Lowest-earning counties in Oklahoma
Americans on the whole were doing well financially heading into 2020, with major markers like unemployment reaching 50-year lows. The pandemic changed all that: During the second quarter of the 2020 fiscal year, our nation's real GDP fell by a whopping 31.4%, a number that hasn't been seen since the Great Depression. Since then the GDP has recovered, the first quarter of 2022 was 11% above the fourth quarter of 2019.
While GDP has recovered since the height of the pandemic, wage growth has not kept pace with inflation. In 2021 average hourly wages increased 4.7% while there was 7% inflation, meaning the worker's purchasing power dropped by 2.4%.
Where you live can make a big impact on your financial situation. The highest earning county in the U.S. earns $147,111, while the lowest earns $22,292. Stacker compiled a list of the lowest-earning counties in Oklahoma using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the Census' 2020 5-year estimate median household income.
#50. Pontotoc County
--- 4.0% below state average, 20.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 21.9%
--- #1,281 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.5%
--- #1,417 highest among all counties nationwide
#49. Custer County
--- 4.6% below state average, 21.0% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 26.0%
--- #774 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 14.4%
--- #1,366 highest among all counties nationwide
#48. Lincoln County
--- 4.9% below state average, 21.2% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 19.4%
--- #1,721 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.7%
--- #1,349 highest among all counties nationwide
#47. Dewey County
--- 5.0% below state average, 21.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 20.6%
--- #1,506 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 6.6%
--- #1,344 highest among all counties nationwide
#46. Stephens County
--- 5.0% below state average, 21.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 18.0%
--- #1,961 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.3%
--- #1,342 highest among all counties nationwide
#45. Pottawatomie County
--- 5.0% below state average, 21.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 19.2%
--- #1,751 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.8%
--- #1,340 highest among all counties nationwide
#44. Carter County
--- 5.0% below state average, 21.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 19.7%
--- #1,656 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.1%
--- #1,339 highest among all counties nationwide
#43. Pawnee County
--- 5.3% below state average, 21.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 17.1%
--- #2,120 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.6%
--- #1,316 highest among all counties nationwide
#42. Texas County
--- 5.8% below state average, 22.0% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 14.7%
--- #2,553 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 9.1%
--- #1,286 highest among all counties nationwide
#41. Osage County
--- 6.9% below state average, 22.9% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 20.1%
--- #1,601 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.8%
--- #1,222 highest among all counties nationwide
#40. Mayes County
--- 7.1% below state average, 23.1% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 17.4%
--- #2,068 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.8%
--- #1,208 highest among all counties nationwide
#39. Blaine County
--- 7.8% below state average, 23.6% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 21.2%
--- #1,410 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.5%
--- #1,168 highest among all counties nationwide
#38. Cotton County
--- 7.9% below state average, 23.7% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 21.2%
--- #1,410 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 15.3%
--- #1,163 highest among all counties nationwide
#37. Marshall County
--- 9.8% below state average, 25.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.3%
--- #2,267 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.7%
--- #1,059 highest among all counties nationwide
#36. Ellis County
--- 10.4% below state average, 25.7% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 20.3%
--- #1,558 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.9%
--- #1,025 highest among all counties nationwide
#35. Pittsburg County
--- 11.8% below state average, 26.9% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 17.1%
--- #2,120 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 14.0%
--- #958 highest among all counties nationwide
#34. Kay County
--- 11.9% below state average, 27.0% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 15.9%
--- #2,347 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.5%
--- #952 highest among all counties nationwide
#33. Garvin County
--- 12.1% below state average, 27.2% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 17.7%
--- #2,004 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.1%
--- #940 highest among all counties nationwide
#32. Bryan County
--- 12.4% below state average, 27.4% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 17.0%
--- #2,143 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.9%
--- #930 highest among all counties nationwide
#31. Beckham County
--- 12.5% below state average, 27.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 20.4%
--- #1,536 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 14.3%
--- #924 highest among all counties nationwide
#30. Cimarron County
--- 12.5% below state average, 27.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 19.7%
--- #1,656 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.5%
--- #923 highest among all counties nationwide
#29. Greer County
--- 13.1% below state average, 28.0% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 13.5%
--- #2,715 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 15.4%
--- #890 highest among all counties nationwide
#28. Caddo County
--- 13.6% below state average, 28.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.1%
--- #2,306 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.0%
--- #863 highest among all counties nationwide
