Places › Oklahoma › Shawnee

Living in Shawnee, OK

Small city in Oklahoma

Shawnee is a small city in Oklahoma, home to about 32,000 people, with 388,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, a car is essential. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly houses.

Is Shawnee a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $186k and rents for $1,260 a month
  • Low taxes: about $1,223 state income tax per resident, 0.79% property tax
  • Easy flying: OKC is 36 mi away
  • Sunny: more sunshine and clearer skies than most places

👎 Cons

  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Fewer family amenities than most places
  • Smaller job market: about 388,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Fewer graduates: 26% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Shawnee ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
32,000
388,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
52°F / 91°F
Average daily highs · 6″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$186k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,260/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
90
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$1,223
State income tax per resident · 0.79% property tax
Safety
1.3× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
21 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly tornadoes, flooding
Top-rated hospitals
1
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Below average
Tests below US average · 16 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
26%
1 research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
OKC
36 mi away

Living in Shawnee: common questions

What is the cost of living in Shawnee?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $186k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,260 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 90, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Shawnee?

Oklahoma collects about $1,223 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.79% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Shawnee safe?

Violent crime is somewhat above the national rate (1.3× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Shawnee?

Public schools in Shawnee test below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 16 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Shawnee?

Shawnee has cool winters: winter days average around 52°F and summer days around 91°F, with roughly 6″ of snow a year.

Does Shawnee get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is high, mainly from tornadoes, flooding and cold waves: 21 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.88 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Shawnee?

The nearest major airport is OKC, about 36 mi away.

How Shawnee scores

Each bar compares Shawnee with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietQuiet / rural Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundCar essential Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature nearby Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateCool winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingVery affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceSlow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityPrivate AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingExcellent
💸Low taxesExcellent
💼Job marketPoor
🏥HealthcareAverage
🏫SchoolsBelow average
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyPoor
🐕Dog-friendlyBelow average
⛰️OutdoorsBelow average
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetyModerate crime
🌪️Few natural disastersAverage
☀️SunnyGood
🌤️Mild summersAverage
✈️AirportGood

Places like Shawnee

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Muskogee, OKSmall city43 $159k$1,190/moHigher crime Joplin, MOSmall city43 $206k$1,240/moHigher crime Gadsden, ALSmall city40 $168k$1,120/moNo crime data Dothan, ALSmall city42 $206k$1,290/moNo crime data Decatur, ALSmall city45 $230k$1,260/moNo crime data Bartlesville, OKSmall city43 $174k$1,320/moSafe

Nearby

Midwest City, OKSuburb · 24 mi away52 $174k$1,680/moSafe Norman, OKCollege town · 29 mi away55 $246k$1,680/moSafe Moore, OKSuburb · 29 mi away65 $210k$1,680/moVery safe Edmond, OKSuburb · 33 mi away66 $289k$1,680/moVery safe Oklahoma City, OKBig city · 35 mi away51 $209k$1,680/moHigher crime Stillwater, OKCollege town · 53 mi away49 $255k$1,440/moSafe

See all the best places to live in Oklahoma.

Is Shawnee right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.