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Perkins Downtown Historic District, Perkins, OK

PerkinsOK

A town of 3,262, settled in 1891. More miles of trail than almost any town in Oklahoma.

Photo: OKJaguar · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
3,262
+13.2% since 2010
Typical home
$223K
+5.4% in a year
Household income
$35K
median
Median age
26.1
years
Jobs based here
996
A commuter town

What makes Perkins stand out

The 3 things Perkins does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data
A growing town

Perkins has grown 13.2% since 2010

2,831 people in 2010; 3,262 today.

2,8312010
3,2052020
3,262Today

U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS

Perkins’s report card

See the data ↓

Now in Perkins

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Perkins is #1 of 134 in OK for “Most kids”. Fair?
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82°
Clear
H 0° · L 67°

Upcoming events

Nothing on the calendar.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Perkins. Another town gets a different order.

Outdoors

17.5% of Perkins is conserved land

4.9 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves. More trails than any other town in Oklahoma.

#1for trails in OK
17.5%
conserved · 325 of 1,859 acres
4.9 mi
of trails · 1.7 per sq mi
#18
most conserved land in OK
#38
most walkable in OK
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Oklahoma Territorial Plaza—5
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Schools

Perkins’s public schools outperform 65% of Oklahoma districts

The public schools Perkins’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 65% of Oklahoma’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

B+School Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Perkins-Tryon EsPK–2441Not graded
Perkins-Tryon Intermediate Es3–5366A−
Perkins-Tryon MS6–8330C
Perkins-Tryon HS9–12454A
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OK on state tests and graduationAll 4 schools →
Health

Healthier than 17% of U.S. towns

Perkins beats the Oklahoma average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.

C−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Oklahoma
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
What stands outPerkinsOK
More adults with COPD9.9%8%
Stillwater Medical Center
9.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
52nd
percentile among OK towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Work & commute

About one in nine working residents works right in Perkins

Most working residents leave Perkins for work: only 11% work in town. The top destinations are Stillwater (32%), Oklahoma City (13%) and Tulsa (6%). Half commute less than 11 miles.

11%work in town

Where working residents work

In Perkins11%
Stillwater32%
Oklahoma City13%
Tulsa6%
Cushing2%
11 mi
median commute distance
996
jobs based in Perkins
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Climate

Four seasons, hot summers

Perkins has chilly winters and hot summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

5″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter28–52°
Spring48–72°
Summer69–92°
Fall49–74°
Nov 2
typical first frost
Apr 4
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Safety

Less crime per resident than 61% of U.S. towns

Perkins reports less crime per resident than 61% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

BSafety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Perkins0.3
Oklahoma4.1
U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Perkins5.4
Oklahoma18.4
U.S.15.5
61st
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
76th
percentile among OK towns
1
violent crimes reported in 2025
18
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Natural hazards

Moderate risk, with cold waves at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 58% of U.S. communities.

58risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
58Moderate riskLowerHigher
Cold wavesTornadoesInland flooding
1
paid flood claims since 2017
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Housing

A typical Perkins home is worth about $223K

The typical Perkins home is worth about $223,000, up 5.4% in a year, close to the Oklahoma typical home.

$223KZillow home value

Typical home value

Perkins$223K
Oklahoma$223K
Market temperature
Seller’s marketA seller's marketBuyer’sSeller’s
38
days on market
99%
sale-to-list price
+5.4%
value change, 1 year
5
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
A commuter town

89% of working residents leave Perkins for work

Where Perkins’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

32% → Stillwater Stillwater 32% 13% → Oklahoma City Oklahoma City 13% 6% → Tulsa Tulsa 6% 2% → Cushing Cushing 2% 2% → Guthrie Guthrie 2% 1% → Edmond Edmond 1% Perkins · 11% stay
996jobs based in Perkins
11%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

Frank "Pistol Pete" Eaton 1860-1958
2016 · Frank "Pistol Pete" Eaton 1860-1958 · Wikimedia Commons
Perkins’s story

135 years in pictures

9 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 2 places on the National Register.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Perkins, Payne County, Oklahoma. LOC sanborn07212 001OKMap-doton-PerkinsPerkins Journal
Explore the history →

Landmarks

2 places in Perkins on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

About Perkins

City in Oklahoma, United States

Official town website ↗

Perkins (Iowa-Oto: Pékinⁿ Chína^i) is a city in southern Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, Perkins had a population of 3,205. The name is derived from Walden Perkins, a congressman who helped establish the local post office. The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma is headquartered here.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established
1891
Population
3,205
Area
3.0 sq mi
Elevation
896 ft
ZIP code
74059
Area code
405

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Photo of Perkins

Perkins, OK · Photo: OKJaguar · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