A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Nowata$880/mo

Typical home $153K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.66% · or rent about $752/mo · Housing →

Jay$1,390/mo

Typical home $243K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.57% · or rent about $765/mo · Housing →

The difference: $500 a month, about $6,100 a year, between Jay and Nowata.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Nowata places higher on 16 of 20 OK lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Oklahoma ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

CNowataSafer than 27% of U.S. towns DJaySafer than 6% of U.S. towns

Schools

CNowataBetter than 28% of districts in the state B−JayBetter than 45% of districts in the state

Health

D−NowataHealthier than 4% of U.S. towns D−JayHealthier than 2% of U.S. towns

16Nowata

4Jay

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fewest uninsuredHealth · 134 towns #47#112 Most walkableOutdoors · 134 towns #10#55 SafestSafety · 127 towns #80#121 Most remote workersWork · 131 towns #38#80 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 134 towns #84#51 Highest incomeIncome · 134 towns #94#124 Fastest growingGrowth · 134 towns #110#83 Fewest smokersHealth · 134 towns #105#130

Left end = #1 in Oklahoma. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Nowata’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

NowataJay

Snow a year8″6″

January low22°F 26°F

July high93°F 91°F

Growing season (days)192d 209d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)73rd 64th

Outdoors & history

NowataJay

Trails4 mi —

Conserved land1.6%—

Settled1889 —

National Register places2 —

Archive photos8 2

Famous people born here10 2

Community

NowataJay

Library hours a week29 hrs 50 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

50 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

NowataOK JayOK

Nowata ↔ Jay50 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Oklahoma average

NowataJay

People

Population 3,542Highest 2,731Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -5.7%Lowest OK: +5.5% -0.9%Highest OK: +5.5%

Median age 37.8±1.6Highest about the OK average 34.6±1.3Lowest 6% below OK

Kids under 18 24.4%±4Lowest OK: 24% 25.4%±2.1Highest OK: 24%

Jay and Nowata are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 18.8%±3.6Highest OK: 16.3% 13.6%±2.1Lowest OK: 16.3%

Nowata and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13.2%Highest OK: 28.3% 11.3%Lowest OK: 28.3%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.1%±1.8Highest OK: 5.8% 2.3%±1.4Lowest OK: 5.8%

Nowata and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $47,776±$12kHighest 27% below OK $38,094±$4kLowest 41% below OK

Nowata and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $89,900±$12kLowest 55% below OK $107,900±$17kHighest 46% below OK

Jay and Nowata are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $752±$215Lowest 26% below OK $765±$142Highest 25% below OK

Jay and Nowata are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $591Lowest 63% below OK $611Highest 62% below OK

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 30%±14.3Lowest OK: 46.3% 61%±16.2Highest OK: 46.3%

Below poverty line 25.5%Highest OK: 15.3% 23.5%Lowest OK: 15.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 61%Lowest OK: 65.8% 61.3%Highest OK: 65.8%

Typical home builtmedian year 1967Lowest 13 yrs older than OK 1976Highest 4 yrs older than OK

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 27 minLowest 18% above OK 28 minHighest 23% above OK

Work from home 8.3%±4.3Highest OK: 9.4% 5.2%±3.5Lowest OK: 9.4%

Nowata and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 25.5%Highest 19.4%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.8 miHighest 21.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.98Lowest 2.23Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Bartlesville (15%)Grove (8%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in JayFew work in Nowata

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.6%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 3.6 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 87.8Highest 52.5Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #120 of 128 in OK #103 of 128 in OK

School district NOWATAJAY

High school in town Nowata HSJay HS

Students per teacherat that high school 14.8Lowest 16.2Highest

Oklahoma average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Nowata neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Nowata’s Town Square.

Jay neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Jay’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Nowata and Jay

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Nowata

+ Compare

Muldrow3,309 people · $114K homes

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Vinita5,300 people · $96K homes

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Pawhuska2,930 people · $114K homes

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Chandler2,899 people · $111K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Oklahoma towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Nowata vs Jay

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $500 more a month in Jay

Nowata places higher on 16 of 20 OK lists

What daily life feels like in each

50 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Nowata and Jay

Towns like Nowata

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