The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

(https://i.imgur.com/WaFIeIg.jpg)
Oklahoma City is one of 14 cities nationwide that experienced a growth of 100,000+ in the last decade.

Roy Williams, president and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, attributes much of the growth to Oklahoma City’s investment in itself, diversifi�cation of jobs and becoming more attractive for young folks.

The cities with the largest population increases — listed in alphabetical order by state, not by the size of the increase — were:

         Phoenix

         Los Angeles

         Denver

         Jacksonville, Fla.

         New York

         Charlotte, N.C.

         Columbus, Ohio

         Oklahoma City

         Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio, Texas

         Seattle

OKC’s population increased from 579,999 in 2010 to 681,054 in the newest census data – that’s an increase of 101,055!

                         (https://www.okctalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=17043&d=1628811932)

Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area 1,425,695 (+172,708 / 13.8%)

Oklahoma - total population (2020): 3,959,353.  Oklahoma saw a population increase of 208,000, bringing the state’s total population to just under 4 million and making it the 28th most populous state.

United States Census:  https://www.census.gov/en.html (https://www.census.gov/en.html)

Oklahoma City (+17.42%) moved up 9 places from 2010 to be the 22nd largest city in the US, and was the 8th fastest growing city of the 50 largest cities. Faster growing cities were Fort Worth (+24.0%), Austin (+21.7%), Seattle (+21.1%), Charlotte (+19.6%), Denver (+19.2%), Omaha (+18.9%), and Atlanta (+18.7%).


     689,447    601,222 - 21    Nashville, Tennessee            

     681,054    579,999 - 22    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma    
     678,815    649,121 - 23    El Paso, Texas                    
     675,647    617,594 - 24    Boston, Massachusetts            
     652,503    583,776 - 25    Portland, Oregon                    
     641,903    583,756 - 26    Las Vegas, Nevada                
     639,111    713,777 - 27    Detroit, Michigan                        
     633,104    646,889 - 28    Memphis, Tennessee            
     633,045    597,337 - 29    Louisville, Kentucky            
     585,708    620,961 - 30    Baltimore, Maryland            
     577,222    594,833 - 31    Milwaukee, Wisconsin    


Oklahoma City jumped ahead of El Paso, Boston, Portland, Las Vegas, Detroit, Memphis, Louisville, Baltimore & Milwaukee:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population)

                                   METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA


Look at the pattern (cities with 50,000 +) as to why some of these metropolitan areas will continue with growth:

41.  Milwaukee [1,574,731 +1.21%]
     Milwaukee (577,222)
     Racine (196,219)
     Waukesha (72,299)
     West Allis (60,850)

42.  Oklahoma City [1,425,695 +13.78%]
     Oklahoma City (681,054)
     Norman (128,026)
     Edmond (96,376)
     Moore (63,261)
     Midwest City (57,849)

43.  Raleigh [1,413,982 +25.08%]
     Raleigh (467,665)
     Cary (174,762)
     Apex (70,561)  
    
47.  Salt Lake City [1,222,540  +15.63%]
     Salt Lake City (199,723)
     West Valley City (133,780 )
     West Jordan (118,220)
     Provo (116,594)
     Sandy (95,666)
     Taylorsville (59,405)

50.  Birmingham [1,115,289]
     Birmingham (200,733)
     Hoover (86,270)

2020 MSA  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metropolitan_statistical_areas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metropolitan_statistical_areas)

The 17.4% leap in Oklahoma City’s population over the past decade proves the city is “doing things right,” Mayor David Holt said Monday.

“Population growth is the ultimate measure of a city’s actions. Beyond that benefit, the other benefit is that success tends to beget success,” Holt said. “Once you’re making this kind of progress, it snowballs.”

The momentum will bring more entrepreneurs, more employers, more events and more retail to the city, he said.

Census 2020 numbers released last week show Oklahoma City is the sixth fastest-growing city among the top 25 largest cities by population. Its 101,055 new residents account for 49% of the entire state growth since 2010.

“The challenge is obviously infrastructure,” Holt said. “With the investments in the 2017 bond, the funding for additional police officers, MAPS 4, and the creation of the RTA (Regional Transportation Authority of Central Oklahoma), hopefully we’re staying ahead of it. But I think that’s something our community will have to continue monitoring.”

Oklahoma City now has 681,054 residents and is one of only 14 American cities that gained at least 100,000 people.

“One is not usually surprised by Census data, but today’s news was a bombshell for those of us who follow this topic. The official 2020 count exceeded the most recent estimate by 18,740 people,” Holt tweeted Thursday.

