Population 11,732 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Poteau
Household size in Poteau
| Period | Poteau | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.62 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.76 | 2.60 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.66 | 2.63 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.69 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.07 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
At 2.69 people per household, Poteau sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is bigger than in Oklahoma overall, where it has 2.58 people. Household size has crept up from 2.62 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Poteau
| Period | Poteau | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.5 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.6 | 37.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.3 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.6 | 38.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.1 | +0.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Poteau is 36.6 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The picture is much the same across Oklahoma. The youngest areas are in the south, the oldest in the northeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Poteau
| Period | Poteau | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.3% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 12.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 17.4% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.3% | 12.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in Poteau (16.3%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 1.0 points, even as the national share fell. Poteau has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five Oklahoma cities.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Poteau
Renters in Poteau
| Period | Poteau | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.2% | 31.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.8% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.5% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.7% | 34.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | +2.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Poteau is about as common as it is nationally: 33.7% of households rent, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 46.3% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Poteau
| Period | Poteau | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.9% | 12.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.2% | 13.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.0% | 11.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Poteau than nationally: 12.0%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has risen 2.8 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Poteau
| Period | Poteau | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1976 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1979 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Poteau are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1983, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1973 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the south.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Poteau
| Period | Poteau | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $583 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $591 | $805 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $656 | $897 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $872 | $1,127 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$290 | +$411 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Poteau costs $872 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $290 a month from 2006–10, a 50% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 26.4% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southwest; the highest are in the center.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Poteau
Bachelor's degrees in Poteau
| Period | Poteau | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.4% | 24.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.6% | 24.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.7% | 26.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.7% | 28.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | +4.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Poteau: 17.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 2.3 points, a smaller shift than nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Poteau
| Period | Poteau | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.5% | 86.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.9% | 87.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.0% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.4% | 89.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Poteau never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 1.9 points, mirroring the country. Poteau has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Oklahoma cities.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Poteau
| Period | Poteau | Oklahoma | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.8% | 6.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.7% | 5.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.9% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −1.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.9%, unemployment in Poteau is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in Oklahoma overall (5.0%). Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Poteau compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poteau | 2.69 | 36.6 | 16.3% | 33.7% | 12.0% | 1983 | $872 | 17.7% | 83.4% | 5.9% |
| Neff | 2.80 | 38.1 | 17.4% | 27.1% | 17.4% | 1987 | $839 | 17.5% | 85.8% | 3.4% |
| Shady Point | 2.65 | 44.0 | 9.2% | 19.5% | 9.8% | 1989 | $937 | 15.9% | 91.1% | 6.3% |
| Cameron | 2.77 | 40.5 | 8.2% | 18.8% | 16.8% | 1993 | $820 | 14.7% | 89.4% | 4.2% |
| Howe | 3.08 | 35.6 | 13.4% | 23.4% | 13.9% | 1988 | $816 | 19.6% | 85.6% | 3.7% |
| Panama | 2.61 | 38.0 | 10.0% | 30.4% | 17.2% | 1985 | $797 | 12.1% | 87.3% | 5.3% |
| Hill | 2.80 | 39.9 | 8.5% | 19.3% | 17.5% | 1992 | $815 | 15.9% | 89.6% | 4.1% |
| Williams | 2.63 | 37.5 | 10.7% | 25.5% | 15.2% | 1993 | $800 | 12.3% | 89.8% | 3.2% |
| Wister | 2.85 | 39.3 | 9.2% | 13.7% | 16.2% | 1992 | $829 | 24.4% | 92.1% | 3.5% |
| Tahona | 2.89 | 38.4 | 8.1% | 22.1% | 18.5% | 1995 | $878 | 11.6% | 83.5% | 3.3% |
| Forest Hill | 2.64 | 40.7 | 12.3% | 20.0% | 15.4% | 1986 | $769 | 14.1% | 83.1% | 3.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Vernon, TX · Conway, FL · Corryton, TN · Cotati, CA · Crestline, CA · Crestwood, IL · Crystal Lake, FL · Damascus, OR · Derby, CT · Destrehan, LA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Poteau. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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