Ralston (Pawnee: Iriíraatuhukaataku, reetuhruukaataku ) is a town in Pawnee County, Oklahoma, United States. The town is southeast of Ponca City on State Highway 18 near the west bank of the Arkansas River. The population was 266 as of the 2020 Census.
History
The townsite, occupied shortly after the opening of the Cherokee Strip, A townsite plat was filed on July 31, 1894, and the town was renamed Ralston for townsite developer J.H. Ralston. The paper first began publishing June 28, 1900, and continued until at least 1909.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town covers , all land.
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Ralston has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Ralston was in July 2012, while the coldest temperature recorded was in February 2011.
|source 2 = National Weather Service
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Ralston had a population of 266. The median age was 40.4 years. 30.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.9 males age 18 and over.
There were 102 households in Ralston, of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.0% were married-couple households, 16.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 195 || 73.3%
|-
| Black or African American || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 37 || 13.9%
|-
| Asian || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Two or more races || 34 || 12.8%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 7 || 2.6%
|}
Education
Residents are zoned to Woodland Public Schools, since 1990, due to the merger of the Ralston school district with the Fairfax district.
thumb|Ralston Opera House, located on the second floor, in September of 2018
Historic Site
The Ralston Opera House is located at 501-503 Main Street. Built in 1902, the 2nd-floor Opera House is considered endangered and badly in need of restoration funding as of 2018.