About McClain County

McClain County is located in central Oklahoma, just minutes south of Norman and Oklahoma City. It is the 5th fastest growing county in the state and is located within the Oklahoma City MSA. The county population is 32,365. Encompassing 580 square miles, McClain County is bordered on the north by Cleveland and Pottawatomie counties. The L-shaped county's entire northern line is formed by the Canadian River.

Purcell is the county seat. Other communities include:

  • Byars
  • Cole
  • Dibble
  • Goldsby
  • Newcastle
  • Rosedale
  • Washington
  • Wayne

Demographic Highlights

View the following demographic highlights:

  • 23% of McCain County residents commute into Cleveland County.
  • 27% of the people that live in McClain County also work in McClain County.
  • 41% of McClain County residents commute into Oklahoma County for work.
  • From 2010 to 2011 McClain County was 4th in population growth out of all 77 counties in Oklahoma
  • In terms of public assistance, less than 2% of McClain County residents are on Public Assistance. McClain County is one of only 9 counties in the state with under 2% on Public Assistance.
  • McClain County had the 20th lowest unemployment rate of all 77 counties in the month of February at 4.8%.
  • McClain County is in the top tier of highest Median Household Income. It is one of only 6 counties in the state with over $50,000 Median Household Income.
  • McClain County was the fastest growing county in the state with a population between 25,000 people and 100,000 people.
  • Over the past decade McClain County has been one of only 9 counties in the state to see the population increase by more than 15%.
  • The Population rose from 34,733 to 35,235 or 2.1%.

Business Advantages

Interstate 35 traverses McClain County and offers easy access and a convenient transportation corridor to the junction of I-40 and I-44, just to the north. The county has many towns that provide a business friendly atmosphere designed to encourage economic development. McClain County offers a diverse mix of industry, including:

  • agribusiness
  • the equine industry
  • manufacturing and distribution
  • retail
  • trade/tourism

Education

Educational opportunities abound at the nearby University of Oklahoma campus and over a dozen colleges and universities that are within a 45 minute drive. Mid-America Technology Center in Wayne provides the nation’s premier business and industry training program.

Unique History

Established at statehood in 1907, McClain County, was originally part of Curtis County in the proposed state of Sequoyah. The county was named for Charles M. McClain, a member of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention and an early resident of Purcell.

In the 1870s large ranching operations north of the Washita River belonged either to those of Indian blood or those related to Indians by marriage. Black slaves formerly owned by Choctaw and Chickasaw families were also eligible to own land. Cotton gins in many small towns prepared raw cotton for the cotton press in Purcell, the county seat. Broom corn growing was also productive in the 1920s and 1930s.