Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety24#11,836/15,637
Economy8#14,457/15,631
Housing81#2,884/14,977
Health7#14,461/15,609
Healthcare5#14,834/15,650
Environment31#10,623/15,453
Education22#12,197/15,649
Infrastructure21#12,357/15,650
Community36#10,077/15,651
Leisure & amenities42#9,147/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Duncan, Oklahoma ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Stephens County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Social associations · high15.7 /10k
93/100Oklahoma 11.1 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteStephens County value
Home price to income ratio · low2.3×
87/100Oklahoma 3.1×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Average commute time · low21.9 min
78/100Oklahoma 22.4 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Pharmacies · high2.0 /10k
74/100Oklahoma 1.9 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsStephens County value
Comfortable days · high28.6%
72/100Oklahoma 26.4%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationStephens County value
Rent as share of income · low29.1%
72/100Oklahoma 28.4%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071

Weaknesses

Mental health care shortage · high20.0
1/100Oklahoma 15.8United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationStephens County value
Child poverty rate · high28.8%
5/100Oklahoma 18.7%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Primary care shortage · high18.0
5/100Oklahoma 11.0United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationStephens County value
Flu vaccinations · low28.0%
5/100Oklahoma 40.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteStephens County value
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.502
6/100Oklahoma 0.467United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Preventable hospital stays · high4,065 /100k
8/100Oklahoma 3,055 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteStephens County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedImproving
0.4 /1k (2021) → 1.1 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+208%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
77.7% (2015-2019) → 87.1% (2020-2024)
+9.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateWorsening
22.0% (2015-2019) → 28.8% (2020-2024)
+6.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Median household incomeImproving
$44,404 (2015-2019) → $58,054 (2020-2024)
+31%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
42.9% (2015-2019) → 48.1% (2020-2024)
+5.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Poverty rateWorsening
16.1% (2015-2019) → 20.5% (2020-2024)
+4.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Duncan, Oklahoma improved on 2 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 10 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Broadband+9.4 points77.7% → 87.1%
Household income+31%$44,404 → $58,054

Declined2

Poverty+4.4 points16.1% → 20.5%
Child poverty+6.8 points22.0% → 28.8%

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Duncan, Oklahoma between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	18.7 min2015-2019	21.9 min2020-2024	+3.2 min	Within the margin of error	18%
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.8%2015-2019	20.2%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	38%
Broadband subscriptions	77.7%2015-2019	87.1%2020-2024	+9.4 points	Improved	57%
Child poverty rate	22.0%2015-2019	28.8%2020-2024	+6.8 points	Declined	17%
Effective property tax rate	0.76%2015-2019	0.74%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	19%
High school diploma or higher	87.5%2015-2019	87.5%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Home price to income ratio	2.5×2015-2019	2.3×2020-2024	−0.2×	Within the margin of error	86%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4622015-2019	0.5022020-2024	+0.040	Within the margin of error	21%
Median household income	$44,4042015-2019	$58,0542020-2024	+31%	Improved	57%
Poverty rate	16.1%2015-2019	20.5%2020-2024	+4.4 points	Declined	14%
Rent as share of income	26.6%2015-2019	29.1%2020-2024	+2.5 points	Within the margin of error	36%
Rent-burdened households	42.9%2015-2019	48.1%2020-2024	+5.2 points	Within the margin of error	37%
Unemployment rate	6.1%2015-2019	6.8%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	17.9%2015-2019	17.7%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	50%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Duncan, Oklahoma five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Duncan, Oklahoma in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Duncan, Oklahoma itself moved −6.4 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

22,958 residents (±35)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 50–59 women (−1.5 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

22,958 residents (±35)

Duncan, Oklahoma
Oklahoma share

White74%16,968
Black2.1%491
Hispanic or Latino12%2,688

Education

15,850 residents (±265)

Duncan, Oklahoma
Oklahoma share

No high school diploma12%1,979
High school or GED39%6,242
Some college23%3,639

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

9,492 households (±233)

Duncan, Oklahoma
Oklahoma share

Under $25k23%2,171
$25k–50k22%2,095
$50k–75k16%1,507
$75k–100k15%1,418
$100k–150k13%1,229
$150k–200k5.6%†530
$200k or more5.7%542

