Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,594, settled in 1892. More miles of trail than almost any town in Oklahoma.
Trash day: look up yoursWatonga gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $101K for a typical one, or 1.6 years of the county’s $62K median household income. It grades C overall, ranked 64th of 131 in Oklahoma. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $54K, and 19% of residents live below the poverty line, and CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 93% of the country. On the plus side, it has 5 miles of trail. 24% of the land in Watonga is conserved, where Oklahoma’s towns sit at 6.9% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Watonga has 7 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Blaine County Courthouse and Noble Hotel. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 83% of U.S. communities, with hail at the top.
Where Watonga beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
5,111 counted in 2010 and 2,690 in 2020; an estimated 2,594 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 3.6% since 2020, after 47.4% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Watonga is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 842 in 1910, a peak of 5,111 in 2010, 2,690 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1903 and 2 maps from 1972 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Watonga, 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 Watonga.
Watonga trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, has more trail for its size than nearly any town in Oklahoma and fares better on crime within Oklahoma than nationally.
At 1.4 miles of trail per square mile, it ranks #2 of 82 Oklahoma towns. Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #1 of 131 in Oklahoma.
Watonga’s trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile, against 0.2 in Oklahoma’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Roman Nose State Park, at 529 acres with 5.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. 5.3 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Roman Nose State Park | 5.3 mi | 529 |
| 2. Legion Park | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Watonga school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watonga EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 369 | B |
| Watonga HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 214 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
Within Oklahoma it is less healthy than 72% of the 131 graded towns: much of Oklahoma scores lower on these measures.
37% of adults get no exercise outside work in Watonga. Watonga beats the Oklahoma average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 45% of adults have high blood pressure in Watonga.
| Watonga | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 40% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 14% |
| What stands out | Watonga | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 29.6% | 16.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.5% | 8% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.8% | 3.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Homes are within reach (about $101K for the typical one, A+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 36 miles. At 1.6 years of the county’s $62K median household income, the typical home (about $101K) costs less against local pay than in 91% of Oklahoma towns; that ratio is one input to its A+ for cost of living.
The median rent in Watonga is $784 a month. The typical Watonga home is worth about $101,000, about the same as a year ago, 54% below the Oklahoma typical home. 74% of Watonga households own their home.
| Watonga | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $784 a month | $875 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 62% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Among 131 Oklahoma towns, just 8 have a higher FEMA risk score than Watonga. Since 2007, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Watonga.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
About one in 5 of Watonga’s working residents works in town. Watonga’s average trip to work is 18 minutes. Since 2013, Watonga has lost 71 jobs, to 807 in 2023.
| Watonga | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 22% | 8% |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 30.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 56% of Oklahoma’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 71 to 32 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
July afternoons average 94.5°, hotter than in 95% of U.S. towns; January nights average 26.2°.
Watonga has chilly winters and hot summers. About 5 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Watonga | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 95°F | 93°F | 85°F |
| January low | 26°F | 28°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
None within 15 miles of Watonga; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Watonga residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
7 places in Watonga on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Watonga.
City in Oklahoma, US
Watonga is a city in Blaine County, Oklahoma. It is 70 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. The population was 2,690 as of the 2020 United States census. It is the county seat of Blaine County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Watonga grades C overall, better than 28% of U.S. towns and #64 of 131 in Oklahoma. It grades D for health, C for safety and B+ for schools. Jobs & income 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+.
7 notable people were born here, including Clarence Nash and Byron Houston.
