Hughes County, Oklahoma Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hughes County, OK Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
D
Health Well below averageLess healthy than 91% of counties in Oklahoma
-
D
Income Well below averageAmong the 3 least wealthy counties in Oklahoma
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 91% of counties in Oklahoma
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hughes County | Oklahoma Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,388 | 4,028,385 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 16.4 | 57.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.31% | 0.48% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.2 | 38.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,034 | 1,561,116 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hughes County declined by 2.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 13,388 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hughes County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 21.1% of residents. That is 0.4 points below Oklahoma as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,657 19.8% -2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,825 21.1% -0.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,697 20.1% +1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,477 18.5% +1.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Oklahoma, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 45.8% of the people living in Hughes County and men 54.2%.
- Women 45.8% Oklahoma 50.3%
- Men 54.2% Oklahoma 49.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hughes County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Hughes County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Hughes County | Oklahoma Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,878 | $65,606 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.05% | 3.94% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hughes County is about 21% lower than in Oklahoma.
Housing
| Metric | Hughes County | Oklahoma Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $151,666 | $133,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $660 | $1,014 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.1% | 65.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hughes County is about 19.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $660 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hughes County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 178 hours, about 7.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hughes County | Oklahoma Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.4 | 19.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.8 | 37.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 178 | 158 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,533 | $4,901 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.0% | 9.4% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,179 | 5,635 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 434 | 941 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Oklahoma:
Cimarron County (4.8 min), Woods County (8.5 min), Harmon County (8.8 min).
Slowest:
Cotton County (30.4 min), Logan County (28.5 min), Lincoln County (28.0 min).
The average commute time in Hughes County is 21 minutes, longer than the 19 minutes in Oklahoma.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Hughes County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Hughes County | Oklahoma Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.8% | 24.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.88 | 2.50 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Oklahoma:
Payne County (0.3), Cleveland County (0.3), Oklahoma County (0.3).
Lowest:
Adair County (0.2), Okfuskee County (0.2), Greer County (0.2).
Health
Hughes County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Hughes County | Oklahoma Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.4 | 76.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.1% | 20.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.7% | 22.6% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Oklahoma:
Cleveland County (0.8), Canadian County (0.8), Woods County (0.8).
Lowest:
Adair County (0.7), McIntosh County (0.7), Choctaw County (0.7).
Hughes County, OK Compared With Nearby Counties
Hughes County, OK is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 13,388 residents against a local median of 38,234. The measure that sets Hughes County, OK apart most is commute: 21.4 min, 27% above the local median of 16.8 min. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $151,666 against a local median of $125,002, 21% above it. The counties themselves spread 5.5 min on commute, so Hughes County, OK sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Hughes County, OK has the 4th lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hughes County, OK | 13,388 | $51,878 #3/4 | $151,666 #1/4 | 21.4 min #4/4 |
| Seminole County, OK | 23,493 | $47,964 | $141,249 | 21.0 min |
| Pittsburg County, OK | 43,560 | $55,701 | $125,002 | 16.8 min |
| Pontotoc County, OK | 38,234 | $63,534 | $74,000 | 15.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hughes County, Oklahoma.
What is the population of Hughes County, Oklahoma?
About 13,388 people live in Hughes County, Oklahoma, in 4,034 households of 2.9 people on average. The median age is 36.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Hughes County, Oklahoma mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hughes County, Oklahoma has 16 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 19% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Hughes County, Oklahoma an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.9 times the median household income ($151,666 against $51,878), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $660 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Hughes County, Oklahoma?
13.8% of adults in Hughes County, Oklahoma hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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