1st Advantage MortgageAbout 51% of Payne County homes are owner-occupied, and the median household income is $49,809. Those figures describe the county, not you: compare at least three written offers by APR and total cost, and confirm the lender's license before you apply.
On this page
- Payne County, OK: the basics
- What it costs to live in Payne County
- Household income in Payne County
- How Payne County residents earn a living
- Cities, towns and CDPs in Payne County
- Counties near Payne County
- Payne County residents: age, schooling, coverage
- Reading the Payne County data as a borrower
- What a median Payne County budget can carry
- Four steps for Payne County borrowers
- Checking a lender's license in Oklahoma
- More guides for Payne County
- Frequently asked questions
Payne County, OK: the basics
Payne County is home to about 82,972 people, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, which makes it the 8th most populous of 77 county-level areas in Oklahoma. Packed into 685 square miles, that is close to 121 residents for every square mile of land. Under the July 2023 OMB definitions, Payne County is not part of any metropolitan area. Of the 8 Census places inside Payne County, Stillwater leads by population with about 49,269; 6 of the 8 are incorporated.
What it costs to live in Payne County
Median gross rent, utilities included, comes to $917 in Payne County versus $1,014 statewide. Rent takes 30% or more of income for 57% of renter households here. With a median value of $223,300, a typical Payne County house costs 4.5 times what the median household earns in a year. The ownership rate is 51%.
| Measure | Payne County | Oklahoma | Median U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $917/mo | $1,014/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $223,300 | $199,800 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 51% | 66% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 57% | 46% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 33% | 24% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 12% | 12% | n/a |
For the many renters in Payne County, deposits, moving costs and card balances are typical reasons to borrow. Keep the amount small and the term short. Rent pressure is real here, so run any payment through the debt-to-income calculator before you apply.
Household income in Payne County
At $49,809, the typical Payne County household income is 24% below the median U.S. county ($65,681). That places it 65th among Oklahoma's 77 county-level areas.
| Income band | Share in Payne County | Difference from Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 36.4% | +10.1 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 40.5% | -2.8 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 17.2% | -6.1 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 5.9% | -1.3 pts |
The spread is wide: 23% of Payne County households make $100,000 or more, and 36% make less than $35,000. 22.6% of residents fall below the federal poverty line (statewide: 15.3%). Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, comes to 0.520 here. A household earning below the $49,809 median should test any payment carefully; one earning above it should still pick the shortest term it can manage.
How Payne County residents earn a living
By the Census industry count, 37% of employed Payne County residents work in education and health care and 12% in arts, lodging and food service. The sharpest difference from the state is in education and health care, at 37% locally and 23% for Oklahoma. The survey's unemployment rate for Payne County averages 5.7% over 2020 to 2024 (state: 5.0%). Long commutes are the exception here: 10% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work. 5.9% of households have no vehicle.
| Where residents work | Payne County | Difference from Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 36.6% | +13.3 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 11.6% | +2.6 pts |
| Retail trade | 11.1% | -0.7 pts |
| Manufacturing | 6.4% | -2.7 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 6.2% | -3.0 pts |
| Construction | 5.8% | -1.5 pts |
A lender verifies what your own job pays. The county's industry mix tells you about the local economy, not about your application.
Cities, towns and CDPs in Payne County
The table lists the 8 largest of 8 Census places in Payne County, by population. Together all 8 hold about 62,922 people, so roughly 24% of residents live outside any named place. Glencoe has the highest median household income on the list ($49,821) and Perkins the lowest ($35,456), counting places with at least 500 residents. Rent is cheapest in Yale ($788) and steepest in Stillwater ($947). None of the 8 has its own city guide, so this page covers all of them.
| Place in county | Status | Population (ACS) | Median HH income | Monthly rent | Distance from center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stillwater | city | 49,269 | $43,700 | $947 | 7 mi |
| Cushing | city | 8,367 | $44,136 | $798 | 14 mi |
| Perkins | city | 3,262 | $35,456 | $838 | 8 mi |
| Yale | city | 998 | $42,750 | $788 | 16 mi |
| Glencoe | town | 516 | $49,821 | $789 | 11 mi |
| Ripley | town | 259 | $41,250 | $725 | 6 mi |
| Ingalls | CDP | 229 | $68,750 | n/a | 6 mi |
| Mehan | CDP | 22 | n/a | n/a | 3 mi |
CDPs are unincorporated communities the Census Bureau defines for counting.
