2007 Population Estimates

[jbrown84]

Yep.

[solitude]

Isn't that Wal-Marts influence?

Absolutely. And Tyson's. I also agree with JBrown's comment about it being a sprawling suburban mess . Just a few miles away is Eureka Springs and they're already worried about encroachment. That area is so beautiful that it's a shame to see the sprawl.

[okclee]

I really think it is a shame that Okc and for that matter Okla. , hasn't seen more of a pop growth. Especially with Texas and even Ark getting in on the population boon in this part of the country. I am not sure what that says about Okla but I don't think it is good.

[OU Adonis]

I am more concerned about wages in the state. If we can get our wages up people will move here.

[adaniel]

I really think it is a shame that Okc and for that matter Okla. , hasn't seen more of a pop growth. Especially with Texas and even Ark getting in on the population boon in this part of the country. I am not sure what that says about Okla but I don't think it is good.

I read somewhere that in 2007, Oklahoma ranked 18th in growth. I don't know what we would rank if you took in growth figures for every year since 2000, but I'll take 18th.

I think the important thing to remember is that growth by itself says nothing about an area except theres a lot more people in your state than the last time you counted. For example California has always been a high-growth state, so you wouldn't realize that since 2000, nearly one million people have left that state. Thanks to immigrants and the fact that most new US citizens are baby-making machines, it makes CA's situation look a lot better than it is. Given the fact that TX has much more affordable housing I seriously doubt thats the case. But they do have a VERY high rate of immigration. And sorry, but theres just no way the rate of growth in NWA is sustainable. Its already is slowing down. My cousin lives over there and says real estate is dirt cheap because they overbuilt and have a 40 month supply of homes on the market.

I'm not trying to take away from what they have but I don't like getting caught up in growth rates. If you had to look at them, you should look at NET IN-MIGRATION because that actually shows that people from other parts of the nation are moving here. OK has a positive inmigration, which is saying something given the fact that this state has been plagued with a negative inmigration. Yeah its not high, but you got to start somewhere.

Its more important that a community is economically viable and healthy, and you have a strong but steady rate of growth instead of just being the "flavor of the week" with everyone and their grandma moving to your town until the next hot spot emerges and your back to your old slow-growth slump.

Just my 0.02

[jbrown84]

I really think it is a shame that Okc and for that matter Okla. , hasn't seen more of a pop growth. Especially with Texas and even Ark getting in on the population boon in this part of the country. I am not sure what that says about Okla but I don't think it is good.

It's a good question. I think we know that Texas just has a better reputation for people coming in, and better liquor laws, and higher salaries, etc. NWA has the beauty, even if it's still as backwards as us in many ways. You'd think with Devon and Chesapeake and Sandridge growing as they are, and Tinker expanding, you'd see more increase here. I don't know why we don't. But ultimately there have to be jobs for these people coming in.

[bwana_bob]

Wal-Mart, a tiny little chicken operation called Tyson and a wee trucking company called J.B. Hunt. Err, make that the largest (discount) department store in the world, the largest food processor in the world and the largest transport company in the U.S. Damn, those hillbillies know how to make money. I guess this is what the end of prohibition did to the moonshine business.

[okcpulse]

It's a good question. I think we know that Texas just has a better reputation for people coming in, and better liquor laws, and higher salaries, etc. NWA has the beauty, even if it's still as backwards as us in many ways. You'd think with Devon and Chesapeake and Sandridge growing as they are, and Tinker expanding, you'd see more increase here. I don't know why we don't. But ultimately there have to be jobs for these people coming in.

It's a question that's easy to answer. First, let me stress that people don't move to Texas because of better liquor laws. They move to Texas for the jobs and the climate.

Now, to explain Oklahoma City's situation. It's all about reputation. Oklahoma City's companies have to work harder to lure people from other states because of our image. It's easier to tell your wife and kids 'we are moving to Texas' than it is to tell them 'we are moving to Oklahoma'. On the same token, Dallas has over 6.1 million people, so natural growth as well as people moving to the area both work hand in hand. You have to look at the components of population change. It's very complex.

But, when you look at the hard data, it's comforting to at least know Oklahoma is one of the twenty states that are gaining domestic residents versus the thirty or so that are losing domestic residents by the thousands, and rely solely on natural growth and immigration for growth.

California alone lost 1.4 million domestic residents from 2000 to 2007. Immigration and natural growth accounted for California's increase.

Bottom line... WE NEED MORE NATIONAL EXPOSURE.

[okclee]

I have always thought that we should do more to lure CA residents to Okla. I have met quite a few that live here now that once lived in CA. People that sold their homes in CA for huge amounts of money , then moved to Okla. bought a new house for a fraction of the price and are living the good life.

I also think that Okc could do more to entice Asian-Americans to Okc.

[HOT ROD]

Ditto those thoughts okclee, especially the Asian-American thought.

[PennyQuilts]

Back here on the East Coast, Northern Arkansas is getting a lot of attention. Just in the past five years, I've noticed that my clients' families are starting to move through that area. Since I work with disadvantaged, low income families, I tend to see a lot of their members who sort of drift here and there. The ones who come back typically don't like it (or they wouldn't return). I think it is too much of a culture shock. The jail in Benton is absolutely booming. It has a nice website that tells you, daily, who is there. That may not mean as much to some as it does to me. Interestingly, many of them report that they just can't find work in Arkansas. Of course, a lot of them also report that they don't want to work at a chicken plant.

What is interesting to me, from my end, is that when I speak to immigrants to Oklahoma/Oklahoma City, so many of them are practically shocked that they like it so well. It is a jewel if you aren't set on mountains or the ocean. It is growing and when I compare it to even ten years ago, it is really impressive. So many areas of the country are economically depressed. Personally, I wouldn't stress too much about getting bodies here for the sake of population. One of the most attractive things about OKC is that it isn't jammed. I live in an area with so many people you can't stir them with a stick. With the downturn in the ecomony, the lower income folks really get slammed and that increases the costs to the local government and seems to increase crime. As the economy slows down, so do the lower paying jobs, construction and the like.

[Nawfside OKC]

instead of focusing on the population boom our best and most realistic goal is to fill in the blanks from OKC to Tulsa and combine metros...... I have a dream that 1 day okcitians and tulsans will put aside their diffrences and join hands in the enevitable I-44 love train ......

[jbrown84]

First, let me stress that people don't move to Texas because of better liquor laws. They move to Texas for the jobs and the climate.

Now, to explain Oklahoma City's situation. It's all about reputation.

You're contradicting yourself. Is it just about where the jobs are, or where there's a good reputation? Because we obviously have jobs here, but people don't want to move here because they hear about things Sally Kern and the fact that liquor isn't sold in grocery stores, and just generally that we're a dust bowl. All that can be changed, it just takes time.

Yet we can see more job growth. I know you moved to Houston because of a job opportunity that you didn't have here. But I think a larger problem is people leaving after high school and college because they don't like it here, and people just not wanting to move here. My dad had a job interview at OU Med School in Tulsa, and he was told that another man from the east coast who was considering the job didn't even come interview because the moment his wife heard Tulsa, Oklahoma, she said now way no how.

[solitude]

My dad had a job interview at OU Med School in Tulsa, and he was told that another man from the east coast who was considering the job didn't even come interview because the moment his wife heard Tulsa, Oklahoma, she said now way no how.

I hear this kind of thing way too often. When I travel, I spend so much time "explaining" why I am in Oklahoma City. The fact is, and it's just the truth, is that people have a stereotyped misperception of Oklahoma City and many can't imagine anybody actually wanting to live here because we actually like it! When I tell them a few facts and figures - it's always, "I had no idea." So, JBrown is right, the whole perception/reputation thing is still very much alive. It is changing, I would like to think, but it's still there.

[Nawfside OKC]

I hear this kind of thing way too often. When I travel, I spend so much time "explaining" why I am in Oklahoma City. The fact is, and it's just the truth, is that people have a stereotyped misperception of Oklahoma City and many can't imagine anybody actually wanting to live here because we actually like it! When I tell them a few facts and figures - it's always, "I had no idea." So, JBrown is right, the whole perception/reputation thing is still very much alive. It is changing, I would like to think, but it's still there.

yeah its like that here in florida when I tell um I'm from OKC its always 1. the bombing 2. tornadoes 3. O.U.................... they think its a flat tree lesstown (that part is true) and that its some prarie where u still take your woman out on the town in a surry with the fringe on top... I think at least the floridians are still mad at how oklahoma beat FSU in the orange bowl in there home state comin off a p-season

[jbrown84]

. they think its a flat tree lesstown (that part is true)

Not really.

[Nawfside OKC]

jbrown I know we got trees just not a lot wish we had more.

[andy157]

instead of focusing on the population boom our best and most realistic goal is to fill in the blanks from OKC to Tulsa and combine metros...... I have a dream that 1 day okcitians and tulsans will put aside their diffrences and join hands in the enevitable I-44 love train ......

I'm OK with putting aside any differences there may be, and getting along. But combining the two metros. That would be one helluva metro.

[Nawfside OKC]

I'm OK with putting aside any differences there may be, and getting along. But combining the two metros. That would be one helluva metro.

your right andy. I really think that if we fill in the blanks the MSA will have to figure out where each metro ends.That will happen before each metro joins. Even if the OKC metro grows without tulsa.

[redland]

instead of focusing on the population boom our best and most realistic goal is to fill in the blanks from OKC to Tulsa and combine metros...... I have a dream that 1 day okcitians and tulsans will put aside their diffrences and join hands in the enevitable I-44 love train ......

I like that dream too. It is true that the two CMSAs abut each other, since Lincoln County is in OKC's CMSA and Creek County is in Tulsa's. However at the common boundary the land is overwhelmingly rural. Furthermore, OKC is growing north, west, and south, but very little east, while Tulsa is growing mostly south and east, but not much west. Thus the two metros are growing away from, not toward, each other. So I'm afraid the dream will have to remain just that. Let's just concentrate on making each metro bigger and better.

[okcpulse]

You're contradicting yourself.

How am I contradicting myself? Yes, OKC has jobs, and as both you and I stated, getting people to move to Oklahoma is more of a challenge than getting people to move to Texas.

The reason why I said that people don't move to Texas because of better liquor laws is becuase they don't. When people move to Oklahoma, they are oblivious to our liquor laws until they run out to make their first purchase.

Now, people from Oklahoma tend to move to Texas for several reasons... liquor laws being one of them.

You are correct, all of that can be changed. And I wouldn't worry about Sally Kern. Indeed, she got the nation talking, but from speaking to people here in Houston, many of them don't care about Sally Kern, much less who she is and what she said.

But honestly, if you up and relocate to another state based solely over a difference in liquor laws, not all of your dogs are barking.

[plmccordj]

Before you can join OKC and Tulsa you have to get rid of that stupid Turner Turmpike. You cannot build on a turnpike.

We are still trying to fill in the blanks between OKC and Norman. I do not think that any of us will live long enough to fill in the blanks between OKC and Tulsa.

[windowphobe]

Do we really want to turn Stroud into sprawl?

[andy157]

Do we really want to turn Stroud into sprawl?

Right after we finish with Wellston.

[jbrown84]

But honestly, if you up and relocate to another state based solely over a difference in liquor laws, not all of your dogs are barking.

Liquor laws were just an example of the less-than-progressive attitude that still exists and holds us back in many ways.