Population Growth for OKC

[SEMIweather]

It’s getting too expensive in those places, we’re actually starting to get some decent restaurants and bars, and a lot of folks can now work from just about anywhere.

Wouldn’t hate it if OKC started to offer some incentives to remote workers, a la Tulsa.

Can vouch, lived in Denver for just under a year. Probably would have stayed longer if not for COVID, but it was fairly clear that to live there long term the lack of work-life balance would be too stressful for me, OKC is much more my speed.

[HOT ROD]

It’s getting too expensive in those places, we’re actually starting to get some decent restaurants and bars, and a lot of folks can now work from just about anywhere.

Wouldn’t hate it if OKC started to offer some incentives to remote workers, a la Tulsa.

Disagree with this. Only desperate places do stuff like this. Nope, OKC should funnel any probable "incentive" money that Tulsa does, gives to the OKC school system instead. Much greater impact to an already attractive, naturally growing city that with better funded schools would likely boom significantly.

[soonerguru]

I would be curious to see what the in-migration is looking like right now in OKC. The housing market is insane. There are entire neighborhoods in OKC without a single home being listed for sale, because any listings posted were snapped up immediately.

Clearly, the demand for housing is greatly exceeding the supply.

I can only surmise this is a result of people moving here from other cities.

[Jersey Boss]

I would be curious to see what the in-migration is looking like right now in OKC. The housing market is insane. There are entire neighborhoods in OKC without a single home being listed for sale, because any listings posted were snapped up immediately.

Clearly, the demand for housing is greatly exceeding the supply.

I can only surmise this is a result of people moving here from other cities.

Due to the pandemic foreclosure properties are currently non existent.

[king183]

I would be curious to see what the in-migration is looking like right now in OKC. The housing market is insane. There are entire neighborhoods in OKC without a single home being listed for sale, because any listings posted were snapped up immediately.

Clearly, the demand for housing is greatly exceeding the supply.

I can only surmise this is a result of people moving here from other cities.

I just hired some people from out of state and they are having a hell of a time finding housing here. All of them said they are either losing out on multiple offers above full price or they are 10th on a waiting list for rentals. I'm not sure how to advise them.

[FighttheGoodFight]

Good news today from the early census numbers. Oklahoma kept all 5 seats.

The changes:

BREAKING: new Census apportionment counts...

TX +2
FL +1
CO, MT, NC, OR +1

CA, IL, MI, NY, OH, PA, WV -1

[BoulderSooner]

Good news today from the early census numbers. Oklahoma kept all 5 seats.

The changes:

BREAKING: new Census apportionment counts...

TX +2
FL +1
CO, MT, NC, OR +1

CA, IL, MI, NY, OH, PA, WV -1

first time california has ever lost a seat

[Bowser214]

Not good news

[BoulderSooner]

Not good news

for whom??

[LocoAko]

Apparently the 2020 population estimate for Oklahoma is 3,959,353, an almost non-existent increase from the 2019 estimates. https://twitter.com/KOCODillon/statu...049413/photo/1

[FighttheGoodFight]

Apparently the 2020 population estimate for Oklahoma is 3,959,353, an almost non-existent increase from the 2019 estimates. https://twitter.com/KOCODillon/statu...049413/photo/1

5.2% increase. Not great. The last two census we had a almost 9% growth.

[gopokes88]

That's not an estimate, that's census so considered official

[Pete]

I moved all the political posts here:

https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=46178

[progressiveboy]

I hope that OKC will be able to have a "continued" sustainability in it's population? Since it has not attracted any new Fortune 500 and 1000 companies to the city, the only jobs I see it has gotten are call center jobs (Costco) and Amazon fulfillment centers paying $15.00 per hour? These are decent jobs but I feel the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce is not doing an aggressive job in attracting "high" paying jobs. Since Oklahoma does not value education, this could very well be a big part in why companies do not wish to locate in a State/City that does not value education? This will be a long term issue for OKC. No more complacency and apathy!! MAPS is not enough!

