The Town FilesPawnee, Oklahoma
City in Pawnee County · population 1,936 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $99,300
- Household income
- $41,471
- Jan low / Jul high
- 24° / 94°
- Snow a year
- 1 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 20
- Median age
- 36.5
Pawnee is a city of 1,936 people in Pawnee County, Oklahoma. The median home is worth $99,300, below the typical Oklahoma town ($122,500). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 96% of Oklahoma towns, better transit than 95% of Oklahoma towns, more walkable than 85% of Oklahoma towns.
How Pawnee 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Pawnee is worth $99,300, below the typical Oklahoma town ($122,500). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $41,471, which is more affordable than 54% of Oklahoma towns. Median rent is $829 a month. 67.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Pawnee | Typical Oklahoma town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $99,300 | $122,500 |
| Median rent | $829 | $830 |
| Median household income | $41,471 | $54,111 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.4× | 2.4× |
| Homeownership | 67.1% | 68.5% |
| Median year built | 1969 | 1976 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.0% | — |
Who lives in Pawnee
| People | Pawnee | Typical Oklahoma town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.5 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 20.3% | 16.5% |
| Under 18 | 23.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.2% | 16.3% |
| Below the poverty line | 14.9% | 18.8% |
| Veterans | 4.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.1% | — |
| Work from home | 1.4% | 5.7% |
| Average commute | 18.1 min | 22.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 78.5% | 86.0% |
Weather in Pawnee
July highs average 94.1°F and January lows 24.0°F. About 37.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 1.1 inches of snow (typical Oklahoma town: 4.4 in). Expect about 74 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 97 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pawnee since 1950, compared with 33 for the typical Oklahoma town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on April 2, 1956 about 5.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 24, 2009.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 44 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on June 26, 1981.
Severe weather in Pawnee County since 1996
Pawnee County has been included in 36 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2025 | Fire | DR-4866: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds |
| March 19, 2025 | Fire | FM-5572: 328 Fire |
| March 15, 2025 | Fire | FM-5567: Keystone Fire |
| March 15, 2025 | Fire | FM-5568: Barn Fire |
| July 19, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4721: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
Jobs and pay in Pawnee County
Pawnee County had 3,458 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $45,260 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Pawnee itself the ACS puts it at 2.8%.
Public schools in Pawnee
3 public schools with 631 students, about 16.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAWNEE ES | PK-5 | 297 | 18.6 |
| PAWNEE HS | 9-12 | 203 | 16.9 |
| PAWNEE MS | 6-8 | 131 | 13.1 |
Towns near Pawnee
- Morrison, OK13.7 mi · 723 people · home $146,900
- Fairfax, OK16.0 mi · 1,136 people · home $59,300
- Yale, OK17.2 mi · 1,059 people · home $82,400
- Cleveland, OK18.5 mi · 3,205 people · home $117,800
- Stillwater, OK21.5 mi · 48,394 people · home $237,200
- Oilton, OK22.2 mi · 885 people · home $82,400
- Hominy, OK23.2 mi · 3,329 people · home $82,200
- White Eagle, OK24.6 mi · 520 people · home $46,000
Pawnee questions
Is Pawnee, Oklahoma a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Pawnee scores better for retirees than 64% of Oklahoma towns and quieter than 43%. 20.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.5).
How much does a house cost in Pawnee?
The median owner-occupied home in Pawnee is valued at $99,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $41,471, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $829 a month.
What is the weather like in Pawnee?
July highs average 94.1°F and January lows 24.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.4 inches of precipitation a year and 1.1 inches of snow.
Does Pawnee get tornadoes?
20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pawnee since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on April 2, 1956. The typical Oklahoma town has had 33.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)