Lawton, OK
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
affordable
Price to income
2.57×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Oklahoma
- 2.79×-0.22
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×-0.87
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
20.3%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Oklahoma
- 20.8%-0.4
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%-2.9
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
deal-by-deal
Cap rate proxy
5.15%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Oklahoma
- 4.90%+0.25
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%+0.81
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
shrinking
Net migration
-0.12%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Oklahoma
- 0.08%
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
tight
Permit pipeline
1.57
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Oklahoma
- 3.26
- vs U.S.
- 3.52
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
softening
Unemployment
4.4%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Oklahoma
- 3.6%
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+34.4%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+1.1%
Median home value
$151,500
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $784 | $9,408 | 15.9% |
| 2 BR | $1,001 | $12,012 | 20.3% |
| 3 BR | $1,392 | $16,704 | 28.3% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
4.4%
Median household income
$59,060
What's being built
Total TTM
200
+79.5% YoY
Single-family
108
2–4 unit
46
5+ unit
46
All 2 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comanche County | 121,777 | $154,300 | $59,000 | 197 | +80.7% |
| Cotton County | 5,537 | $113,200 | $60,313 | 3 | — |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Lawton | 127,314 | $59,060 | 2.57× | 5.15% | +34.4% | 1.57 | 4.4% |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | 125,504 | $58,970 | — | — | +56.8% | — | 4.9% |
| Mansfield, OH | 125,008 | $57,649 | — | — | +63.6% | — | 4.8% |
| Altoona, PA | 122,640 | $60,594 | — | — | +42.1% | — | 3.7% |
| Battle Creek, MI | 134,011 | $60,385 | — | — | +58.4% | — | 5.1% |
| Hammond, LA | 133,953 | $57,256 | — | — | +39.7% | — | 4.7% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
-159
-0.12% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma County, OK | 148 |
| El Paso County, TX | 108 |
| El Paso County, CO | 101 |
| Bell County, TX | 100 |
| Stephens County, OK | 94 |
| Wichita County, TX | 91 |
Who lives in Lawton
- Median age
- 34
- Bachelor's+
- 24.0%
- Owner-occupancy
- 56.0%
- Vacancy rate
- 15.5%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 39.4%
- Median household income
- $59,060
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.