[HangryHippo]

There was an article in the Oklahoman this morning from the chairman of DRG discussing how hard it is to find STEM people and the lack of a talent pipeline is their biggest issue.

Is it just me or have our universities really dropped the ball on IT and aerospace workforce development? That should have been a focus years ago.

[progressiveboy]

OKC will need to change if it is going to continue to prosper and be a "relevant" city in the future! As I stated, MAPS is not enough to bring attention to the corporate movers and shakers. It is time for OKC to change it's business mentality or continue to have mediocrity and languish in the future. It is truly up to it's residents as to what direction OKC will go??

[FighttheGoodFight]

There was an article in the Oklahoman this morning from the chairman of DRG discussing how hard it is to find STEM people and the lack of a talent pipeline is their biggest issue.

Is it just me or have our universities really dropped the ball on IT and aerospace workforce development? That should have been a focus years ago.

Most of my friends who had degrees in STEM went to CO, California or Texas. Sometimes it is more than just pay I think. Those are cool and hip places for young people to move post-college.

[BG918]

Most of my friends who had degrees in STEM went to CO, California or Texas. Sometimes it is more than just pay I think. Those are cool and hip places for young people to move post-college.

There are large clusters of STEM jobs in those states. Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Iowa, New Mexico, etc don't have a lot of pull in this area, in fact there are only a handful of states now seeing major job and population growth. It doesn't mean there are no STEM jobs in Oklahoma, and in fact we are one of the top states for aerospace, but there just aren't as many companies/opportunities as others.

[gopokes88]

I hope that OKC will be able to have a "continued" sustainability in it's population? Since it has not attracted any new Fortune 500 and 1000 companies to the city, the only jobs I see it has gotten are call center jobs (Costco) and Amazon fulfillment centers paying $15.00 per hour? These are decent jobs but I feel the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce is not doing an aggressive job in attracting "high" paying jobs. Since Oklahoma does not value education, this could very well be a big part in why companies do not wish to locate in a State/City that does not value education? This will be a long term issue for OKC. No more complacency and apathy!! MAPS is not enough!

Fortune 500 companies don't just move every 5 years. This is a ludicrous standard.

Meanwhile SkyDweller Aero out here flying solar panel planes and crickets.
https://www.oklahoman.com/story/busi...ht/7304711002/

Also Paycom is a home grown S&P 500 that most cities would kill to have.

[gopokes88]

There are large clusters of STEM jobs in those states. Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Iowa, New Mexico, etc don't have a lot of pull in this area, in fact there are only a handful of states now seeing major job and population growth. It doesn't mean there are no STEM jobs in Oklahoma, and in fact we are one of the top states for aerospace, but there just aren't as many companies/opportunities as others.

New Mexico grew by 2% the last decade despite having one of the most highly educated work forces in degrees per capita. You can go to college for free in NM if you're from there. (Didn't help at all) Its more than "fix education" (not a new idea btw, everywhere has been trying for 40 years now with 0 results.) it's has to do with, education, capital, a workforce with experience in the particular industry, access to waterways etc.

[HOT ROD]

id also like to add that both Amazon and Costco (esp Costco) added not just low(er) paying jobs to OKC. Costco in fact is building its second HQ that is/will be full of corp/admin jobs.

Not saying I disagree with your message ProgressiveBoy BUT we should be accurate in assessing OKC's current viability.

I can't say it enough guys, Seattle is as prosperous as it is because of the University of Washington (my alma mattar) and other "local" schools here that focus primarily on STEM, Health Care, and esp Computer Science. We have not only huge IT companies here (most home grown like Microsoft) but we also have a very significant Health Care research and development sector that doesn't get a lot of press and it's all due and thanks to the University of Washington. .. Believe me.

