McAlester receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
McAlester
Woodward
Opportunity
18 · Bottom 1%
vs36 · Bottom 12%
Growth
21 · Bottom 8%
vs22 · Bottom 9%
Climate
64 · Bottom 32%
vs56 · Bottom 7%
Physical resilience
37 · Bottom 30%
vs27 · Bottom 22%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 25%
vs99 · Top 11%
Access
50 · Bottom 4%
vs53 · Bottom 5%
Economic stability
30 · Bottom 7%
vs45 · Bottom 25%
Measured values
| Metric | McAlester | Woodward | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,111 | 11,882 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $51,930 | $54,463 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $27,708 | $34,644 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,017/sq mi | 906/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $151,600 | $157,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $915 | $839 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.5% | 64.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.3% | -2.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.0% | 18.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.7% | 17.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 10 | 2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -28.6% | -33.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 30°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 42.6" | 21.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 83 mi | 76 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.7 min | 20.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.6 | 35.2 | 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
McAlester
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, drought.
Woodward
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, wildfire, drought.
Full profiles: McAlester, OK · Woodward, OK · How this is calculated: methodology