Riverton receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Riverton
Lawton
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 26%
vs30 · Bottom 6%
Growth
42 · Bottom 35%
vs44 · Bottom 38%
Climate
51 · Bottom 1%
vs54 · Bottom 3%
Physical resilience
32 · Bottom 25%
vs38 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
84 · Top 44%
vs92 · Top 26%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 40%
vs35 · Bottom 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Riverton | Lawton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,856 | 90,595 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $55,208 | $54,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,564 | $28,349 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,048/sq mi | 1,109/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $219,400 | $142,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $921 | $967 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.1% | 44.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.7% | -2.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.1% | 22.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.9% | 21.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 11 | 126 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 1.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 0.0% | -6.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 97°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 8°F | 27°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.6" | 27.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 5 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 15.6 min | 17.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.1 | 32.3 | 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
Riverton
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Lawton
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, ice storm, tornado.
Full profiles: Riverton, WY · Lawton, OK · How this is calculated: methodology