Oklahoma

State Office of Rural Health

Oklahoma Office of Rural Health

Phone: 405.945.8608

Works with rural communities to ensure their healthcare infrastructure is effective and economically viable by broadening and improving the access and quality of healthcare services, stabilizing rural hospital finances, and educating the public and policymakers about rural health issues.
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Oklahoma Nonmetro Population

3,970,497

Estimated population

1,294,542 (32.6%)

People living in nonmetro areas

Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-year estimate

Oklahoma Rural Healthcare Facilities

39

Critical Access Hospitals

3

Rural Emergency Hospitals

132

Rural Health Clinics

132

Federally Qualified Health Centers*

43

Short Term/PPS Hospitals*

*Sites according to data.HRSA.gov (July 2024), showing only locations outside of U.S. Census Bureau Urban Areas with a population of 50,000 or more

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Oklahoma

Most Oklahomans have some form of health insurance coverage, although 11.9% of its residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2022). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Oklahomans in 2021 was $53,870, with the rural per capita income at $46,921. The ERS reports, based on 2021 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Oklahoma is 17.5%, compared with 14.5% in urban areas of the state. 13.1% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 10.4% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2017-2021 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Oklahoma is 3.1%, while in urban Oklahoma, it is 3.0% (USDA-ERS, 2022).