Ardmore and Lawton receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Ardmore
Lawton
Opportunity
20 · Bottom 1%
vs30 · Bottom 6%
Growth
50 · Top 50%
vs44 · Bottom 38%
Climate
62 · Bottom 25%
vs54 · Bottom 3%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 42%
vs38 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 36%
vs92 · Top 26%
Schools
29 · Bottom 21%
vs41 · Bottom 36%
Access
100 · Top 3%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
39 · Bottom 16%
vs35 · Bottom 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Ardmore | Lawton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,877 | 90,595 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $53,900 | $54,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,512 | $28,349 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 499/sq mi | 1,109/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $170,000 | $142,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,006 | $967 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.5% | 44.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -4.1% | -2.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.3% | 22.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.4% | 21.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 53 | 126 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -3.6% | -6.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 97°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 32°F | 27°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 38.0" | 27.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.5 min | 17.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.3 | 32.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.55 | 16.45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 22.3% | 23.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 24.5% | 25.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 72.1% | 77.2% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Ardmore
Elevated or high exposure: hail, ice storm, strong wind.
Lawton
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, ice storm, tornado.
Full profiles: Ardmore, OK · Lawton, OK · How this is calculated: methodology