Moving to Lawton, Oklahoma

About Lawton, Oklahoma
Lawton

Lawton is a city in and the county seat of Comanche County, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Located in southwestern Oklahoma, approximately 87 mi (140 km) southwest of Oklahoma City, it is the principal city of the Lawton, Oklahoma, metropolitan statistical area. According to the 2020 census, Lawton's population was 90,381, making it the sixth-largest city in the state, and the largest in Western Oklahoma.

Developed on former reservation lands of the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache peoples, Lawton was incorporated in 1901. It was named after Major General Henry Ware Lawton, who served in the Civil War, where he earned the Medal of Honor, and was killed in action in the Philippine–American War. Lawton's landscape is typical of the Great Plains, with flat topography and gently rolling hills, while the area north of the city is marked by the Wichita Mountains.

The city's proximity to the Fort Sill Military Reservation, formerly the base of the Apache territory before statehood, gave Lawton economic and population stability throughout the 20th century.

Although Lawton's economy is still largely dependent on Fort Sill, it has grown to encompass manufacturing, higher education, health care, and retail. The city has a council-manager government; the city council members are elected from single-member districts and the mayor is elected at-large. They hire a professional city manager to direct daily operations.

Interstate 44 and three major United States highways serve the city, Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport connects Lawton by air, while Greyhound Lines and the Lawton Area Transit System provide intercity and local bus service respectively.

Gender
Gender Lawton Oklahoma Country
Female 48% 50.5% 50.8%
Male 52% 49.5% 49.2%
Gender

Household Income


Income Lawton Oklahoma Country
Less than $10,000 7% 6.7% 5.8%
$10,000 to $14,999 6% 4.7% 4.1%
$15,000 to $24,999 11.1% 10.7% 8.5%
$25,000 to $34,999 12% 10.3% 8.6%
$35,000 to $49,999 15.9% 14.1% 12.0%
$50,000 to $74,999 19.3% 18.5% 17.2%
$75,000 to $99,999 12.9% 12.5% 12.8%
$100,000 to $149,999 12.1% 13.3% 15.6%
$150,000 to $199,999 1.9% 4.8% 7.1%
$200,000 or more 1.8% 4.4% 8.3%
Education


Education Lawton Oklahoma Country
< 9th Grade 4% 4% 5.0%
9-12th Grade 7% 8% 7.0%
High School or GED 32% 31% 27.0%
Other College 27% 23% 20.0%
Associate's Degree 8% 8% 9%
Bachelor's Degree 13% 17% 20.0%
Master's Degree 7% 6% 9.0%
Professional Degree 1% 2% 2.0%
Doctorate Degree 1% 1% 1.0%
Household Income
Education
Race / Ethnicity


Ethnicity Lawton Oklahoma Country
White 50.3% 64.9% 60.1%
African American 18.1% 7.1% 12.2%
American Indian 4.1% 7.3% 0.6%
Asian 2.8% 2.2% 5.6%
Hawaiian 0.5% 0.1% 0.2%
Other 0.4% 0.2% 0.3%
Multiracial 8.8% 7.2% 2.8%
Hispanic 15% 10.9% 18.2%
Race / Ethnicity