Tillman County

Tillman County's median home price of $61,378 is one of the lowest entry points you'll find anywhere in Oklahoma, and the affordability index hits 100, the ceiling of the scale. That price point is arithmetically appealing, but the investment estimate data shows cap rate, cash flow, and cash-on-cash return all coming back as zero, meaning the model couldn't generate reliable rent and expense figures for this market. That's a signal in itself. Sparse transaction volume, thin rental comps, and limited data coverage are common in rural counties with fewer than 8,000 residents, and Tillman's population of 7,013 puts it squarely in that territory. The appreciation score of 25 out of 100 lands near the bottom of the range, and home prices have declined 4.94% year over year, so the market is not rewarding holders on the equity side either. With both the income and appreciation legs of the return story coming up short, this is not a market where the numbers are quietly working in your favor while you wait.

The affordability score of 100 and a purchase price under $62,000 will attract cash-flow-focused buyers who assume low prices mechanically produce high yields. That logic works when rents are proportionally supported, but in markets this small and this thinly traded, rents often compress alongside prices because the tenant pool and their incomes are limited by the same structural forces suppressing values. A value-add operator looking for deep discounts has material to work with at this price level, but the exit strategy becomes the problem: reselling or refinancing a renovated asset in a county with declining prices and a population base this small is genuinely difficult. An appreciation buyer has even less justification here, given the negative year-over-year price movement and a 25 out of 100 appreciation score. The overall score of 55 and a national percentile of 36 confirm this market sits in the lower half of investable counties nationally, and ranks 48th out of 77 Oklahoma counties on the state ladder.

No economic anchor data was provided for Tillman County, so employer-specific demand drivers can't be assessed here. What the demographic data does indicate is a county with 7,013 residents, which means the rental market is thin by definition. Tenant turnover in a pool this small can have outsized effects on vacancy and cash flow that wouldn't register the same way in a market ten times the size. Population trajectory data isn't included, but the declining home prices suggest demand is not outpacing supply.

On carry costs, the combined monthly tax and insurance estimate comes to $83, based on a state-average property tax rate of 0.90% and an insurance rate of 0.72%. The tax rate is flagged as normal, so it's not a structural headwind, and at $552 annually on a $61,378 asset the absolute dollar burden is low. Oklahoma insurance costs at 0.72% are worth watching given the state's exposure to wind and severe weather, but $442 per year on this asset size is manageable. Keep in mind these are state-average estimates per the Tax Foundation's 2024 data, and county or township rates in Tillman may differ, so confirm the actual millage rate before closing. The low absolute carry costs are one genuine advantage here, particularly if you're holding a paid-off asset or running a very lean structure.

The core risk in Tillman is concentration and illiquidity. A county of 7,013 people with a declining price trend and no modelable rent data is a single-tenant or single-vacancy event away from a cash-flow crisis. There's no cushion of market depth to absorb a bad tenant, a prolonged vacancy, or an unexpected capital expenditure. Regulatory risk isn't flagged in the data, but the demographic profile suggests limited local government capacity, which can cut both ways, fewer landlord restrictions, but also fewer municipal services, infrastructure investment, and economic development resources.

Against its neighbors, Tillman is the cheapest entry point by a wide margin. Ellis County at $95,730 and Okmulgee County at $128,733 both carry higher prices but score nearly the same overall (56 and 55, respectively), which means you're paying more for a comparable overall rating. Choctaw County at $133,863 and an overall score of 58, and McCurtain County at $206,069 with a 59, offer marginally better composite scores at meaningfully higher prices. Delaware County at $274,358 and a 57 score sits in a different price tier entirely. If raw entry cost is the constraint and you have local knowledge of Tillman's specific rental submarkets, the price advantage over neighbors is real. But if you're evaluating purely on data-driven confidence, the counties scoring 57 to 59 at higher price points are giving you more market depth and more predictable return modeling in exchange for the additional capital outlay.