.
Where Vinita beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Vinita | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 14.2% | 8% |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Vinita is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,339 in 1900, 5,193 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1860 and 3 maps from 1913 on.
9 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Vinita, 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 Vinita.
Vinita trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, has seen reported crime fall by a third or more and has more 90° days than most of the country, though not than most of Oklahoma.
41% of adults get no exercise outside work in Vinita. In Vinita, 12% of adults binge drink, below both Oklahoma’s towns (14%) and U.S. towns (16%). Among adults locally, 21% report frequent physical distress and 18% have diabetes. Only 4 of the 131 Oklahoma towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Vinita.
| Vinita | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 23% | 19% |
| What stands out | Vinita | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 14.2% | 8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 27.5% | 16.4% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 6.1% | 3.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The public schools here belong to the Vinita school district. The largest public high school is Vinita HS, with 414 students. Of its 3 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinita EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 594 | B+ |
| Vinita HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 414 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
Only 4 of the 131 Oklahoma towns we compare have a higher natural-hazard score from FEMA than Vinita. 44% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by ice storms at 20%. Flood insurance has paid out on 19 claims locally since 1999.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Reported crimes fell from 149 to 98 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
In Vinita, the rate of reported violence is 3.9 per 1,000 residents, above both the Oklahoma town median (2.7) and the median of U.S. towns (1.6). The property crime rate for Vinita comes to 14.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Vinita | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 14.2 per 1,000 residents | 14 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Spavinaw weather station, 18 miles away, records that about 58 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 85% of Oklahoma places with climate records. July afternoons average 91.7°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 86% of Oklahoma places with climate records; January nights average 26.2°.
About 6 inches of snow falls in a winter. Also worth knowing: the January low locally is 26°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here fell from 3,804 in 2013 to 2,837. The average commute for its 1,974 working residents takes 15.4 minutes, against 22.4 across Oklahoma.
Vinita had 2,837 jobs in 2023, down 967 from 2013. About one in three of the town’s working residents works in town. For Vinita, the typical journey to work is 15 minutes. The top destinations are Tulsa (11%), Oklahoma City (4%) and Grove (2%).
| Vinita | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 31% | 22% | 8% |
| Median household income | $47,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 7.5% | 6.6% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Homes are within reach (about $190K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 25 miles. Home values rose 42% in five years, to about $190K, against 26% across Oklahoma.
Homes in Vinita are typically worth about $190,000, up 2.4% in a year, 14% below the Oklahoma typical home. The town’s rent at the middle of the market is $828 a month. Among households locally, 62% own their home.
| Vinita | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $828 a month | $875 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 62% | 62% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. North Park | 0.3 mi | 12 |
| 2. South Park | — | 13 |
| 3. Park of Vinita | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Vinita; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Vinita residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
9 places in Vinita on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Vinita.
City in Oklahoma, United States
Vinita is a city in and the county seat of Craig County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,193.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Vinita.
White Oak isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Vinita with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Vinita grades D overall, better than 7% of U.S. towns and #118 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−.
8 notable people were born here, including Phil McGraw and Jim Edgar.
