State
County
Land Area (mi²)
12.5 sq mi
Density (mi²)
1,365.80/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
0.68%
Growth Since 2010
8.23%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
48,757
Tahlequah is a city located in Cherokee County Oklahoma. It is also the county seat of Cherokee County. With a 2020 population of 17,049, it is the 32nd largest city in Oklahoma and the 2123rd largest city in the United States . Tahlequah is currently growing at a rate of 0.68% annually and its population has increased by 8.23% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 15,753 in 2010. Tahlequah reached it's highest population of 17,049 in 2021. Spanning over 13 miles, Tahlequah has a population density of 1,366 people per square mile.
The average household income in Tahlequah is $54,661 with a poverty rate of 24.81%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $681 per month, and the median house value is $124,600. The median age in Tahlequah is 29.1 years, 27.8 years for males, and 29.8 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Tahlequah was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
| Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 48,757 | 50 | 0.10% |
| 2020 | 48,707 | 50 | 0.10% |
| 2019 | 48,657 | 50 | 0.10% |
| 2018 | 48,607 | -284 | -0.58% |
| 2017 | 48,891 | 100 | 0.20% |
| 2016 | 48,791 | 415 | 0.85% |
| 2015 | 48,376 | 136 | 0.28% |
| 2014 | 48,240 | 370 | 0.77% |
| 2013 | 47,870 | -119 | -0.25% |
| 2012 | 47,989 | 287 | 0.60% |
| 2011 | 47,702 | 576 | 1.21% |
| 2010 | 47,126 | 0.00% |
| Race | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White | 8,668 | 52.01% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 4,710 | 28.26% |
| Two or More Races | 2,041 | 12.25% |
| Some Other Race | 484 | 2.90% |
| Black or African American | 408 | 2.45% |
| Asian | 302 | 1.81% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 54 | 0.32% |
| Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 5,801 | 2.59 | 43.5 |
| Non Family | 2,783 | 1.37 | 32.2 |
| Married | 2,028 | 3.61 | 62 |
| Female | 715 | 3.85 | 34.8 |
| Male | 275 | 4.12 | 44.4 |
3.58
Average Family Size
2.59
Average Household Size
| Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 479 | 5.19% |
| 9th to 12th Grade | 691 | 7.48% |
| High School Graduate | 2,246 | 24.33% |
| Some College | 2,195 | 23.77% |
| Associates Degree | 518 | 5.61% |
| Bachelors Degree | 1,854 | 20.08% |
| Graduate Degree | 1,250 | 13.54% |
| Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 4,970 | 4,502 | 2,073 |
| Native American | 2,661 | 2,397 | 641 |
| 2+ Races | 817 | 785 | 323 |
| Hispanic | 504 | 246 | 18 |
| Black | 177 | 138 | |
| Asian | 142 | 49 | 49 |
| Other Race | 125 | 11 | |
| Islander | 54 | 38 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among 2+ races people with a rate of 96.08%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 41.71%.
$32,166
Average Earnings
$34,014
Average Male
$31,300
Average Female
88.96% of Tahlequah residents speak only English, while 11.04% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 5.67% of the population.
| Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 7,088 | 1,451 | 20.47% |
| Native | 4,434 | 1,409 | 31.78% |
| Multiple | 1,930 | 467 | 24.20% |
| Hispanic | 1,347 | 259 | 19.23% |
| Black | 188 | 85 | 45.21% |
| Asian | 289 | 76 | 26.30% |
| Islander | 51 | 14 | 27.45% |
24.81%
Overall Poverty Rate
24.77%
Male Poverty Rate
24.84%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Tahlequah is Black, with 45.21% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Tahlequah is Hispanic, with 19.23% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.90%. Among those working part-time, it was 35.02%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 37.20%.
33.9%
Overall Marriage Rate
37.4%
Male Marriage Rate
30.8%
Female Marriage Rate
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 45-54.
| Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 607 | 8.41% |
| Native American | 282 | 7.83% |
| 2+ Races | 38 | 2.95% |
15.33%
Veteran Poverty Rate
35.40%
Veteran Disability Rate
55.1%
Labor Force Participation
50.6%
Employment Rate
7.8%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
94.06%
Native Born
5.94%
Foreign Born
5.42%
Non Citizen
0.52%
Naturalized
94.06% of Tahlequah residents were born in the United States, with 64.01% having been born in Oklahoma. 5.42% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
| Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17,049 | 115 | 0.68% |
| 2020 | 16,934 | 115 | 0.68% |
| 2019 | 16,819 | 115 | 0.69% |
| 2018 | 16,704 | -23 | -0.14% |
| 2017 | 16,727 | 99 | 0.60% |
| 2016 | 16,628 | 172 | 1.05% |
| 2015 | 16,456 | 88 | 0.54% |
| 2014 | 16,368 | 167 | 1.03% |
| 2013 | 16,201 | -30 | -0.18% |
| 2012 | 16,231 | 237 | 1.48% |
| 2011 | 15,994 | 194 | 1.23% |
| 2010 | 15,800 | 1,342 | 0.89% |
| 2000 | 14,458 | 4,060 | 3.35% |
| 1990 | 10,398 | 690 | 0.69% |
| 1980 | 9,708 | 454 | 0.48% |
| 1970 | 9,254 | 3,414 | 4.71% |
| 1960 | 5,840 | 1,090 | 2.09% |
| 1950 | 4,750 | 1,723 | 4.61% |
| 1940 | 3,027 | 136 | 0.15% |
| 1910 | 2,891 | 0.00% |