Shawnee receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Duncan
Shawnee
Opportunity
23 · Bottom 2%
vs43 · Bottom 23%
Growth
44 · Bottom 39%
vs47 · Bottom 45%
Climate
62 · Bottom 24%
vs64 · Bottom 32%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 41%
vs52 · Bottom 45%
Housing affordability
99 · Top 11%
vs95 · Top 19%
Schools
47 · Bottom 44%
vs46 · Bottom 42%
Access
88 · Bottom 35%
vs82 · Bottom 25%
Economic stability
29 · Bottom 6%
vs31 · Bottom 8%
Measured values
| Metric | Duncan | Shawnee | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,958 | 31,671 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $58,054 | $55,815 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,646 | $27,750 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 535/sq mi | 822/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $131,500 | $160,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $896 | $936 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.7% | 58.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.2% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.2% | 24.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.5% | 20.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 27 | 88 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 2.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 0.0% | -51.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 94°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 28°F | 29°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 27 mi | 36 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.4 min | 22.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.9 | 34.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.82 | 14.95 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 29.1% | 23.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 23.1% | 26.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 64.0% | 64.5% | 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
Duncan
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, ice storm.
Shawnee
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hail.
Full profiles: Duncan, OK · Shawnee, OK · How this is calculated: methodology