Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Hoover, AL
VS
Lawton, OK
🏆 Hoover leads 16 of 23 categories
Hoover
Alabama
16
wins
Cost of Living Index
92.6
Median Household Income
$101,765 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
21 ✓ Safer
Population
91,995 ✓ Larger
Lawton
Oklahoma
7
wins
Cost of Living Index
87.6 ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$51,561
Violent Crime Index
216⚠ High
Population
91,023
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Hoover, AL
Pros
Households earn $50,204 more per year on average
90% less violent crime than Lawton
Stronger job market — unemployment is 3.8 pts lower (3.9%)
More college-educated — 60.2% hold a bachelor's or higher
Violent crime is well below the national average (78.0 vs 380/100k)
Living costs sit below the national average (index 92.6)
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $366,200
Higher rents — median is $1,352/mo
Cost of living runs 5% higher than Lawton
Lawton, OK
Pros
Homes cost $241k less ($125,500 vs $366,200)
Rent averages $454/mo less ($898 vs $1,352)
Commutes run 9 min shorter each way
Living costs sit below the national average (index 87.6)
5% cheaper overall cost of living than Hoover
Cons
Median income trails Hoover by $50,204/yr
Violent crime (820.3/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Property crime (2652.7/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Higher unemployment (7.7% vs 3.9%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Hoover
Median Income
$50,204
$101,765 vs $51,561/yr
Hoover
Violent Crime
90% lower
78.0 vs 820.3 per 100k
Hoover
Unemployment
3.8 pp lower
3.9% vs 7.7% unemployment
Lawton
Cost of Living
5% cheaper
COL index 87.6 vs 92.6 (100 = US avg)
Lawton
Median Home Value
$241k less
$125,500 vs $366,200
Lawton
Summer Heat
3.7°F warmer
July avg high 95.9°F vs 92.2°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Hoover, AL | Lawton, OK |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 92.6 | 87.6 ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $366,200⚠ High | $125,500 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,352⚠ High | $898 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $101,765 ✓ Higher | $51,561 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.9%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 7.7%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 25.0 min | 16.2 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 12.8% | 12.9% ✓ Higher |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 36 ✓ Safer | 180⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 21 ✓ Safer | 216⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 60 ✓ Safer | 126⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | A (122) ✓ Better | C (78) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 14.5:1 ✓ Smaller | 16.1:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 60.2% ✓ Higher | 22.5% |
| High School or Higher | 96.7% ✓ Higher | 89.1% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Hoover City | LAWTON |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 54.8°F ✓ Warmer | 51.4°F |
| Avg High — July | 92.2°F | 95.9°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 59.0" | 34.2" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 1.2" ✓ Less | 2.3" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 91,995 ✓ Larger | 91,023 |
| Median Age | 38.3 ✓ Older | 31.9 |
| Homeownership Rate | 69.5% ✓ Higher | 44.7% |
| Under 18 | 24.2% ✓ More | 23.1% |
| Over 65 | 16.1% ✓ More | 12.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Hoover's cost of living index is 92.6 vs Lawton's 87.6 (US average = 100).
Lawton is 5% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Hoover leads 16 of 23 categories. Hoover wins 16 and Lawton wins 7. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Hoover to Lawton or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($366,200 vs $125,500 median home), income ($101,765 vs $51,561), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Hoover, AL and Lawton, OK are about 670 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.