Riverton receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lawton
Riverton
Opportunity
30 · Bottom 6%
vs45 · Bottom 26%
Growth
44 · Bottom 38%
vs42 · Bottom 35%
Climate
54 · Bottom 3%
vs51 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
38 · Bottom 30%
vs32 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
92 · Top 26%
vs84 · Top 44%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
35 · Bottom 12%
vs55 · Bottom 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Lawton | Riverton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 90,595 | 10,856 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $54,433 | $55,208 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,349 | $28,564 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,109/sq mi | 1,048/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $142,100 | $219,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $967 | $921 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 44.8% | 55.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 3.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.0% | -2.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.5% | 24.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.1% | 11.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 126 | 11 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -6.7% | 0.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 97°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 27°F | 8°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 27.5" | 8.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 3 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.6 min | 15.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.3 | 35.1 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Lawton
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, ice storm, tornado.
Riverton
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: Lawton, OK · Riverton, WY · How this is calculated: methodology