Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,867, settled in 1902.
Waurika’s best subject grade is an A for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 28% of residents live below the poverty line in Waurika, above both Oklahoma’s towns (18%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On incomes, just 15 of Oklahoma’s 228 towns do worse. Residents are less healthy than 90% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Waurika has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Rock Island Passenger Station and First Presbyterian Church. Waurika has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Waurika beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
2,064 counted in 2010 and 1,837 in 2020; an estimated 1,867 in 2025.
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 Waurika is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1912.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Waurika, 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 Waurika.
The typical Waurika home is worth about $89,000, up 13.1% in a year, 60% below the Oklahoma typical home. Waurika’s median rent is $679 a month, below both the Oklahoma town median ($873 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
| Waurika | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $679 a month | $873 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
Its public schools are run by the Waurika school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waurika EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 190 | A− |
| Waurika HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 144 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
37% of Waurika adults get no exercise outside work. Waurika beats the Oklahoma average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 44% of Waurika adults have high blood pressure.
| Waurika | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 40% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | Waurika | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10.9% | 8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.5% | 7.3% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.8% | 3.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
About one in 4 of Waurika’s working residents works in town. Waurika’s average trip to work is 28 minutes. Since 2013, Waurika has lost 250 jobs, to 445 in 2023.
| Waurika | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 26% | 22% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $46,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 73% of U.S. communities. Since 1987, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Waurika.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Waurika has mild winters and hot summers. The July high in Waurika is 96°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Only 7 of the 125 Oklahoma towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Waurika.
| Waurika | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.3 per 1,000 residents | 14 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.3 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Waurika; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Waurika residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
3 places in Waurika on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Waurika.
City in Oklahoma, United States
Waurika is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,837 as of the 2020 United States census. An article from 1985 in The Oklahoman claimed that Waurika promoted itself as "The Parakeet Capital of the World," while giving no explanation for using this slogan. The Waurika Chamber of Commerce website in 2020 echoed that the town was "once a parakeet paradise," but currently seems to be promoting the motto On The Trail, By The Lake, complete with a logo of a cowboy bronc-riding a fish.
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.
7 notable people were born here, including Bennie G. Adkins and James W. McCord, Jr..
