Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety19#747/924
Economy28#665/925
Housing93#64/925
Health13#806/925
Healthcare29#655/923
Environment13#795/917
Education27#674/925
Infrastructure24#705/925
Community55#413/925
Leisure & amenities21#733/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Ponca City, OK micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Home price to income ratio · low2.1×
96/100Oklahoma 3.1×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Rent as share of income · low25.2%
89/100Oklahoma 28.4%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Rent-burdened households · low39.5%
88/100Oklahoma 46.3%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Social associations · high15.1 /10k
87/100Oklahoma 11.1 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Average commute time · low19.0 min
86/100Oklahoma 22.4 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Public libraries · high1.1 /10k
80/100Oklahoma 0.5 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Arts, entertainment and recreation · low1.4 /10k
2/100Oklahoma 3.7 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Public transit commuters · low0.0%
3/100Oklahoma 0.3%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.2 /10k
3/100Oklahoma 1.1 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
High ozone days · high7 days
5/100Oklahoma 4 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Adult obesity · high43.1%
7/100Oklahoma 40.4%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Adult smoking · high19.6%
10/100Oklahoma 18.6%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

New homes permittedImproving
0.3 /1k (2021) → 0.7 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+174%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Drought exposureWorsening
19% (2021) → 46% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+27 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
69.9% (2015-2019) → 84.4% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Property crime rateImproving
3,377 /100k (2020) → 1,586 /100k (2025)
−53%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k
Gyms and fitness centersWorsening
0.5 /10k (2020) → 0.2 /10k (2025)
−50%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Preventable hospital staysImproving
4,227 /100k (2019) → 2,395 /100k (2023)
−43%4 yearsUS 3,767 /100k → 2,769 /100k

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, Ponca City, OK micropolitan area improved on 14 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 9 moved within the margin of error and 3 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved14

Suicides−62%48.2 /100k → 18.5 /100k
Broadband+14 points69.9% → 84.4%
Uninsured−2.7 points16.5% → 13.8%
Firearm deaths−30%20.3 /100k → 14.3 /100k
Property crime−53%3,377 /100k → 1,586 /100k

Declined5

Arts & recreation−33%2.1 /10k → 1.4 /10k
Restaurants−22%10.5 /10k → 8.3 /10k
Gyms−50%0.5 /10k → 0.2 /10k
Pharmacies−33%1.4 /10k → 0.9 /10k
Traffic deaths+23%17.1 /100k → 21.0 /100k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Ponca City, OK micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.1 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−33%	Declined	1%
Average commute time	17.6 min2015-2019	18.9 min2020-2024	+1.3 min	Within the margin of error	24%
Average weekly wage	$8592020	$9892025	+15%	Improved	4%
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.9%2015-2019	19.2%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Broadband subscriptions	69.9%2015-2019	84.4%2020-2024	+14 points	Improved	89%
Child poverty rate	25.6%2015-2019	21.5%2020-2024	−4.2 points	Improved	69%
Distance to an airport	65 mi2020	65 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	15.5 /100k2020	11.1 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−28%	Improved	55%
Effective property tax rate	0.71%2015-2019	0.66%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Firearm deaths	20.3 /100k2020	14.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−30%	Improved	92%
Grocery stores	1.8 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	+0.3%	Little change	52%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.5 /10k2020	0.2 /10k2025	−50%	Declined	4%
High school diploma or higher	86.8%2015-2019	90.5%2020-2024	+3.7 points	Within the margin of error	89%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	2.1×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	83%
Homicide rate	5.4 /100k2020	4.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−9.3%	Improved	30%
Income adjusted for local prices	$48,7582019	$61,2632024	+26%	Improved	10%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4572015-2019	0.4442020-2024	−0.013	Within the margin of error	82%
Median household income	$46,8092015-2019	$58,4232020-2024	+25%	Improved	38%
New business applications	6.9 /1k2020	9.8 /1k2025	+42%	Improved	43%
Pharmacies	1.4 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	−33%	Declined	6%
Poverty rate	17.3%2015-2019	16.0%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Property crime rate	3,377 /100k2020	1,586 /100k2025	−53%	Improved	90%
Public libraries	1.1 /10k2019	1.1 /10k2024	+0.1%	Little change	64%
Rent as share of income	24.2%2015-2019	25.2%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	37%
Rent-burdened households	38.2%2015-2019	39.5%2020-2024	+1.3 points	Within the margin of error	46%
Restaurants and bars	10.5 /10k2020	8.3 /10k2025	−22%	Declined	3%
Suicide rate	48.2 /100k2020	18.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−62%	Improved	100%
Traffic deaths	17.1 /100k2015-2019	21.0 /100k2020-2024	+23%	Declined	25%
Unemployment rate	6.4%2020	3.5%2025	−2.9 points	Improved	48%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	16.5%2015-2019	13.8%2020-2024	−2.7 points	Improved	92%
Violent crime rate	546 /100k2020	382 /100k2025	−30%	Improved	75%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Ponca City, OK micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Ponca City, OK micropolitan area 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, Ponca City, OK micropolitan area itself moved +1.1 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

43,625 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

16,776 households (±298)

Ponca City, OK micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k19%3,249
$25k–50k24%3,978
$50k–75k19%3,107

Homes

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

Owners and renters

16,776 households (±298)

Ponca City, OK micropolitan area
United States share

Own69%11,609
Rent31%5,167

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

18,452 workers (±481)

Ponca City, OK micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone81%14,908
Carpool12%2,304
Public transit0.0%0

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 no occupation wages for Ponca City, OK micropolitan area.

