Shawnee and Ponca City receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Shawnee
Ponca City
Opportunity
43 · Bottom 23%
vs47 · Bottom 30%
Growth
47 · Bottom 45%
vs50 · Top 50%
Climate
64 · Bottom 32%
vs60 · Bottom 14%
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 45%
vs47 · Bottom 39%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 19%
vs99 · Top 10%
Schools
46 · Bottom 42%
vs46 · Bottom 43%
Access
82 · Bottom 25%
vs76 · Bottom 17%
Economic stability
31 · Bottom 8%
vs35 · Bottom 11%
Measured values
| Metric | Shawnee | Ponca City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 31,671 | 24,326 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $55,815 | $55,941 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $27,750 | $29,992 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 822/sq mi | 1,324/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $160,100 | $135,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $936 | $850 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.3% | 62.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.6% | 20.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.8% | 17.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 88 | 19 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.8 | 0.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -51.9% | 11.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 29°F | 25°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 36 mi | 47 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.1 min | 16.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.6 | 37.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.95 | 17.39 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 23.4% | 26.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 26.3% | 26.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 64.5% | 77.9% | 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
Shawnee
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hail.
Ponca City
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, wildfire, drought.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Shawnee
58
Your Score
56
Area Score
Ponca City
57
Your Score
57
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Shawnee, OK · Ponca City, OK · How this is calculated: methodology