#27. Okmulgee County
--- 15.8% below state average, 30.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 14.1%
--- #2,634 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 13.9%
--- #763 highest among all counties nationwide
#26. Harper County
--- 17.7% below state average, 31.8% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 11.9%
--- #2,887 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 13.1%
--- #677 highest among all counties nationwide
#25. Delaware County
--- 17.8% below state average, 31.9% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 15.6%
--- #2,408 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 13.5%
--- #673 highest among all counties nationwide
#24. Johnston County
--- 17.8% below state average, 31.9% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 11.1%
--- #2,962 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 13.2%
--- #670 highest among all counties nationwide
#23. Haskell County
--- 18.4% below state average, 32.4% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 17.1%
--- #2,120 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 17.6%
--- #645 highest among all counties nationwide
#22. Jefferson County
--- 18.5% below state average, 32.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 13.5%
--- #2,715 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 19.6%
--- #636 highest among all counties nationwide
#21. Cherokee County
--- 19.4% below state average, 33.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 12.9%
--- #2,775 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 16.8%
--- #594 highest among all counties nationwide
#20. Craig County
--- 20.1% below state average, 33.8% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 10.4%
--- #2,993 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.7%
--- #574 highest among all counties nationwide
#19. Atoka County
--- 21.3% below state average, 34.8% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 15.8%
--- #2,366 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 13.2%
--- #527 highest among all counties nationwide
#18. Coal County
--- 21.5% below state average, 35.0% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 14.8%
--- #2,532 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 17.2%
--- #516 highest among all counties nationwide
#17. Payne County
--- 21.8% below state average, 35.2% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 18.7%
--- #1,839 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 19.8%
--- #499 highest among all counties nationwide
#16. Nowata County
--- 21.9% below state average, 35.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 15.1%
--- #2,499 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 13.8%
--- #492 highest among all counties nationwide
#15. Le Flore County
--- 22.2% below state average, 35.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 13.3%
--- #2,731 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 15.4%
--- #483 highest among all counties nationwide
#14. Sequoyah County
--- 22.4% below state average, 35.7% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 12.0%
--- #2,863 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 14.7%
--- #470 highest among all counties nationwide
#13. Muskogee County
--- 22.7% below state average, 35.9% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 15.8%
--- #2,377 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 16.9%
--- #456 highest among all counties nationwide
#12. Okfuskee County
--- 24.0% below state average, 37.1% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 14.4%
--- #2,591 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 20.8%
--- #408 highest among all counties nationwide
#11. Ottawa County
--- 24.5% below state average, 37.4% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 11.2%
--- #2,949 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 14.3%
--- #392 highest among all counties nationwide
#10. Latimer County
--- 25.6% below state average, 38.4% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.8%
--- #2,179 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 14.9%
--- #355 highest among all counties nationwide
#9. Tillman County
--- 25.8% below state average, 38.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 10.8%
--- #2,976 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 15.6%
--- #351 highest among all counties nationwide
#8. McIntosh County
--- 26.5% below state average, 39.1% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 13.0%
--- #2,753 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 18.1%
--- #331 highest among all counties nationwide
#7. McCurtain County
--- 27.4% below state average, 39.9% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 11.7%
--- #2,899 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 16.6%
--- #307 highest among all counties nationwide
#6. Seminole County
--- 28.3% below state average, 40.6% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 11.3%
--- #2,937 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 16.0%
--- #286 highest among all counties nationwide
#5. Pushmataha County
--- 28.8% below state average, 41.0% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 12.1%
--- #2,846 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 20.1%
--- #276 highest among all counties nationwide
#4. Hughes County
--- 29.4% below state average, 41.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 13.2%
--- #2,740 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 16.0%
--- #256 highest among all counties nationwide
#3. Choctaw County
--- 31.1% below state average, 42.9% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 13.7%
--- #2,686 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 21.6%
--- #217 highest among all counties nationwide
#2. Kiowa County
--- 35.5% below state average, 46.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 11.6%
--- #2,912 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 16.6%
--- #135 highest among all counties nationwide
#1. Adair County
--- 36.2% below state average, 47.1% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 9.8%
--- #3,032 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 22.4%
--- #124 highest among all counties nationwide