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−7.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

9,492 households (±233)

Duncan, Oklahoma
Oklahoma share

Own68%6,424
Rent32%3,068

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

2,893 households (±249)

Duncan, Oklahoma
Oklahoma share

Under $75030%857
$750–1,00032%916
$1,000–1,50032%916

Home values

6,424 homes (±277)

Duncan, Oklahoma
Oklahoma share

Under $150k57%3,680
$150k–250k25%1,593
$250k–400k13%829

Age of homes

11,106 homes (±226)

Duncan, Oklahoma
Oklahoma share

2010 or later3.2%353
2000–20096.9%765
1980–199921%2,357

Size of homes

11,106 homes (±226)

Duncan, Oklahoma
Oklahoma share

Studio2.3%†255
1 bedroom6.6%733
2 bedrooms27%3,053

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

9,082 workers (±397)

Duncan, Oklahoma
Oklahoma share

Drive alone76%6,942
Carpool15%1,400
Public transit0.3%†24
Walk1.1%†98
Bike0.5%†43
Work from home5.3%†479
Other1.1%†96

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−7.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

8,603 workers (±399)

Duncan, Oklahoma
Oklahoma share

Under 15 min53%4,543
15–29 min25%2,175
30–44 min8.4%721

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Duncan, OK

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Stephens County, the county holding most of Duncan's residents.

Stephens County has 1,080 employer establishments, 245 for every 10,000 residents (0.99× the US rate of 248; 1.03× Oklahoma's), with 12,439 paid employees at an average annual pay of $45,736. The Census Bureau also counts 3,382 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,080; 3,382 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 245; US 248 · Oklahoma 237
Paid employees: 12,439
Average annual pay: $45,736; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Stephens County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	89	20.2	0.97×About typical	714	$69,570	94
Specialty trade contractors	67	15.2	0.98×About typical	470	$58,070	332
Restaurants and other eating places	63	14.3	0.78×Fewer than typical	1,043	$19,612	15
Religious organizations	50	11.3	2.04×More than typical	331	$18,278	—
Building equipment contractors	37	8.4	1.39×More than typical	349	$62,261	48
Truck transportation	34	7.7	1.52×More than typical	395	$53,172	108
Offices of physicians	33	7.5	1.15×About typical	268	$100,067	18
Full-service restaurants	31	7	0.91×About typical	506	$20,119	—
Gasoline stations	28	6.3	1.96×More than typical	291	$21,289	—
Management, scientific and technical consulting	28	6.3	0.95×About typical	66	$40,864	72
Limited-service restaurants	27	6.1	0.76×Fewer than typical	501	$19,253	5
Banks and credit unions	23	5.2	1.61×More than typical	350	$56,263	—

Rank places for an industry Open Stephens County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 44,134 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $2.5M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Duncan, Oklahoma: $109 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $2.5M; +1.4% vs FY2025
Per resident: $109; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.8%; US 30%
Single offer: 99%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

NATIONAL RURAL WATER ASSOCIATION$2.4M97%
SUSTAINMENT TECHNOLOGIES INC$50.4K2.0%
DREAM TEAM PROSTHETICS, LLC$20K0.8%
FRANCONIA REAL ESTATE SERVICES, INC.$3,4370.1%
SHARON RIDDLE$3,0570.1%

Spending by fiscal year

33.4KFY2017
50.6KFY2018
1.1MFY2019
2.1MFY2020
2.2MFY2021
2.5MFY2022
2.7MFY2023
2.8MFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$2.4M97%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$50.4K2.0%
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing · 3391$20K0.8%
Offices of real estate agents and brokers · 5312$3,4370.1%
Support activities for animal production · 1152$3,0570.1%
Other textile product mills · 3149

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Duncan, Oklahoma, so they do not add up across cities.

Duncan, Oklahoma's figures are part of those of Stephens County, OK ($25M in FY2026), never added to them: 10.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Duncan is mostly in Stephens County.

See federal money in Stephens County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Duncan, Oklahoma is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Tom ColeR-OK-4 · 100% of residentsWith party 96%Missed 1.2%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Stephens County27100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Duncan, OK23

Other cities and towns in Stephens County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/4021900

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends