Population Growth for OKC

[HOT ROD]

Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area 2018-2017:

1,396,445 - 1,383,242 increase +13,196

At this rate of increase over the previous 3 years, Oklahoma City MSA should exceed 1,440,000 when the 2020 report comes out in 2021.

How OKC compares to our NBA small market peers:

Memphis 1,350,620 - 1,347,596 increase +3.044
Milwaukee 1,576,113 - 1,575,151 increase +962
New Orleans 1,270,399 - 1,270,465 decrease -66
Oklahoma City 1,396,445 - 1,383,242 increase +13,196
Salt Lake City 1,222,340 - 1,205,238 increase +17,305

We are the core of our state's population increase.

So OKC is the 4th smallest market at 1.4M for all intents and purposes:

bottom 5 NBA markets:

* Milwaukee
* Oklahoma City
* Memphis
* New Orleans
* Salt Lake City

[ChrisHayes]

Also goes to show how strengthening the I35 corridor should be a priority for symbiotic growth. We can be the top point of a huge economic triangle area from San Antonio/Austin, Houston and OKC, with Dallas as the heart. Need high speed rail and improved I-35.

I've long thought that about 35 and 44. Ardmore would be a good start for a lot of distribution and manufacturing considering it's location between OKC and Dallas. I'm not sure how it would work with the area between OKC and Tulsa considering there's no real decent sized towns out there. The ticket there might just be Tulsa getting growing faster than it is and maybe building some industry along the turnpike in the small towns.

[BG918]

I've long thought that about 35 and 44. Ardmore would be a good start for a lot of distribution and manufacturing considering it's location between OKC and Dallas. I'm not sure how it would work with the area between OKC and Tulsa considering there's no real decent sized towns out there. The ticket there might just be Tulsa getting growing faster than it is and maybe building some industry along the turnpike in the small towns.

Too bad Stillwater isn’t another 40 miles to the south along I-44. I don’t see too much growth happening in Chandler, Stroud or Bristow. Oklahoma can’t even get a slow train up and running between OKC and Tulsa, high speed rail to Texas seems like a far off fantasy at this point.

[G.Walker]

Too bad Stillwater isn’t another 40 miles to the south along I-44. I don’t see too much growth happening in Chandler, Stroud or Bristow. Oklahoma can’t even get a slow train up and running between OKC and Tulsa, high speed rail to Texas seems like a far off fantasy at this point.

Actually they did a study back about 7 years for HSR from Dallas OKC and it was picking up steam & seemed viable . however funding seemed like the biggest issue. Texas was all for it, it was the Oklahoma funding which derailed it.

[HOT ROD]

yep, I was going to say OKC-DAL-HOU is totally doable even just considering the premium business traffic it could capture. Might be less of those execujets however but a 1-3 hour trip would negate the air hassle.

[KayneMo]

that map is interesting in that it shows growth in the middle and large metros but declines in the rural AND largest mega metros. Note that LA county, Cook county, and the NY city counties all appear to be declining as are declines or tepid growth of their surrounding metro counties.

It appears my state (Washington) and Delaware are the hottest for growth in that we nave no counties in orange. Interesting about Multnomah County (Portland OR) being orange. ....

It's so skinny that it can barely be seen, but Multnomah County is light purple.

Also interesting to note that Oklahoma County has added 104 people/sq mi since 2010 while Tulsa County has added 79 people/sq mi.

[shawnw]

Actually they did a study back about 7 years for HSR from Dallas OKC and it was picking up steam & seemed viable . however funding seemed like the biggest issue. Texas was all for it, it was the Oklahoma funding which derailed it.

I went to a public meeting for this, it was a joint meeting with ODOT and TXDOT. Basically they said a private entity is already going to build an HSR between Dallas and Houston and they wanted to explore if there was value in extending it up to OKC. I _THOUGHT_ that I had heard construction of the Houston/Dallas HSR was underway by now but not sure where things are between ODOT/TXDOT extension wise.

[OKC Guy]

I went to a public meeting for this, it was a joint meeting with ODOT and TXDOT. Basically they said a private entity is already going to build an HSR between Dallas and Houston and they wanted to explore if there was value in extending it up to OKC. I _THOUGHT_ that I had heard construction of the Houston/Dallas HSR was underway by now but not sure where things are between ODOT/TXDOT extension wise.

Link to Tex project:

https://www.texascentral.com/alignment-maps/

[mugofbeer]

I would love to see how the rail alignment could go from it's current termination point south of Downtown through the north part of the city to Denton. The cost would have to be astronomical.

[Bunty]

This is an important map for people to take into consideration. You see a lot of talk about how the rural counties of Oklahoma are losing population. This just goes to show it's not an Oklahoma thing. That being said, I'd like to see Lawton and Enid come up with grand plans to get them growing. Lawton shouldn't be too hard considering it's along I-44 and has the military base there. Enid, would be a bit more difficult because of it's location.

Hopefully, Stillwater can quit struggling to get over the 50,000 mark in population in time for 2020, if it hasn't already. The Stillwater micropolitan area increased by only 173 people in 2018. Maybe Cushing is still having trouble holding on to its numbers. If all the traffic lights downtown are still flashing red after the 2016 earthquake, it's giving off a foreboding, uninviting impression of the town at least to me.

[Bunty]

Maybe it's already been brought up in this long, old thread, but Oklahoma needs to eliminate the state corporate income tax to help Oklahoma City and Tulsa grow. I think the only thing that would block doing that is failure at the state capitol on how to hike taxes or create a new tax to make up for lost revenues. But maybe a case can be made with doing nothing after corporate income tax is abolished.

[mugofbeer]

But, but, then corporations wouldn't be paying tttttttaxes!

[Bunty]

But, but, then corporations wouldn't be paying tttttttaxes!

Great. Maybe corporations will want to pass on their savings by lowering prices and giving raises to employees. At any rate, businesses won't be closing, due to problems with the Oklahoma Tax Commission.

[jonny d]

Great. Maybe corporations will want to pass on their savings by lowering prices and giving raises to employees. At any rate, businesses won't be closing, due to problems with the Oklahoma Tax Commission.

Trump's tax cuts have proven that corporations will be greedy, and will just keep the profits for their C-suite. I am all for a lower tax rate for corporate entities. But getting rid of it completely helps no one except the wealthy.

[mugofbeer]

Lets take this back to topic

[HangryHippo]

Lets take this back to topic

That’s rich after your prior post.

[catch22]

Lets take this back to topic

How ironic.

[SEMIweather]

Too bad Stillwater isn’t another 40 miles to the south along I-44. I don’t see too much growth happening in Chandler, Stroud or Bristow. Oklahoma can’t even get a slow train up and running between OKC and Tulsa, high speed rail to Texas seems like a far off fantasy at this point.

Will never happen, but I think getting some growth in the towns between OKC and Tulsa would be an easier proposition if they stopped tolling that portion of I-44.

[mugofbeer]

That’s rich after your prior post.

I realized what l did and took it back. I doubt anyone has a problem with that.

[soonerguru]

I realized what l did and took it back. I doubt anyone has a problem with that.

I do. (just kidding)

To be real, though, Oklahoma City is the only part of the state that is growing. Tulsa is treading water. The rest of the state is essentially dying, both economically and in terms of population. And when you witness the moronic politicians from Oklahoma's rural areas, it's not hard to understand why young people and smart people in those places want to GTFO ASAP (unless they inherit the family business).

So OKC is growing in spite of this state.

[mugofbeer]

Certain people who live in OK see what goes on in OK end think it's such a horrible place. Texas passes laws that are similar or worse than OK yet it can barely keep up with its population growth. People in California are doing all they can do to overtax and eliminate their middle class so that it's getting where the only people left are entertainers, high tech workers earning huge salaries end mega-wealthy IPO moguls. For all the complaints from Dems about wealth disparity, all they have to do is look at their own state. The point is, most all states have their own problems and the grass in OK may be more green than most negative Okies realize.

[Bunty]

I do. (just kidding)

To be real, though, Oklahoma City is the only part of the state that is growing. Tulsa is treading water. The rest of the state is essentially dying, both economically and in terms of population. And when you witness the moronic politicians from Oklahoma's rural areas, it's not hard to understand why young people and smart people in those places want to GTFO ASAP (unless they inherit the family business).

So OKC is growing in spite of this state.

That is generally true, but lets give credit to a couple of exceptions to the rule. Durant and to a less extent Stillwater have been growing. If some of the Tulsa suburbs hadn't been growing fast, metro Tulsa would have a loss.

I think you'll find Oklahoma is no different from other states. The rural areas have been slowly draining out for years, while the major metro areas are quite likely the only places where there is some degree of growth.

[BG918]

That is generally true, but lets give credit to a couple of exceptions to the rule. Durant and to a less extent Stillwater have been growing. If some of the Tulsa suburbs hadn't been growing fast, metro Tulsa would have a loss.

I think you'll find Oklahoma is no different from other states. The rural areas have been slowly draining out for years, while the major metro areas are quite likely the only places where there is some degree of growth.

Tulsa metro has still seen 5.7% growth since 2010, it has slowed in the past couple years with the pullback in the energy industry which has also slowed growth in the OKC metro and across the state (especially the NW counties).

Outside of the OKC and Tulsa metro area counties, Payne County due to OSU and Bryan County due to DFW spillover you won't see much growth or more likely continued population decreases in every other Oklahoma county. Comanche County could see growth due to Fort Sill, same with Garfield County due to Vance AFB. As DFW continues to march north you could see growth in Love and Marshall counties. Delaware County in NE OK attracts a number of retirees to Grand Lake so it could see growth as well as spillover from fast-growing NW Arkansas,

[FighttheGoodFight]

I will be interested to see how all of our census data comes out next year. Hopefully we don't lose out on an electoral vote!

[soonerguru]

That is generally true, but lets give credit to a couple of exceptions to the rule. Durant and to a less extent Stillwater have been growing. If some of the Tulsa suburbs hadn't been growing fast, metro Tulsa would have a loss.

I think you'll find Oklahoma is no different from other states. The rural areas have been slowly draining out for years, while the major metro areas are quite likely the only places where there is some degree of growth.

That may be true but our state government serves rural interests more than urban interests. Other states apportion more power to urban areas. When will this change in Oklahoma?