Counties near Payne County
The six counties whose centers lie closest to Payne County's, from 22 to 44 miles away. Logan County leads the group on income ($83,899), Pawnee County trails ($58,738), and Payne County out-earns 0 of the six.
| Nearby county | Center to center | Household income | Gross rent | Owner-occupied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payne County | - | $49,809 | $917/mo | 51% |
| Pawnee County, OK | 22 mi | $58,738 | $864/mo | 80% |
| Noble County, OK | 26 mi | $66,365 | $826/mo | 78% |
| Lincoln County, OK | 27 mi | $62,216 | $794/mo | 80% |
| Logan County, OK | 29 mi | $83,899 | $891/mo | 85% |
| Creek County, OK | 35 mi | $62,338 | $936/mo | 74% |
| Oklahoma County, OK | 44 mi | $66,679 | $1,116/mo | 58% |
Payne County residents: age, schooling, coverage
Degree holders: 40% of adults over 25. The uninsured rate is 11.0%, against 12.9% for Oklahoma.
| Residents | Payne County | Oklahoma | Middle U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 27.7 | 37.0 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 39.7% | 28.3% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 6.4% | 10.6% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 11.0% | 12.9% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 5.9% | 5.6% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 8.8% | 9.4% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 22.6% | 15.3% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 5.7% | 5.0% | 4.4% |
| Minutes to work | Payne County workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 52.9% |
| 15 to 29 min | 29.1% |
| 30 to 44 min | 8.2% |
| 45 to 59 min | 3.7% |
| 60+ min | 6.1% |
Reading the Payne County data as a borrower
Based on the Payne County data above, these borrowing questions are most likely to matter locally.
- Health costs. With 11% of the county uninsured, an interest-free hospital payment plan usually beats a loan (medical bills).
- Lower-cost alternatives. In a county with 23% in poverty, nonprofit credit counseling may beat a loan (options).
- 57% rent-burdened. A payment on top of high rent needs a cushion; size it with the calculator.
What a median Payne County budget can carry
How much room does a median Payne County budget have? Take median income, subtract median rent, and check what is left under a few common debt-to-income limits.
- Monthly gross at the median, Payne County: $4,151
- Housing at the median rent of $917 uses 22%
- At 36%, room after rent is $577 a month
Two-income households and single earners in Payne County land in very different places on this math, so run it for your own budget.
Four steps for Payne County borrowers
A short checklist for Payne County borrowers:
- Size the loan to the bill, not to the most a lender offers.
- Shop at least three lenders, including one Payne County-area credit union.
- Look the lender up with the state regulator first.
- Ask about early-payoff penalties.
Checking a lender's license in Oklahoma
No county office licenses personal lenders. For Payne County, check the Oklahoma State Banking Department. Oklahoma also has the Oklahoma Department of Consumer Credit for consumer credit. A CFPB complaint gets forwarded to the company for a response. See the Oklahoma state guide for the statewide picture.
More guides for Payne County
For statewide rules and data, see the Oklahoma guide.
Frequently asked questions
What does a typical Payne County household make?
About $49,809 a year at the median (ACS 2020-24), 23% below the Oklahoma median.
What do renters pay in Payne County?
$917 a month at the median, about 22% of median household income.
What are the biggest places in Payne County?
By population: Stillwater, Cushing, Perkins, Yale, Glencoe. The county has 8 Census places in all.
Does living in Payne County change what I qualify for?
Not in our fit check, which uses only the amount, credit range, income and payments you enter, the same for a Payne County resident as anyone. Lenders decide under fair-lending law.
Who do I complain to about a lender in Payne County?
Start with the Oklahoma State Banking Department, then the CFPB complaint portal. Keep copies of every message.