Tahlequah and Searcy 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
Tahlequah
Searcy
Opportunity
57 · Top 48%
vs63 · Top 35%
Growth
54 · Top 43%
vs58 · Top 36%
Climate
66 · Bottom 37%
vs64 · Bottom 32%
Physical resilience
37 · Bottom 30%
vs30 · Bottom 24%
Housing affordability
87 · Top 39%
vs87 · Top 39%
Access
74 · Bottom 16%
vs72 · Bottom 14%
Economic stability
44 · Bottom 23%
vs32 · Bottom 8%
Measured values
| Metric | Tahlequah | Searcy | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,935 | 23,340 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $49,581 | $52,170 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,232 | $28,824 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,327/sq mi | 1,274/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $185,400 | $188,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $835 | $905 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 40.2% | 53.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.0% | 1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.4% | 29.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.4% | 18.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 30 | 78 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.8 | 3.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -6.3% | -17.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 28°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 51.0" | 51.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 45 mi | 45 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.9 min | 18.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 29.3 | 32.4 | 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
Tahlequah
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, drought.
Searcy
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Tahlequah, OK · Searcy, AR · How this is calculated: methodology