Oklahoma Population 2024

4,088,377

Oklaoma's growth rate is currently 0.84%, which ranks 24th in the country. Over the years, its population has grown steadily to the point where it is edging toward a landmark of 4 million residents in the present day.

As with all states within the US, the nationwide Census of 2010 provides Oklahoma's last confirmed set of population figures. The census revealed that the population of Oklahoma was 3,751,351, which represented an increase of 8.7% on the figures released in 2000.

Oklahoma Area and Population Density

The southern central state of Oklahoma is the 20th largest in the US by area and was the 46th to enter the Union.

Oklahoma has a fairly low population density that keeps with its ranking in terms of size and population numbers. The total surface area measures 69,898 square miles (181,195 square kilometers) and for every square mile of Oklahoma territory, there is an average of 54.7 people per square mile. This makes Oklahoma the 35th most densely populated state in the country and 20th in terms of size.

Oklahoma has a total of 598 incorporated places, but only four cities with a population over 100,000. 65% of Oklahomans live within the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metropolitan areas, with both being two of the sixty largest cities in the country. Oklahoma City is the largest city in the state with a population of 631,346, while Tulsa follows with 403,505. In these two areas, the population density exceeds 5,000 people per square mile, while the remainder of the state is mostly under 55 people per square mile. When it comes to the most populated counties in Oklahoma, the two at the top of the list are Oklahoma county with 787,958 individuals and Tulsa county with 646,266 residents.

Oklahoma Gender and Religion Statistics

The median age of the population residing in Oklahoma is approximately 36.3 years of age. The ratio of females to males is currently around 50.5% females and 49.5% males across the population.

In terms of preferred religions across the state, the population of Oklahoma is 79% Christian based faiths, 2% non-Christian based faiths, and 18% of the population is non-affiliated with any faith.

Oklahoma Boundary, Census, and Statehood History

Oklahoma was acquired by the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. It soon became an area of settlement for various Indian tribes displaced from States farther east, and was known as the Indian Territory although it had various tribal governments rather than a central administration. Many non-Indians also settled in the area. Oklahoma Territory was established from a part of the Indian Territory in 1890 and expanded in 1893; the tribal jurisdictions continued in the remainder. On November 16, 1907 the two parts were admitted as the State of Oklahoma, with substantially the current boundaries. A dispute about the western boundary was settled in Texas' favor by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1930.

Census coverage did not systematically include any of present-day Oklahoma until 1890; some Indian areas were first enumerated in 1900. In 1860 non-Indians were enumerated but not included in official population totals; non-Indians in the area in 1870 and 1880 were not enumerated. The 1890 total is for Oklahoma Territory (78,475) and Indian Territory (180,182); and the 1900 total is for Oklahoma Territory (398,331) and Indian Territory (392,060). Just prior to statehood, the U.S. Census Bureau took a special census on July 1, 1907, showing a total population of 1,414,177 (Oklahoma Territory, 733,062; Indian Territory, 681,115); results of this special census are included in the Oklahoma table.

Oklahoma Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Oklahoma was:

  • White: 69.72%
  • Two or more races: 9.96%
  • Native American: 7.69%
  • Black or African American: 7.21%
  • Other race: 3%
  • Asian: 2.24%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.17%

Oklahoma Population History

In 1890, Oklahoma had a population that stood at an already healthy 258,657, but substantial increases on those numbers were to follow. Ten years later at the beginning of the 20th century, the figure had climbed by just over 200% to 790,391 and a further significant rise took the Oklahoma population to 1,657,155 in 1910.

That pattern continued, but in the mid 1900s, censuses recorded two falls in population for 1940 and 1950. The drops were modest in terms of percentages, but they took the numbers down from 2,396,040 in 1930 to 2,233,351 twenty years later.

Oklahoma Population Growth

Since then, however, the overall trend has been one of modest growth, and the Oklahoma population in 2016 has progressed to the point where it is poised to pass the 4 million mark at the 2020 Census

Oklahoma Population Projections

The US Census of 2020 is likely to indicate further growth within Oklahoma, and it will be interesting to see whether the state can reach its next milestone of 4 million people by that time. According to state projections, Oklahoma's population will reach the milestone of 4 million by 2020, and top 5.5 million by 2075, although projections past 2050 can, at this point, be very inaccurate.

Historically, Oklahoma was home to many American tribes, and this remains a Government sanctioned territory for Native Americans. That fact is reflected in further demographics with a sizeable proportion of Oklahoma residents claiming Native American ethnicity. Oklahoma is home to the second-highest number and percentage of Native Americans among all states in the country.

As far as other races, Oklahoma tends to fall right around the middle when compared to other states. Its population of blacks and African Americans, both in terms of total number and percentage when compared to total population, is ranked 26th in the nation. The state is also ranked 28th for its total number of Asian inhabitants when compared to the other 49 states, and percentage-wise, the state ranks 30th with is a lower percentage than the nation as a whole.

