Norman receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Norman
El Reno
Opportunity
56 · Top 50%
vs51 · Bottom 40%
Growth
63 · Top 28%
vs72 · Top 14%
Climate
62 · Bottom 22%
vs61 · Bottom 17%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 43%
vs54 · Bottom 46%
Housing affordability
89 · Top 33%
vs94 · Top 22%
Schools
50 · Bottom 48%
vs25 · Bottom 17%
Access
93 · Top 45%
vs90 · Bottom 43%
Economic stability
49 · Bottom 30%
vs35 · Bottom 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Norman | El Reno | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 129,672 | 18,557 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $67,704 | $56,219 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,809 | $26,318 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 726/sq mi | 233/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $250,100 | $165,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,090 | $968 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.3% | 60.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.9% | 16.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.8% | 19.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 455 | 126 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.5 | 6.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 26.0% | -25.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 27°F | 28°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.4" | 30.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 18 mi | 23 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.6 min | 23.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.5 | 34.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 30 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.53 | 15.93 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 24.5% | 22.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 28.8% | 22.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 53.1% | 71.8% | 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
Norman
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hail, tornado.
El Reno
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hail.
Full profiles: Norman, OK · El Reno, OK · How this is calculated: methodology