Cotton County, OK

County

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2024 Population

5,485

US Senator

James Lankford

Republican Party

US Senator

Markwayne Mullin

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

41.9

3.01% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

20.5%

10.5% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$58,425

3.13% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$113,900

0.618% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

2,359

0.898% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Cotton County, OK reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.6% of the residents in Cotton County, OK are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Cotton County, OK was $113,900, and the homeownership rate was 80.3%.

Most people in Cotton County, OK drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Cotton County, OK was 2 cars per household.

Cotton County, OK borders Comanche County, OK, Jefferson County, OK, Stephens County, OK, Tillman County, OK, Clay County, TX, and Wichita County, TX.

United States Oklahoma Lawton, OK

Population & Diversity

Cotton County, OK is home to a population of 5.49k people, from which 99.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.19% of Cotton County, OK residents were born outside of the country (65 people).

In 2024, there were 7.82 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.06k people) in Cotton County, OK than any other race or ethnicity. There were 520 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 309 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.6%

2024 Citizenship

99.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.6% of Cotton County, OK residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Cotton County, OK was 99.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Cotton County, OK compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Cotton County, OK

White (Non-Hispanic)
4.06k ± 39
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
520 ± 90
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
309 ± 73

7.73%

Hispanic Population

424 people

7.73% of the people in Cotton County, OK are hispanic (424 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Cotton County, OK as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Oklahoma.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
105,376 ± 7,864 people
Vietnam
13,032 ± 2,798 people
Guatemala
11,790 ± 2,662 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Oklahoma was Mexico, the natal country of 105,376 Oklahoma residents, followed by Vietnam with 13,032 and Guatemala with 11,790.

Foreign-Born Population

1.19%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

65 people

2023 Foreign-Born Population

55 people

As of 2024, 1.19% of Cotton County, OK residents (65 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Cotton County, OK was 1%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Cotton County, OK compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
118 ± 60
Gulf War (1990s)
97 ± 46
Vietnam
90 ± 39

Cotton County, OK has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.22 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Cotton County, OK.

Economy

The economy of Cotton County, OK employs 2.36k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Cotton County, OK were Health Care & Social Assistance (359 people), Manufacturing (313 people), and Retail Trade (259 people), and the highest paying industries were Manufacturing ($48,843), Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation ($48,693), and Educational Services ($47,321).

Employment

Occupations

2.36k

2024 Value

± 227

0.898%

1 Year growth

± 13.4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cotton County, OK grew at a rate of 0.898%, from 2.34k employees to 2.36k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Cotton County, OK, are Production Occupations (270 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (249 people), and Management Occupations (213 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Cotton County, OK.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Oklahoma.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Oklahoma (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

2.36k

2024 Value

± 227

0.898%

1 Year growth

± 13.4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cotton County, OK grew at a rate of 0.898%, from 2.34k employees to 2.36k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Cotton County, OK, are Health Care & Social Assistance (359 people), Manufacturing (313 people), and Retail Trade (259 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Cotton County, OK, though some of these residents may live in Cotton County, OK and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,760

Median earning men ± $4,116

$36,728

Median earning women ± $3,106

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($88,929), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($73,438), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($52,857).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($43,750), Public Administration ($43,165), and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($42,500).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Oklahoma.

Y-Axis

2.57%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.72M people employed in Oklahoma. This represents a 2.57% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Oklahoma.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

7
Health Care and Social Assistance
7
Retail Trade
6
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$34.9k
Accommodation and Food Services
$3.1k
Retail Trade
$2.89k
Health Care and Social Assistance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Oklahoma went to Donald J. Trump with 66.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (31.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.02%).

James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin are the senators currently representing the state of Oklahoma. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Oklahoma is currently represented by 5 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Cotton County, OK. Showing the available data for Oklahoma.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (66.2%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (31.9%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (1.02%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Oklahoma went to Donald J. Trump with 66.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (31.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.02%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Oklahoma for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Oklahoma

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Oklahoma.

James Lankford

Senator from Oklahoma

Assumed office on January 3, 2015
Took office following the resignation of Tom Coburn.

Markwayne Mullin

Senator from Oklahoma

Assumed office on January 3, 2023
Took office following the resignation of Jim Inhofe.

James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin are the senators currently representing Oklahoma.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Oklahoma over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Cotton County, OK was $113,900 in 2024, which is 0.342 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $113,200 to $113,900, a 0.618% increase. The homeownership rate in Cotton County, OK is 80.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Cotton County, OK have an average commute time of 27.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Cotton County, OK is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 9.75% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cotton County, OK. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.05%.

Housing

Property

$113,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,005

$1,639

Median Property Taxes

±$171

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Cotton County, OK the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Cotton County, OK compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

80.3%

Homeownership

2024

60.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 80.3% of the housing units in Cotton County, OK were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 79.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Cotton County, OK compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$58,425

Median Household Income

± $4,275

2.04k

Number of Households

± 195

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.04k households in Cotton County, OK declined from $58,425 from the previous year's value of $60,313.

The following chart displays the households in Cotton County, OK distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Cotton County, OK is from Oklahoma.

0.452

2023 Wage GINI in Oklahoma

0.456

2022 Wage GINI in Oklahoma

In 2023, the income inequality in Oklahoma was 0.452 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.809% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Oklahoma was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Oklahoma in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Oklahoma across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (79%)
Carpooled (13.9%)
Worked At Home (3.5%)

In 2024, 79% of workers in Cotton County, OK drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (13.9%) and those who worked at home (3.5%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

27.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Cotton County, OK have a longer commute time (27.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 5.26% of the workforce in Cotton County, OK have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Cotton County, OK compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Cotton County, OK distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Cotton County, OK have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 9.75% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cotton County, OK. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.05%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

20.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Cotton County, OK (1.11k out of 5.4k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 6 - 11, followed by Males 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Cotton County, OK is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 23.2% of the children was living in poverty in Cotton County, OK. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 24.8 in Cotton County, OK. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 104 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

91.3% of the population of Cotton County, OK has health coverage, with 32.5% on employee plans, 20.9% on Medicaid, 15% on Medicare, 20.1% on non-group plans, and 2.86% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Cotton County, OK see 0 patients per year on average, which represents a NaNN% change from the previous year (0 patients). Compare this to dentists who see null patients per year, and mental health providers who see 2714 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

0 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Cotton County, OK

Primary care physicians in Cotton County, OK see an average of 0 patients per year. This represents a NaNN% change from the previous year (0 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Cotton County, OK in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.7% under 18 years, 17.2% between 18 and 34 years, 38.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

8.74%

Uninsured

32.5%

Employer Coverage

20.9%

Medicaid

15%

Medicare

20.1%

Non-Group

2.86%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Cotton County, OK grew by 13.9% from 7.67% to 8.74%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Cotton County, OK changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.