Housing decision brief
Payne County, OK Housing Market
Payne County screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
72nd lowest home value out of 77 Oklahoma counties with data | 67th lowest rent out of 77
Median home value
$217,700
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$922/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$1,035/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
4.4x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
34.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$113/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
No signal
No strong positive housing signal was available in the current dataset.
What to Check
Lower income base
$48,937 median income is 15% below Oklahoma county median
Tax rate needs attention
0.87% effective property-tax rate is 37% above Oklahoma county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Health context
Health score is 39.0 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Payne County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $217,700 | $135,800 | $281,900 | 60% pressure60% above Oklahoma county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $922 | $811 | $1,163 | 14% pressure14% above Oklahoma county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,035 | $680 | $1,672 | 52% pressure52% above Oklahoma county median |
Median household income | $48,937 | $57,551 | $74,755 | 15% pressure15% below Oklahoma county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.87% | 0.63% | 1.02% | 37% pressure37% above Oklahoma county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 34.00% | 26.00% | N/A | 31% pressure34.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$12,057
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$4,580
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Payne County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $922/month representing approximately 22.6% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 34.0%.
Rent vs own
At $922/month rent versus $1,035/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $113/month cheaper , a 11% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $36,880/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $44,357/year. With a median household income of $48,937, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 34.0% of renter households in Payne County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Payne County sits 6% more expensive than Pottawatomie County ($869/month) in terms of median gross rent.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryan County, OK | $163,700 | $914/mo | Same-state comparison near $163,700 home value and $914/mo rent. |
| Alamosa County, CO | $218,800 | $904/mo | Out-of-state peer near $218,800 home value and $904/mo rent. |
| Kingfisher County, OK | $206,400 | $915/mo | Same-state comparison near $206,400 home value and $915/mo rent. |
| Shoshone County, ID | $222,700 | $880/mo | Out-of-state peer near $222,700 home value and $880/mo rent. |
| Las Animas County, CO | $214,500 | $875/mo | Out-of-state peer near $214,500 home value and $875/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Payne County
Is Payne County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Payne County?
How much income do you need for housing in Payne County?
What should I double-check before moving to Payne County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.