Newcastle receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Newcastle
Norman
Opportunity
67 · Top 28%
vs56 · Top 50%
Growth
79 · Top 5%
vs63 · Top 28%
Climate
62 · Bottom 22%
vs62 · Bottom 22%
Physical resilience
48 · Bottom 39%
vs50 · Bottom 43%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 33%
Schools
30 · Bottom 22%
vs50 · Bottom 48%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs93 · Top 45%
Economic stability
75 · Top 16%
vs49 · Bottom 30%
Measured values
| Metric | Newcastle | Norman | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,001 | 129,672 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $93,398 | $67,704 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $43,355 | $38,809 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 216/sq mi | 726/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $271,800 | $250,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,105 | $1,090 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.7% | 53.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.7% | 45.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.8% | 16.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 221 | 455 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 17.0 | 3.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 12.2% | 26.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 27°F | 27°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.4" | 36.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.1 min | 24.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.4 | 32.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 30 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.34 | 16.53 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 20.1% | 24.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 25.9% | 28.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 32.0% | 53.1% | 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
Newcastle
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hail, drought.
Norman
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Newcastle, OK · Norman, OK · How this is calculated: methodology