City safety & data profile

TahlequahOK

Tahlequah, OK is a 17K-resident city in Cherokee County with a median household income of $49,581.

Cherokee County, Oklahoma. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Tahlequah, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Tahlequah has a population larger than 34% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $185,400, and 2 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

17K
Population
Top 66%
By size
$49,581
Median income
$185,400
Median home
18.4%
Poverty rate

The read on Tahlequah

Tahlequah posts a median household income higher than 8% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 2 hospitals serve the Tahlequah area.

Top 92%
by median income, US cities
2
hospitals in & near Tahlequah

Where Tahlequah income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$49,581 Bottom 8% higher than 8% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. OK $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Tahlequah, OK beyond the headline numbers

Tahlequah sits inside Cherokee County, Oklahoma, at roughly 35.92°N, -94.97°W. Population 16,598, $49,581 median household income. Median home value $185,400, median rent $835. Poverty rate 18.4%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Tahlequah's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 41.9%, then short sleep duration at 41.5%. 2 hospitals in/around Tahlequah, 2.5/5 avg rating, 2 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Tahlequah from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
16,598
Tahlequah
Median Income
$49,581
-27% vs avg
Median Home Value
$185,400
-19% vs avg
Median Age
29.3
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Cherokee County) - Tahlequah's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
48K+1%
Median Income
$53,218+43%
Median Home Value
$168,500+62%
Poverty Rate
18.2%-20%
Unemployment
5.1%-34%

Economics

Economics indicators for Tahlequah, OK
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$835/mo
Poverty Rate
18.4% +30% vs avg
Unemployment 6.3%
Bachelor's Degree+ 34.4%
Work From Home 5.6%
Public Transit 0.7%

Population

White 46.3%
African American 2.4%
Asian 0.9%
Two or More Ethnicities 40.6%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
41.9%
Short Sleep Duration
41.5%
High Blood Pressure
36.5%
Physical Inactivity
30.5%
Frequent Mental Distress
21%
Current Smoking
18.1%
Frequent Physical Distress
15.4%
Binge Drinking
14.7%
Current Asthma
13.1%
Diabetes
12.5%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 51.4%
Annual Checkup 77%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
11.3%
Coronary Heart Disease
7%
Stroke
3.8%

Hospitals 2 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
1
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
2.5/5
Total Hospitals
2
With ER
2
CHEROKEE NATION W W HASTINGS INDIAN HOSPITAL
TAHLEQUAH · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆
NORTHEASTERN HEALTH SYSTEM
TAHLEQUAH · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Tahlequah, OK? ▼
Tahlequah, OK has a population of 16,598 people, located in Cherokee County, Oklahoma.
What is the median household income in Tahlequah? ▼
The median household income in Tahlequah, OK is $49,581 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 18.4%.
What is the median home value in Tahlequah? ▼
The median home value in Tahlequah, OK is $185,400. Median rent is $835/month.
What are the top health concerns in Tahlequah? ▼
The top health indicators in Tahlequah include Obesity (41.9%), Short Sleep Duration (41.5%), High Blood Pressure (36.5%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Tahlequah? ▼
Tahlequah has 2 hospitals with an average rating of 2.5/5 stars. 2 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Tahlequah? ▼
The median age in Tahlequah, OK is 29.3 years. 34.4% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Tahlequah, OK is located in Cherokee County, Oklahoma. With a population of 17K and a $49,581 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 2 hospitals with an average rating of 2.5/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Tahlequah area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Oklahoma

Real-time AQI for every monitored Oklahoma location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Muskogee, OK 38K Siloam Springs, AR 16K Claremore, OK 19K Fort Smith, AR 88K Van Buren, AR 23K Centerton, AR 12K Fayetteville, AR 83K Broken Arrow, OK 107K
All cities in Oklahoma → Compare Tahlequah vs Muskogee → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Tahlequah's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Tahlequah area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Tahlequah against Oklahoma peers on any ranking lens. Explore Oklahoma

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Cherokee County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.