Keys is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

(CDP) in Cherokee County,

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

, United States. The population was 565 at the 2010 census.

Geography

Keys is located south of the center of Cherokee County at (35.805324, -94.946071). It is bordered by Park Hill to the north and Pettit to the south. The eastern end of the CDP is bordered by the

Illinois River The Illinois River ( mia, Inoka Siipiiwi) is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River and is approximately long. Located in the U.S. state of Illinois, it has a drainage basin of . The Illinois River begins at the confluence of the ...

at the northern end of

Tenkiller Ferry Lake Tenkiller Ferry Lake, or more simply, "Lake Tenkiller," is a reservoir in eastern Oklahoma formed by the damming of the Illinois River (Oklahoma), Illinois River. The earth-fill dam was constructed between 1947 and 1952 by the United States Army ...

Oklahoma State Highway 82 State Highway 82, abbreviated to SH-82 or OK-82, is a state highway in Oklahoma. It runs for north–south during its southern segment; and north–south during its northern segment. Route description Southern section The southern SH- ...

forms the western and southern edges of the Keys CDP; it leads north to

Tahlequah Tahlequah ( ; ''Cherokee'': ᏓᎵᏆ, ''daligwa'' ) is a city in Cherokee County, Oklahoma located at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It is part of the Green Country region of Oklahoma and was established as a capital of the 19th-centur ...

, the Cherokee County seat, and southeast to Cherokee Landing State Park on Tenkiller Ferry Lake. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the Keys CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.33%, is water.

School

Keys has recently acquired a high school. Its mascot is a

cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large cat native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. ...

, and the school colors are red and white.

Demographics

At the 2010

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

, there were 565 people, 189 households and 160 families residing in the CDP. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 102.7 per square mile (40.4/km²). There were 221 housing units at an average density of 40.2/sq mi (15.8/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 47.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.5%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 37.2% Native American, 2.3% from other races, and 12.2% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 4.2% of the population. There were 189 households, of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.3% were non-families. 12.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.26. 29.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Cherokee County, Oklahoma Census-designated places in Oklahoma