What it's like to live in Ponca City
Ponca City is a small city in Oklahoma with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Ponca City deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Low college degree attainment
- Cold winters
- Hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Ponca City compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Ponca City
Based on Ponca City's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,700
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $34,000 a year
- 37% of Ponca City renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$27,160
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $13,580
- Homes cost 2.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 40% below US
$850/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $850 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $135,800. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $135,800 · 37% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 16% below US
3.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.6%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 52% above US
500 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1678/100k · Ponca City Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 40% below US
16 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 15.7 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 91°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 27°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 43% below US
21% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 21%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
11 public schools inside the boundary
There are 11 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Oklahoma City National Memorial (90 miles away).
Bottom line
Ponca City's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($850/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Ponca City
All Oklahoma guides →Moving to Stillwater →
41 mi away · pop. 49,269
Rent $947/mo · Income $43,700
Compare with Ponca City →Moving to Bartlesville →
62 mi away · pop. 37,878
Rent $916/mo · Income $58,869
Compare with Ponca City →Not sure Ponca City is the one?
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