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.

Ponca City, OK has 1,047 employer establishments, 239 for every 10,000 residents (0.96× the US rate of 248), with 14,063 paid employees at an average annual pay of $46,765. The Census Bureau also counts 2,594 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,047; 2,594 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 239; US 248
Paid employees: 14,063
Average annual pay: $46,765; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Ponca City, OK by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	78	17.8	0.97×About typical	1,307	$17,838	7
Ambulatory health care services	73	16.7	0.80×About typical	747	$56,556	84
Religious organizations	53	12.1	2.18×More than typical	261	$17,843	—
Specialty trade contractors	45	10.3	0.66×Fewer than typical	298	$49,960	188
Limited-service restaurants	39	8.9	1.11×About typical	720	$16,928	3
Lessors of real estate	31	7.1	0.57×Fewer than typical	72	$23,306	217
Full-service restaurants	30	6.9	0.89×About typical	503	$19,581	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	29	6.6	1.32×More than typical	172	$44,291	59
Truck transportation	26	5.9	1.17×About typical	288	$72,722	64
Gasoline stations	24	5.5	1.69×More than typical	410	$28,390	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	24	5.5	1.25×About typical	61	$49,918	34
Offices of physicians	24	5.5	0.85×About typical	232	$62,319	13

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 43,775 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $27.6M on contracts performed in Ponca City, OK micropolitan area: $634 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $27.6M; +184% vs FY2025
Per resident: $634; US $1,994
Sole-source: 5.2%; US 30%
Single offer: 4.7%; 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

Department of Housing and Urban Development$10M36%
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration$5.4M20%
Departmental Offices$2.3M8.4%
Department of Veterans Affairs$1.8M6.5%
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management$1.7M6.3%
Federal Aviation Administration$1.4M5.0%
Office of Administrative Services$1.2M4.4%
Federal Highway Administration$1M3.6%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

8.1MFY2017
6.2MFY2018
3.5MFY2019
5.7MFY2020
5.9MFY2021
13.1MFY2022
10.6MFY2023
23.4M

Top industries (NAICS)

Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$12M43%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$6.4M23%
Outpatient care centers · 6214$2.7M9.6%
Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment rental and leasing · 5324$2.3M8.4%
Advertising, public relations, and related services · 5418$2.2M8.0%

Largest awards

MODULAR CONSTRUCTION FINANCE DEMONSTRATION$10M
FALCON CAPITAL ADVISORS LLC· Kay County, OK· Professional services· Sep 25, 2026 – Sep 25, 2026· 86615426F00006
FIRM FIXED PRICE WITH TIME&MATERIALS OTHER DIRECT COSTS BLANKET PURCHASE AGREEMENT ORDER # 693JJ320F000509 IS ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION (FHWA) AND SCHATZ STRATEGY GROUP (SCHATZ). THIS BLANKET PURCHASE AGREEMENT$7.7M
SCHATZ PUBLISHING GROUP, LLC· Kay County, OK· Professional services· Sep 30, 2020 – Mar 13, 2026· 693JJ320F000509
NATIONWIDE COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT SERVICES$5.9M
SCHATZ PUBLISHING GROUP, LLC· Kay County, OK· Professional services· Sep 1, 2023 – Aug 5, 2026· 47HAA023F0138

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $349.7M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Ponca City, OK micropolitan area: $8,040 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $349.7M; −3.2% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,040; US $12,955
Loan face value: $6.8M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 4.9%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$177.9M51%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$30.7M8.8%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$29.6M8.5%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$21M6.0%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$9.8M2.8%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$9.6M2.7%
20.116 · Airport Improvement Program$8.7M2.5%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$7.1M2.0%

Top recipients (organizations)

OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$11.7M3.4%
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
PONCA TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA$9.6M2.7%
PONCA CITY, OK
CITY OF PONCA CITY$9.4M2.7%
PONCA CITY, OK
NORTHERN OKLAHOMA COLLEGE$7.1M2.0%
TONKAWA, OK
KAW NATION$7M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$238.4M68%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$35M10%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Farm Service Agency$16M4.6%
Department of Agriculture
Federal Highway Administration$13.9M4.0%
Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration

Assistance by fiscal year

321.7MFY2021
316MFY2022
320MFY2023
318.8MFY2024
361.3MFY2025
349.7MFY2026

County aggregates

79%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Ponca City, OK

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Kay CountyCentral county2443,490

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Ponca CityPrincipal city24,326

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Oklahoma

Areas based in Oklahoma, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M38620

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Ponca City, OK micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Ponca City, OK

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Oklahoma

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved14

Declined5

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type