The next day he followed with this tweet: “Census analysis continues & I’ve got a doozy… Oklahoma City is now the 22nd-LARGEST CITY in the United States, having been 31st in the 2010 Census. Since 2010, OKC jumped Milwaukee, Baltimore, Louisville, Memphis, Detroit, Las Vegas, Portland, Boston & El Paso. Congrats!”

Not only is Oklahoma City a place where people want to live, it’s becoming a destination for visitors.

A new SmartAsset study compared 32 of the largest U.S. cities with at least 100 hotels to identify the best cities to host a conference as industries are returning to in-person formats following 18 months of virtual gatherings. The study analyzed 10 metrics in four categories: hotels and dining, affordability, travel accessibility, and safety and COVID-19 impact.

Oklahoma City came in sixth best, due in large part to its average room rate (about $139 per night) and the lowest average cost of a three-course dinner for two ($45, which is tied with Tucson, Arizona).

The new $288 million Oklahoma City Convention Center is another plus.

“I think just being a fast-growing city leaping into the top 25 demonstrates this is a place worth paying attention to and visiting,” Holt said. “Thirty years ago, a group of people being told they were going to a convention in Oklahoma City likely would have groaned. Now, they’re intrigued and want to see what all the fuss is about.”

Convention Center General Manager Al Rojas said, “Oklahoma City is in that sweet spot. It’s all put together for meeting planners.”

Critical to attracting national conferences is getting the word out that Oklahoma City is not what it was 10 years ago, Rojas said.

Bookings for conferences continue to “ebb and flow, but we’re starting to get a good pace,” he said. Concerns about the COVID-19 spike caused Epic Charter Schools to postpone an event scheduled earlier this month, he said.

The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association opened its three-day conference Monday. OIGA officials expect the event will draw nearly 3,000 vendors, visitors and guest speakers to downtown Oklahoma City.

The annual Oklahoma State School Boards Association conference will be Aug. 26-30. It usually draws about 2,000 attendees, Communications Director Christy Watson said. It’s too early to tell if the growing number of COVID-19 cases will affect attendance, she said.

September bookings also are for Oklahoma organizations, but in October the National Association of Royalty Owners has scheduled a four-day convention and the facility will host USA Softball’s annual council meeting for six days.

Rojas said the Convention Center could benefit from large organizations that normally draw 20,000 or 30,000 people but are opting to break that down into several regional meetings.

Staffing continues to be a struggle after hospitality workers were “displaced (due to the pandemic) in a very painful way,” Rojas said. “It was already a very tough job. … Getting people to come back is hard.”--Published: Tuesday, August 17, 2021 By: Kathryn McNutt Source: The Journal Record

                              

About 497,000 people (73% of OKC's 681,000) live in the shaded area, according to the 2020 Census, which is about 137 square miles (23% of OKC's 606.5 sq miles). That's a density of just over 3,600/sq mile.
(https://i.imgur.com/yglP92R.jpg)
          Credit KayneMo, regular poster on OKCTalk.com

NYC: https://www.topviewnyc.com/packages/the-population-density-of-new-york-city#:~:text=The%20population%20density%20of%20NYC%20%2827%2C013%20people%20per,places%20internationally%2C%20such%20as%20Paris%20and%20Hong%20Kong.

Several places: https://opendatanetwork.com/entity/1600000US5157000-1600000US2404000-1600000US4260000-1600000US1714000/Norfolk_VA-Baltimore_MD-Philadelphia_PA-Chicago_IL/geographic.population.density?year=2018&ref=related-peer

Red Arrow:

Good density numbers on cities like New York and Chicago; personally, don't care for that much density where 10k or more per square mile occupy a city--thanks for sharing.

You will experience similar pockets of growth in urban Tulsa as the development trends continue to move in that direction.  New housing trends continue as you witness what's occurring in Tulsa--your growth is much more predictable.  Your city is attractive, CLEAN & beautiful...

What we see happening in OKC totally took our city leaders by surprise.  We have $70 million in MAPS 4 initiative for beautification (may scratch the surface); with pockets of ugly areas of our city that begs for attention.

Oklahoma City has areas where there are pockets of great density:

          9,175/sq mi (bounded by N May, NW 122nd, Indian Creek Blvd, & Tealwood Dr)
          9,005/sq mi (Memorial, N May, Tealwood, NW 122nd, Stratford Dr, & Highland Park Blvd)
          8,700/sq mi (SW 44th, S May, SW 59th, S Villa)

Oklahoma City limits encompasses 620.34 square miles. land & water (1,606.7 km).

