The Town Files

Shady Grove, Oklahoma

Community in Cherokee County · population 519 (2020 Census)

Map: where Shady Grove is in OklahomaShady Grove
Median home
$201,400
Household income
$52,969
Jan low / Jul high
28° / 93°
Snow a year
4 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
34
Median age
42.8

Shady Grove is a community of 519 people in Cherokee County, Oklahoma. The median home is worth $201,400, above the typical Oklahoma town ($122,500). It ranks better transit than 84% of Oklahoma towns, better for cycling than 81% of Oklahoma towns, better for retirees than 77% of Oklahoma towns.

How Shady Grove 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.

Shady Grove lifestyle rankings vs other Oklahoma townsRetirement77th pctFamilies54th pctQuiet39th pctWalkability26th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals68th pctVibrancy37th pctHip & trendy38th pctCollege town74th pctUpscale63rd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling81st pctTransit84th pctDriving25th 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 Shady Grove is worth $201,400, above the typical Oklahoma town ($122,500). Homes cost about 3.8 times the median household income of $52,969, which is more affordable than 5% of Oklahoma towns. 90.9% of households own their home.

Shady Grove vs Cherokee County vs typical Oklahoma townShady GroveCherokee CountyTypical Oklahoma townHome value$201,400$168,500$122,500Household income$52,969$53,218$54,111
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Oklahoma towns with 500+ people.
HousingShady GroveTypical Oklahoma town
Median home value$201,400$122,500
Median rent—$830
Median household income$52,969$54,111
Home value ÷ income3.8×2.4×
Homeownership90.9%68.5%
Median year built19981976
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Shady Grove

PeopleShady GroveTypical Oklahoma town
Median age42.837.1
Age 65 and over14.1%16.5%
Under 1820.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher23.4%16.3%
Below the poverty line32.2%18.8%
Veterans3.0%—
Born outside the U.S.0.4%—
Work from home5.7%5.7%
Average commute27.7 min22.9 min
Homes with broadband90.9%86.0%

Weather in Shady Grove

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.

Shady Grove 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 (7.4 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

34 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Shady Grove since 1950, compared with 33 for the typical Oklahoma town. 8 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 1, 1999 about 8.7 miles from the town center and killed 2. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 8 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 14, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Shady Grove by decade01950s21960s41970s41980s61990s72000s62010s52020s
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 78 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 Shady Grove itself the ACS puts it at 0.5%.

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 Shady Grove

Shady Grove questions

Is Shady Grove, Oklahoma a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Shady Grove scores better for retirees than 77% of Oklahoma towns and quieter than 39%. 14.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.8).

How much does a house cost in Shady Grove?

The median owner-occupied home in Shady Grove is valued at $201,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $52,969, so homes cost about 3.8 times income. Median rent is — a month.

What is the weather like in Shady Grove?

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 Shady Grove get tornadoes?

34 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Shady Grove since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 1, 1999. The typical Oklahoma town has had 33.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Shady Grove's Census boundary (GEOID 4066510). 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.