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Living in
Shawnee.
About
Life in Shawnee
If you're considering Shawnee, understand it's a solid mid-sized city that functions as a bedroom community to Oklahoma City while maintaining its own identity—your commute to OKC is under 20 minutes on average. Housing is affordable compared to the national average, with median home values around $160,000 and median rent just over $900, so your money goes further here than in many places. The job market is stable with a 3.9% unemployment rate, and Oklahoma Baptist University brings steady professional jobs plus cultural events like theater and museums.
Shawnee at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
34.6 yrs
Poverty Rate
20.8%
Foreign-Born
2.5%
Broadband Internet
90.2%
of households
Population Growth
+3.9%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics2.5% foreign-born, most often from Mexico
Who lives in Shawnee: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Shawnee, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (24.0%), and 2.5% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
24.1%
of residents
65 and Older
15.8%
of residents
Households with Kids
30.5%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
31.7%
of households
Married Couples
41.1%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.52
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 8% below OK average
Rent, home values, and income in Shawnee
In Shawnee, rent runs 8% below the OK average, and home values are 20% below the OK average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
40.3%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
19.1%
spending 50%+
Median Property Tax
$1,258
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
58.3%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1973
median year built
Vacant Homes
14.0%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $178,552 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.5 pts above OK average
Unemployment in Shawnee and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in Shawnee is 0.5 percentage points higher than the OK average.
Unemployment rate
City-level rate · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
City-level (BLS) · Annual averages
What Shawnee Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Median Salary by Occupation · metro area
Tulsa, OK metro area
Commute20.2 min avg
How Shawnee residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Shawnee, most residents drive alone to work (80%), and 75% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 38 mi
OKC Will Rogers World Airport (OKC)
Small hub2.2M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 47% above national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Shawnee runs 47% above the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
483.1
per 100,000 residents
Above average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
2,242.2
per 100,000 residents
Above average (1,552 national, 2025)
Shawnee Police Department
Natural DisastersHail most common — 23 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Moderate
82.3 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Pottawatomie County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Pottawatomie County, which includes Shawnee, the most common type is hail, with 23 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 23 | Hail | $200,000 |
| 2024 | 27 | Heat | $85,000 |
| 2023 | 39 | Heat | $4.6M |
| 2022 | 23 | Drought | $355,000 |
| 2021 | 13 | Hail | $10,000 |
| 2020 | 4 | Hail | $2,000 |
| 2019 | 14 | Hail | $1.0M |
| 2018 | 12 | Thunderstorm Wind | $12,000 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
38 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Pottawatomie County, county-wide
Air Quality48 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Cleveland County, OK (the nearest EPA-monitored county, about 23 miles from Shawnee) is typically good — 207 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
48
Good Days
207
per year
Moderate Days
154
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Nearest EPA monitor county: Cleveland County, OK (23 mi away)
Climate90°F summers, 29°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Shawnee has warm summers (avg high 90°F) and cold winters (avg low 29°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
71°/48°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
90°/69°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
73°/49°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
51°/29°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
40.3"
Annual Snowfall
6.3"
Hot Days/Year
74
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
68
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
81
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°F | 27°F | 1.57" |
| Feb | 54°F | 30°F | 1.83" |
| Mar | 63°F | 38°F | 2.89" |
| Apr | 71°F | 47°F | 3.98" |
| May | 78°F | 58°F | 5.23" |
| Jun | 86°F | 67°F | 5.15" |
| Jul | 92°F | 71°F | 3.50" |
| Aug | 91°F | 69°F | 3.30" |
| Sep | 84°F | 61°F | 3.89" |
| Oct | 73°F | 49°F | 3.82" |
| Nov | 62°F | 38°F | 2.21" |
| Dec | 51°F | 30°F | 1.99" |
Healthcare1 hospital, avg 3.0/5
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Shawnee
Shawnee has 1 hospital, averaging 3.0 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating.
Hospitals
1
within city limits
Uninsured
12.6%
of residents
Avg Hospital Rating
3.0 / 5
Ssm Health St Anthony Hospital - Shawnee
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education14.2:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Shawnee
Shawnee's student/teacher ratio is 14.2:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 24.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
13
within city limits
Private Schools
1
within city limits
College Degree Rate
24.6%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
14.2:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges & Universities in Shawnee
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,308 students · in-state tuition $37,330 · 52% graduate · median earnings $50,249 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Oklahoma City National Memorial, 32 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Shawnee
Shawnee has 2 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Oklahoma City National Memorial (32 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Oklahoma City National Memorial
National Memorial
32 mi awayChickasaw National Recreation Area
National Recreation Area
62 mi awayPublic Libraries in Shawnee
Shawnee Public Library
101 N. Philadelphia, Shawnee
Cities Near Shawnee
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Shawnee?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Shawnee FAQ
Is Shawnee, Oklahoma affordable?⌄
Shawnee's median rent is $936/month, which is below the national average, making it relatively affordable. The median household income is $55,815/year. Median home value is $160,100.
Is Shawnee, Oklahoma safe?⌄
Shawnee's violent crime rate was 483 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is above the national average of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 2242 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Shawnee, Oklahoma?⌄
Shawnee has an unemployment rate of 3.9%, which is close to the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Shawnee, Oklahoma?⌄
The cost of living in Shawnee is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $936/month and median household income is $55,815/year. The median home value is $160,100. About 40% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Shawnee, Oklahoma?⌄
The average commute in Shawnee is 20 minutes, which is shorter than average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from