Recall visiting an ole college friend in East St. Louis, IL., back in 1998.  Speaking of density, this area was about as crowded as any area I've visited in the United States.

Right now, our population growth is manageable; housing developments need to catch up with the current population.  Affordable housing is in great demand for OKC.  We have a long road ahead to get OKC looking as attractive & clean as Tulsa.

Census data release include:

Oklahoma saw a population increase of 208,000, bringing the state's total population to just under 4 million and making it the 28th most
     populous state.

The U.S. population grew 7.4% between the 2010 and 2020 census, compared to 5.5% in Oklahoma.

Of Oklahoma's five most populous counties, only Comanche County lost population in the past decade. Comanche County lost 2,973 residents,
    down about 2.4%.

    Oklahoma County gained 77,659 people, rising from 718,633 to 796,292, a 10.8% change.

    Tulsa County gained 65,876 people, from 603,403 then to 669,279, a 10.9% change.

    Cleveland County gained 39,773 people, from 255,755 in 2020 to 295,528 now, a 15.6% change.

    Canadian County gained 38,864 people, 115,541 to 154,405, a 33.6% change.

Source:  Jana Hayes - Oklahoman, Published 501 a.m. CT August 13, 2021

Notable takeaways from City, County, Metro & State Census data release include:

                                   (https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/1/okc-skyline-ricky-barnard.jpg)

Oklahoma saw a population increase of 208,000 5.5%, bringing the state's total population to just under 4 million and making it the 28th most populous state.

Oklahoma City statistical metropolitan area, which includes seven central Oklahoma counties, grew by 172,708, a 13.8% change. Much of that growth occurred in Canadian County, which saw a 33.6% population increase and was 27th in percentage growth out of more than 3,000 American counties.

Oklahoma City is one of only 14 American cities where the population grew by more than 100,000 between 2010 and 2020, as almost two-thirds of Oklahoma counties were losing residents.

Oklahoma County gained 77,659 people, rising from 718,633 to 796,292, a 10.8% change.

Oklahoma City added 101,055 people since the 2010 Census, the U.S. Census Bureau reported.

              208,000 - 5.5% - State of Oklahoma - 3,959,353
          172,708 - 13.8% - Oklahoma City MSA - 1,425,695
          101,055 - 17.0% - Oklahoma City - 681,054 OKC, one of 14 U.S. cities where the population grew by more than 100,000
          77,659 - 10.8%  - Oklahoma County - 796,292

Around 1,800 Afghan refugees could potentially arrive in Oklahoma: https://okcfox.com/news/local/around-1800-afghan-refugees-could-potentially-arrive-in-oklahoma (https://okcfox.com/news/local/around-1800-afghan-refugees-could-potentially-arrive-in-oklahoma)

Wanna take any bets on that?  We still suffer from Deranged Trump Syndrome about Muslims....

We're preaching to same choir.

That's why I want to go on record for welcoming Afghans to our state.  OKC & Tulsa will benefit in the long term once you turn the Afghans into
productive working citizens who contribute to the economy.

These Afghans will be the ones that don't like the Taliban any more than we do.

I hope more come so that we get a critical mass for a healthy local Afghan community.

That don't mean squat to Okies.

Unfortunately, you are probably correct.

More diversity for Tulsa makes for a better community.  BTW, the new Arkansas River dam project; glad to see they have gotten started, Santa Fe Square Project (European-style plaza, apartments and a 12-story office tower) and completion of WPX.  

St. Francis Hospital's $250 million expansion; IMO, this is a huge project, a new six-story tower with 124 patient rooms.  Hope St. Francis will regain Trauma center status. This will place St. Francis among the largest hospital complexes in Oklahoma with over 1.016 beds.

Seeing some good infill projects; build Tulsa back better...

2030 look for a big boom in population as more quality jobs will be added to the Tulsa Metropolitan Area.

     Oklahoma City Council Approves $1.6 billion budget.

     The City Council of Oklahoma City voted 7-2 in-person to approve the proposed $1,648,600,000 budget for the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 (FY22) which begins July 1.

    Oklahoma City Free Press:  https://freepressokc.com/okc-city-council-approves-1-6-billion-budget-with-increases-for-police/ (https://freepressokc.com/okc-city-council-approves-1-6-billion-budget-with-increases-for-police/)



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Wrong St Francis.