There's NO reason why OU can't have this same impact on OKC or better. Like others have said, we've sat on our laurels with education from K-12, post secondary, and professionals; it's actually amazing OKC is doing as well as it is when you consider Seattle, Denver, Boston, SF all have HUGE devotion to STEM and these cities have skyrocketed economically. This is something that OKC could have capitalized on that Dallas ISNT really doing (to the same extent as the aforementioned).

What if OU had local campuses and the main two in Norman and OKC were research oriented in more than JUST Health Care (teaching hospital mainly)? What if OU got a fraction of the research dollars that UW gets. I can't tell you guys how often the UW advertises for paid research volunteers for this or that, ever hear that in OKC?

IMO THIS and to a lesser but still critical degree the state government stance needs to change yesterday. Combine the administrations of rural school districts and maybe place a small increase on property assessment dedicated to schools; distribute that $$ to PROFESSIONAL, licensed teachers paying them $60K+ per year; purchase modern books and equipment (give the books to the students), and fix up buildings that need it, and IMO build/refurb sports facilities. WATCH the rankings in Education increase statewide. Get STEM leadership into OU and turn OSU into a #2 Nebraska or Iowa for Agri research and social sciences. Watch there be a huge influx of students. Elect people in government who will serve the people and not antisocial agendas or good ole boy politics. Watch businesses want to flood into OKC as a result. And then watch OKC become the boom-town that most if not all of us know it's capable of being.

SLC and Denver are great peer examples for OKC. I personally thing OKC is inbetween these cities but SLC has made HUGE, HUGE gains despite it's government and political system. University of Utah and BYU have a LOT to do with it.

come on OKC - get control of your state.

[stlokc]

Hot Rod, love your post.

St. Louis, MO has 10 Fortune 500 companies, another 10 in the top 1000 and one of the country's world-class clusters of medicine and bioscience (Washington Univ/St. Louis Univ/BJC/Mercy/SSM/Cortex) and the region is so dysfunctional that it is barely growing at all. Much less than OKC. Which is to say that you can have all the assets in the world but if you can't get out of your own way you can't capitalize on anything.

MAPS is an example of how OKC is the opposite of that. MAPS could never in a million years have been passed in St. Louis. OKC performs better population and growth-wise than can reasonably be expected with the headwinds of being in the state that it's in and an economy without a lot of obvious flash. What this tells me is that there are a lot of inherent strengths in OKC that are under appreciated. The people of central Oklahoma are actually much more unified and willing to work together than a lot of other places. The "way" that we have to get out of is the ignorance of so much of the rural population that is intertwined with the city.

[progressiveboy]

Good points made Hot Rod! I agree with some of your analysis, however, Dallas has attracted financial giant Charles Schwab from San Francisco (Westlake) Toyota USA from California and now just recently announced Toyota Financial. The PGA relocated to Frisco from Florida and is in the process of building their new corporate campus! CBRE relocated to Dallas from Los Angeles. Dallas has SMU, University of Dallas, nearby North Texas University. Dallas is more of a financial white collar city and has gained so may California companies!

[progressiveboy]

GoPokes (lol). Do not tell that to Dallas and Austin to add into the equation. We have gained corporate relocations on a frequent, regular basis and companies go where there is a good business climate, no state income tax and a great business mentality. Oklahoma sadly does not offer this at all! I can say this as I am a native Oklahoman and former OKCityan. I agree alot with DCSooner as he is usually spot on!!!

[Plutonic Panda]

^^^ many of those like Hot Rod and DC Sooner are spot on there are just a lot of Oklahoma fanboys who cry and whine every time something negative is pointed out about Oklahoma whether it is true or not. Criticism is not a bad thing. Oklahoma needs to be criticized as it is painful watching all of these other states land these major relocations which would completely transform the state and be the biggest thing to happen in decades here. Yet it happens seemingly monthly in Texas.

Tennessee is eyed for a major tech company expansion, Oracle IIRC.