The Town Files

Briggs, Oklahoma

Community in Cherokee County · population 1,028 (2020 Census)

Map: where Briggs is in OklahomaBriggs
Median home
$111,900
Household income
$47,250
Jan low / Jul high
28° / 93°
Snow a year
4 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
44
Median age
38.9

Briggs is a community of 1,028 people in Cherokee County, Oklahoma. The median home is worth $111,900, below the typical Oklahoma town ($122,500). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 99% of Oklahoma towns, quieter than 92% of Oklahoma towns, hipper than 88% of Oklahoma towns.

Briggs in our rankings:

How Briggs ranks

Percentile among Oklahoma towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Oklahoma towns.

Briggs lifestyle rankings vs other Oklahoma townsRetirement70th pctFamilies69th pctQuiet92nd pctWalkability14th pctFirst-time buyers99th pctYoung professionals46th pctVibrancy27th pctHip & trendy88th pctCollege town47th pctUpscale44th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving33rd pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Briggs is worth $111,900, below the typical Oklahoma town ($122,500). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $47,250, which is more affordable than 54% of Oklahoma towns. Median rent is $868 a month. 81.3% of households own their home.

Briggs vs Cherokee County vs typical Oklahoma townBriggsCherokee CountyTypical Oklahoma townHome value$111,900$168,500$122,500Household income$47,250$53,218$54,111Monthly rent$868$831$830
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Oklahoma towns with 500+ people.
HousingBriggsTypical Oklahoma town
Median home value$111,900$122,500
Median rent$868$830
Median household income$47,250$54,111
Home value ÷ income2.4×2.4×
Homeownership81.3%68.5%
Median year built19971976
Seasonal / vacation homes0.9%—

Who lives in Briggs

PeopleBriggsTypical Oklahoma town
Median age38.937.1
Age 65 and over17.3%16.5%
Under 1823.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher26.9%16.3%
Below the poverty line28.4%18.8%
Veterans9.5%—
Born outside the U.S.2.6%—
Work from home2.7%5.7%
Average commute19.8 min22.9 min
Homes with broadband84.2%86.0%

Weather in Briggs

July highs average 93.0°F and January lows 27.5°F. About 51.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 4.3 inches of snow (typical Oklahoma town: 4.4 in). Expect about 52 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 74 nights at or below freezing.

Briggs monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing51°28°Jan56°32°Feb65°40°Mar74°48°Apr80°57°May88°65°Jun93°69°Jul92°68°Aug85°61°Sep75°49°Oct63°39°Nov53°31°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.51.73.01.54.40.54.76.35.54.44.14.94.24.20.32.80.3
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Tahlequah station (4.9 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

44 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Briggs since 1950, compared with 33 for the typical Oklahoma town. 8 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on November 22, 1983 about 8.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 14, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Briggs by decade01950s31960s01970s51980s51990s12000s142010s162020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 46 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on October 2, 2014.

Severe weather in Cherokee County since 1996

Storm events in Cherokee County since 1996 by typeHail196Heat5Flood59Drought47Tornado36Wildfire22High Wind5Heavy Snow9
NOAA Storm Events Database, Cherokee County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 9 deaths recorded.

Cherokee County has been included in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, tornado.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
June 29, 2022Severe StormDR-4657: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
February 24, 2021Severe Ice StormDR-4587: Severe Winter Storms
February 17, 2021Severe Ice StormEM-3555: Severe Winter Storm
April 5, 2020BiologicalDR-4530: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3462: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in Cherokee County

Cherokee County had 17,947 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $49,123 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Briggs itself the ACS puts it at 9.9%.

Largest industries in Cherokee CountyRetail1,703 jobs · $30,641Hotels & restaurants1,467 jobs · $19,129Health care & social assistan…1,206 jobs · $43,901Construction360 jobs · $48,196Real estate348 jobs · $37,833Finance & insurance313 jobs · $58,328
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Cherokee County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Cherokee 3.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Briggs

Briggs questions

Is Briggs, Oklahoma a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Briggs scores better for retirees than 70% of Oklahoma towns and quieter than 92%. 17.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.9).

How much does a house cost in Briggs?

The median owner-occupied home in Briggs is valued at $111,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $47,250, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $868 a month.

What is the weather like in Briggs?

July highs average 93.0°F and January lows 27.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 51.0 inches of precipitation a year and 4.3 inches of snow.

Does Briggs get tornadoes?

44 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Briggs since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on November 22, 1983. The typical Oklahoma town has had 33.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Briggs's Census boundary (GEOID 4008775). Comparisons use the median of Oklahoma towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.