Newcastle receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Bethany
Newcastle
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 29%
vs67 · Top 28%
Growth
58 · Top 36%
vs79 · Top 5%
Climate
61 · Bottom 17%
vs62 · Bottom 22%
Physical resilience
48 · Bottom 40%
vs48 · Bottom 39%
Housing affordability
89 · Top 34%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
34 · Bottom 27%
vs30 · Bottom 22%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
37 · Bottom 14%
vs75 · Top 16%
Measured values
| Metric | Bethany | Newcastle | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,560 | 13,001 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $56,591 | $93,398 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $25,614 | $43,355 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,933/sq mi | 216/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $171,600 | $271,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,071 | $1,105 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.1% | 83.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.1% | 34.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.5% | 3.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 41 | 221 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.0 | 17.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 241.7% | 12.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 28°F | 27°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 30.7" | 36.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.5 min | 29.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.1 | 38.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.98 | 17.34 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 22.3% | 20.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 23.7% | 25.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 68.4% | 32.0% | 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
Bethany
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Newcastle
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hail, drought.
Full profiles: Bethany, OK · Newcastle, OK · How this is calculated: methodology