Kay County, Oklahoma Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Kay 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.
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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Kay County | Oklahoma Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,624 | 4,028,385 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 46.2 | 57.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.50% | 0.48% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.6 | 38.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 16,776 | 1,561,116 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Kay County declined by 5.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 43,624 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Kay County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.3% of residents. That is 1.3 points below Oklahoma as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 9,279 21.3% -1.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,211 18.8% -2.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,348 19.1% +0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,088 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 50.2% of the people living in Kay County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Oklahoma 50.3%
- Men 49.8% Oklahoma 49.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Kay County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Kay County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Kay County | Oklahoma Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,650 | $65,606 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.04% | 3.94% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Kay County is about 11% lower than in Oklahoma.
Housing
| Metric | Kay County | Oklahoma Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $46,731 | $133,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $841 | $1,014 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.2% | 65.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Kay County is about 4.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $841 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Kay County spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 108 hours, about 4.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Kay County | Oklahoma Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.0 | 19.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 25.9 | 37.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 108 | 158 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,349 | $4,901 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.7% | 9.4% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,446 | 5,635 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 616 | 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 Kay County is 13 minutes, shorter 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
Kay County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Kay County | Oklahoma Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.4% | 24.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.52 | 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
Kay County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Kay County | Oklahoma Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.8 | 76.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.9% | 20.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.4% | 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).
Kay County, OK Compared With Nearby Counties
How Kay County, OK compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kay County, OK | 43,624 | $58,650 #2/3 | $46,731 #2/3 | 13.0 min #1/3 |
| Cowley County, KS | 34,411 | $57,252 | $13,801 | 15.0 min |
| Sumner County, KS | 22,353 | $65,474 | $95,090 | 23.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Kay County, Oklahoma.
What is the population of Kay County, Oklahoma?
About 43,624 people live in Kay County, Oklahoma, in 16,776 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 36.6, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Kay County, Oklahoma urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Kay County, Oklahoma has 46 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 53% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Kay County, Oklahoma?
The median home costs 0.8 times the median household income ($46,731 against $58,650), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $841 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Kay County, Oklahoma?
16.4% of adults in Kay County, Oklahoma hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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