Poteau, OK

Census Place

2024 Population

8,959

US Senator

James Lankford

Republican Party

US Senator

Alan Armstrong

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

3.45% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

19.8%

2.61% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$50,511

1.45% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$157,400

Population & Diversity

Poteau, OK is home to a population of 8.96k people, from which 94% are citizens.

As of 2024, 8.04% of Poteau, OK residents were born outside of the country (720 people).

In 2024, there were 7.67 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (5.85k people) in Poteau, OK than any other race or ethnicity. There were 762 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) and 725 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94%

2024 Citizenship

93.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 94% of Poteau, OK residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Poteau, OK was 93.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Poteau, OK

White (Non-Hispanic)
5.85k ± 299
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
762 ± 189
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
725 ± 196

15.2%

Hispanic Population

1.36k people

15.2% of the people in Poteau, OK are hispanic (1.36k people).

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

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
105,864 ± 7,883 people
Vietnam
13,987 ± 2,899 people
Guatemala
12,051 ± 2,691 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Oklahoma was Mexico, the natal country of 105,864 Oklahoma residents, followed by Vietnam with 13,987 and Guatemala with 12,051.

Foreign-Born Population

8.04%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

720 people

8.83%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

786 people

As of 2024, 8.04% of Poteau, OK residents (720 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 Poteau, OK was 8.83%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
180 ± 90
Gulf War (2001-)
80 ± 59
Gulf War (1990s)
78 ± 60

Poteau, OK has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.25 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Poteau, OK employs 3.22k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Poteau, OK were Retail Trade (517 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (441 people), and Manufacturing (308 people), and the highest paying industries were Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($65,972), Transportation & Warehousing ($65,972), and Public Administration ($47,917).

Employment

Occupations

3.22k

2024 Value

± 362

−2.98%

1 Year decline

± 16.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Poteau, OK declined at a rate of −2.98%, from 3.32k employees to 3.22k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Poteau, OK, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (355 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (308 people), and Production Occupations (306 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Poteau, 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

3.22k

2024 Value

± 362

−2.98%

1 Year decline

± 16.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Poteau, OK declined at a rate of −2.98%, from 3.32k employees to 3.22k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Poteau, OK, are Retail Trade (517 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (441 people), and Manufacturing (308 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Poteau, OK, though some of these residents may live in Poteau, OK and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$38,851

Median earning men ± $5,078

$35,174

Median earning women ± $10,719

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($66,188), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($65,278), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($63,295).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($75,446), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($50,365), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($41,571).

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 Alan Armstrong 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 Poteau, 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.

Alan Armstrong

Senator from Oklahoma

Assumed office on March 24, 2026
Took office following the resignation of Markwayne Mullin as Secretary of Homeland Security.{{cite web |last1=Hoberock |first1=Barbara |title=Mullin resigns from US Senate |url=https://oklahomavoice.com/2026/03/23/mullin-resigns-from-us-senate-oklahoma-governor-to-appoint-his-replacement/ |website=Oklahoma Voice |access-date=24 March 2026}}.

James Lankford and Alan Armstrong 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.

Education

The student population of Poteau, OK in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 595 male students and 1,256 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Poteau, OK are White (246 and 49.7%), American Indian or Alaska Native (101 and 20.4%), Two or More Races (72 and 14.5%), and Hispanic or Latino (50 and 10.1%).

The largest universities in Poteau, OK by number of degrees awarded are Carl Albert State College (495 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Poteau, OK are Child Care Provider (136 and 27.5%), General Business Administration & Management (65 and 13.1%), and General Health Services (50 and 10.1%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 1,851 students enrolled in Poteau, OK, 32.1% men and 67.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 782 records, of which 67.4% were women and 32.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
65 degrees awarded
General Health Services
50 degrees awarded
General Studies
45 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Poteau, OK was General Business Administration & Management with 65 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Poteau, OK according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Carl Albert State College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

495 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Carl Albert State College with 495 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 118 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Poteau, OK, which is 0.313 times less than the 377 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 246 degrees mean that there were 2.44 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, American Indian or Alaska Native, with 101 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($3,000) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,230) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,700) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Poteau, OK was $157,400 in 2024, which is 0.473 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $142,400 to $157,400, a 10.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Poteau, OK is 62.3%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Poteau, OK have an average commute time of 21.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Poteau, OK is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$157,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$27,053

$2,047

Median Property Taxes

±$277

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 Poteau, OK the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

Rent vs Own

62.3%

Homeownership

2024

64%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 62.3% of the housing units in Poteau, OK were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 61.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Poteau, 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.

$50,511

Median Household Income

± $6,620

3.29k

Number of Households

± 345

In 2024, the median household income of the 3.29k households in Poteau, OK grew to $50,511 from the previous year's value of $49,789.

The following chart displays the households in Poteau, 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 $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

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

0.45

2024 Wage GINI in Oklahoma

0.452

2023 Wage GINI in Oklahoma

In 2024, the income inequality in Oklahoma was 0.45 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.454% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Oklahoma was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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 (82.8%)
Carpooled (9.23%)
Worked At Home (4.42%)

In 2024, 82.8% of workers in Poteau, OK drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.23%) and those who worked at home (4.42%).

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

21.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Poteau, OK have a shorter commute time (21.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.62% of the workforce in Poteau, OK have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

19.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Poteau, OK (1.67k out of 8.45k 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 Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Poteau, OK is White, followed by Hispanic and Native American.

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

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

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

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