What it's like to live in Weatherford
Weatherford is a small city in Oklahoma with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Weatherford deals with household incomes below the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- High student-teacher ratio
- High poverty rate
- Cold winters
- Hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Weatherford compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Weatherford
Based on Weatherford's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,608
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $32,160 a year
- 48% of Weatherford renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$46,520
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,260
- Homes cost 4.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 43% below US
$804/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $804 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 $232,600. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $232,600 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
2.7% county unemployment
Unemployment in Custer County is 2.7%, well below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Custer County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 77% below US
75 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 698/100k · Weatherford Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 37% below US
16 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 16.3 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 92°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 28°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. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 14% above US
41% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 41% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary. 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 Washita Battlefield National Historic Site (58 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Weatherford'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 a poverty rate above the national average. A year of median rent ($804/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), and anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Weatherford
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