Oklahoma Growth Rate

Oklahoma Population Rank

Oklahoma Population 2024

  • Almost one-quarter of Oklahoma residents are under the age of 18.
  • A French trading post in Salina in Mayes County was the first permanent white settlement back in 1769.
  • Oklahoma has one of the largest American Indian populations in the country.
  • Oklahoma was originally called "Indian Territory" and was reserved for Native Americans. However, the 1889 Oklahoma Land Rush resulted in 50,000 people swarming the area on its opening day.
  • Guthrie was the original capital of Oklahoma.
  • Oklahoma is in the top three states that have more tornadoes per square mile.
  • The state is known for being the capital of the Bible Belt.
  • The Port of Catoosa is the country's largest inland port.
  • Oklahoma has a palindromic place called Harrah. This means its name can be reversed— spelled either from left to right or right to left— and it would be spelled or read identically.

Oklahoma Facts

Population

100K

200K

300K

400K

500K

600K

700K

800K

Oklahoma is made up of many counties -- 77 to be exact. When data from the 2010 Census was compared to 2015 Census Bureau estimates, significant population growth and losses were recorded across the state. The highest population growth was recorded in the central region of the state. Canadian County posted a growth rate of 14.65%, by far the highest increase in the state. Its neighboring counties of Oklahoma, Logan, and McClain also posted high population growth rates of 7.73%, 9.34%, and 9.62% respectively. Other counties that also recorded growth include Woodward, Beckham, and Custer.

As far as declining populations, the highest loss came in the westernmost county of Cimarron, which had a loss of 9.81%. Other high declines were recorded in Latimer and Tillman Counties, while smaller losses being seen in counties including Beaver, Coal, and Pittsburg.

Oklahoma Population by County

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White2,752,55369.72%
Two or more races393,3879.96%
Native American303,7927.69%
Black or African American284,5367.21%
Other race118,5073%
Asian88,6012.24%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander6,7600.17%

White

Two or more races

Native American

Black or African American

Other race

Asian

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Oklahoma Population by Race

Oklahoma Population Pyramid 2024

Oklahoma Median Age

36.8

Total

35.8

Male

37.8

Female

Oklahoma Adults

There are 2,987,066 adults, (615,832 of whom are seniors) in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Age Dependency

66.5

Age Dependency Ratio

26

Old Age Dependency Ratio

40.5

Child Dependency Ratio

Oklahoma Sex Ratio

Female1,983,20950.23%
Male1,964,92749.77%

Oklahoma Population by Age

Oklahoma Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All1,503,8682.5666.133.9
Married718,8233.2181.818.2
Non Family524,3891.2552.647.4
Female183,2813.4146.753.3
Male77,3753.3856.443.6

3.17

Average Family Size

2.56

Average Household Size

66.1%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Oklahoma Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Oklahoma Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Oklahoma Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 91.68%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 42.85%.

Oklahoma Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$39,636

Average Earnings

$47,216

Average Male

$32,444

Average Female

Oklahoma Earnings by Educational Attainment

Oklahoma Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Oklahoma Language

89.25% of Oklahoma residents speak only English, while 10.75% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 7.42% of the population.

Oklahoma Language

Oklahoma Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
White2,468,989297,58012.05%
Hispanic432,63695,61422.1%
Multiple383,57472,32818.86%
Black267,62070,53526.36%
Native295,38756,49719.13%
Other116,38826,72922.97%
Asian86,94712,51014.39%
Islander6,4801,95730.2%

15.21%

Overall Poverty Rate

13.88%

Male Poverty Rate

16.51%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Oklahoma

The race most likely to be in poverty in Oklahoma is Islander, with 30.2% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Oklahoma is White, with 12.05% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.51%. Among those working part-time, it was 19.82%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 22.51%.

Oklahoma Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade25.95%
High School15.36%
Some College10.59%
Bachelors or Greater4.31%

Oklahoma Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed35.48%
Male Unemployed30.22%
Female Employed8.83%
Male Employed6.34%

Oklahoma Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Oklahoma Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Oklahoma Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

49.0%

Overall Marriage Rate

50.1%

Male Marriage Rate

47.9%

Female Marriage Rate

Oklahoma Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Oklahoma Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.

Oklahoma Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Oklahoma Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

258,556

Number of Veterans

234,372

Male Veterans

24,184

Female Veterans

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Oklahoma Veterans by War

count

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Oklahoma Veterans by Age

count

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Oklahoma Veterans by Race

Oklahoma Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

7.61%

Veteran Poverty Rate

37.08%

Veteran Disability Rate

Oklahoma Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

61.5%

Labor Force Participation

57.7%

Employment Rate

5%

Unemployment Rate

Oklahoma Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Oklahoma Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Oklahoma Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

60.63%

Born in Oklahoma

93.94%

Native Born

6.06%

Foreign Born

3.7%

Non Citizen

2.36%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

93.94% of Oklahoma residents were born in the United States, with 60.63% having been born in Oklahoma. 3.7% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Oklahoma Place of Birth

  1. Oklahoma Department of Commerce
  2. US Census State Population Estimates - Most recent state estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  3. US Census County Population Estimates - Most recent county estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  4. American Community Survey (2009 - 2013)
  5. Census QuickFacts
  6. Historical Populations of States and Counties (1790 - 1990)

Sources