OKMap-doton-Wister, 2004
Wister’s story
136 years in pictures
Census counts: 313 in 1900, 1,031 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1959 on.
- 1890Wister is settled
WisterOK
A town of 1,068, settled in 1890.
Population
1,068
2025 Census estimate · +3% since 2020
Typical home
$215K
+5.4% in a year
Household income
$37K
median
Median age
35.9
years
Jobs based here
197
A commuter town
Is Wister a good place to live?
The best of Wister’s subject grades is a B+ for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for incomes. Wister’s average trip to work is 33 minutes, above both Oklahoma’s towns (22 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 7 of Oklahoma’s 228 towns score lower on incomes. Residents are less healthy than 87% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Only 1 of Oklahoma’s 205 towns score lower on civic life. Wister has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,068 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
PoteauWister
How Wister grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oklahoma), ordered by how far Wister is from typical.
Jobs & income$37K median household incomeD−Open →HealthEastern Oklahoma Medical Center 8 miles awayDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →SchoolsC−Open →Cost of livingB+Open →SafetyC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.2 of 20; 5.2% of households have no car; 2.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →HistoryCOpen →Civic life0.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 35.9; 8% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Wister: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wister, and how to reach them.
PowerKiamichi Electric Coop13.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWister water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Wister’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Oklahoma you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person until 25 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 25 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSecretary, LeFlore County Election BoardLe Flore County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Feb 2018
ZIP code7496674966 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Wister.
HealthD
For health, Wister earns a D
35% of Wister adults get no exercise outside work, against 34% in Oklahoma’s towns and 25% across U.S. towns. 20% of adults smoke cigarettes in Wister. Wister beats the Oklahoma average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8.
13%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Wister | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 34% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 40% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Oklahoma
1 better23 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Wister | OK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.1% | 76.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.1% | 8% |
Eastern Oklahoma Medical Center
8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsC−
Wister’s public schools trail 80% of Oklahoma districts
Its public schools are run by the Wister school district. Its two schools are below.
20%of OK districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wister EsLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 325 | C− |
| Wister HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 155 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Inland flooding leads a very high hazard risk in Wister
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 80% of U.S. communities.
80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireTornadoes
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of Wister’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Wister for work: only 3% work in town. 25% of Wister residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Wister grew to 197 in 2023, 22 more than in 2013.
3%work in town
| Wister | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 25% | 18% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.1% | 22% | 8% |
| Median household income | $37,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Wister3%
Poteau28%
Fort Smith9%
Oklahoma City4%
Muskogee3%
28 mi
median commute distance
197
jobs based in Wister
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 44% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Wister, expect mild winters and hot summers
Wister has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Wister is 93°F.
93°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–54°
Spring49–73°
Summer69–91°
Fall50–75°
Nov 2
typical first frost
Apr 6
typical last frost
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
93°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
41%of U.S. towns report more crimeC+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Wister1.9
Oklahoma4.1
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Wister15
Oklahoma18.4
U.S.15.5
41st
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
2
violent crimes reported in 2025
16
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade B+
The typical home in Wister is valued at about $215K
The typical Wister home is worth about $215,000, up 5.4% in a year, close to the Oklahoma typical home. Wister’s median rent is $788 a month.
$215KZillow home value
| Wister | Oklahoma towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $788 a month | $873 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 62% | 73% |
Typical home value
Wister$215K
Oklahoma$221K
+5.4%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wister
18pages on Wister
The big questions
SchoolsC−Behind 80% of OK districts · 2 schoolsSafetyC+1.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than OK on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB+$215K typical home · up 5.4% in a yearWork & commuteD−$37K median household income · 197 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 80% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Wister
About 4 of every 100 Wister residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Wister for work
Where Wister’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
197jobs based in Wister
3%of working residents work in town
28 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Wister
Town in Oklahoma, United States
Wister is a town in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, Wister had a population of 1,031. Wister is named for Gutman G. Wister, an official with the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 486 ft
- ZIP code
- 74966
Questions about Wister
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wister, OK expensive?
Not for the area. That is 4.2 years of the area's median household income ($51,565 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.