RANK #305 / 996 · POP 82,058 · OK
PROJECTED GROWTH: +1.5%
Payne County, Oklahoma, is perhaps best known as the home of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, its largest city and county seat. Located in central Oklahoma, about an hour northeast of downtown Oklahoma City, the county offers a community feel with access to larger urban centers via Interstate 35 and the Cimarron Turnpike. The landscape features rolling plains, with the western part in the Red Bed plains, and includes two notable reservoirs, Lake McMurtry and Lake Carl Blackwell, providing opportunities for outdoor recreation like fishing, kayaking, and hiking. Stillwater also boasts parks such as Boomer Lake Park, offering trails, disc golf, and boating. Life in Payne County often revolves around its educational institutions, including Oklahoma State University, which contribute to a community with a mix of young professionals and families. The economy is diverse, historically rooted in agribusiness, but now seeing growth in sectors like manufacturing, distribution, and research and development. Recent economic discussions in the county have also focused on emerging technology infrastructure, including data centers and energy projects. Public schools in Payne County are highly rated, with Stillwater Public Schools being a top-ranked district.
Below national median (4.7x)
Below national median
Moderate climate & terrain
Below national median (13x)
Housing is fairly valued at 4.6x relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Google Data Center Campus
Google
|
$3,000M | Under Construction |
|
Ripley Energy Center
Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc.
|
$421M | Under Construction |
|
Keystone Wind Project
RWE
|
$250M | Planned |
|
Wagon Wheel Wind Energy Project
Invenergy
|
$250M | Proposed |
|
Payne County Solar (Multiple Projects)
Various (e.g., Cleanview listed projects)
|
$177M | Planned |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 996 counties.
Payne County has a Boom Town Index score of 69/100, ranking #305 among 996 U.S. counties. With job growth at +1.7% and a median household income of $46,658, it's an above-average county on economic indicators.
The median home value in Payne County is $196,100 with median rent at $899/month. The income-to-home-value ratio is 0.2379, which is less affordable than the national average.
Population growth: +0.3% year-over-year. Job growth: +1.7%. Home values changed +3.4% in the past 12 months.
Yes — 7.3% of Payne County's population moved from another state, which is above the national average and indicates strong in-migration.