It's St Francis South that is getting the $200+ million expansion.  St Francis main already completed a massive expansion in the last few years. The St Francis South expansion is part of a new south Tulsa medical district centered around 91st and Mingo that includes St Francis South, Hillcrest South, the new Muskogee Nation hospital (the former Cancer Treatment Center) and the new Ernest Childers VA clinic.

The bigger deal for central Tulsa is the $200 million expansion of the OSU Medical Center downtown including a new VA hospital and new psychiatric hospital.

Swake thanks for the correction and update.  That's truly impressive especially with all the construction projects recently completed in the Tulsa area and the one's on-going.  Great progress for Oklahoma.  Our two MSA's are seeing impressive construction projects.  Surprised to hear about OSU Medical Center downtown and the new VA hospital.  More centers addressing behavior management is needed in Oklahoma.

My brother worked at both Hillcrest and St. Francis (main, back in the 70s) as he enriched his experience in the X-ray and Nuclear Medicine fields.

Thanks again, continue to keep me informed...

The affects of the various Covid infections are taking its toll on our economy.  Everyone is wanting to get back to as close to normal operations as possible.  

Let's face it, most of us will probably be wearing masks and taking extra precautions (sanitizers) for our remaining time on earth.

As we witness people attacking one another, there's an even greater concern with the outbreak and potential return of diseases thought to have been eradicated decades ago.  Recall taking various vaccines as a child.  There appear to be so much misinformation which leads to more confusion and mistrust directed toward those trying to get a handle on the pandemic.  Use your best judgement and avoid garbage sites that cater to repeated misinformation.

Please get vaccinated to fight off and minimize the damage resulting from covid infections.   Wish everyone the best.

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Oklahoma City saw a 17.4% increase in its population from 579,999 residents to 681,054 residents over that time period, placing it as the 22nd largest city in the U.S. Five of the 14 cities that gained more than 100,000 residents:  Velocity - https://www.velocityokc.com/blog/policy/oklahoma-city-makes-sizable-gains-in-2020-census-will-benefit-from-growth/ (https://www.velocityokc.com/blog/policy/oklahoma-city-makes-sizable-gains-in-2020-census-will-benefit-from-growth/)

Oklahoma City Metro Area Population by Year
     Year  Population    Growth  Growth Rate
          2021   1,439,640   13,945     Estimate - Current raw number of 13,945 equates to 1,162 per month/97 per week.
          2020   1,425,695    Official Census * 17.4% 2010-2020 Growth Rate
          2019   1,408,950   15,350   1.09%
          2018   1,393,600   12,110   0.87%


Oklahoma City Population by Year
     Year  Population    Growth  
          2021       NA  [37,362 based on 2020-19  [718,416 unofficial estimate]
          2020   681,054  37,385   Official Census*  (Could this signal the beginning of a boom)
          2019   643,692     6.408
          2018   637,284      8,093            ]


Oklahoma State Population by Year
     Year Population Growth Growth Rate
          2021     3,983,961    24,608  1.61  Estimate
          2020     3,959,353  Official Census*


*Official Census 2020 figures

Oklahoma, By-The-Numbers:

     Oklahoma ranked among ‘Best States for Older Adults’
           
           The top 10 states for older adults are as follows:

                 1.  Florida
                 2.  Oklahoma
                 3.  Mississippi
                 4.  Delaware
                 5.  Massachusetts
                 6.  Maryland
                 7.  North Dakota
                 8.  California
                 9.  North Carolina
                 X.  South Carolina

Source link:  KFOR NEWS 4 OKC - https://kfor.com/news/local/oklahoma-ranked-among-best-states-for-older-adults/ (https://kfor.com/news/local/oklahoma-ranked-among-best-states-for-older-adults/)


Oklahoma ranked No. 11 among best states for manufacturing

     (https://www.velocityokc.com/clientuploads/directory/super_blog/EconIndFeb2022.JPG)

     (https://www.velocityokc.com/clientuploads/directory/super_blog/HIS_PAINT_Production_Factory_manufacturing-850.jpg)

Source link OKC Velocity https://www.velocityokc.com/blog/economy/ok-ranked-no.-11-among-best-states-for-manufacturing/?back=super_blog (https://www.velocityokc.com/blog/economy/ok-ranked-no.-11-among-best-states-for-manufacturing/?back=super_blog)


     

                              Oklahoma City named among 'five cities emerging as
                              future hubs for life sciences development'

                (https://www.velocityokc.com/clientuploads/directory/super_blog/OMRF-Pezza-CC-7047-healthcare_biotech-850.jpg)

OKC Velocity  https://www.velocityokc.com/blog/inside-okc/okc-named-among-five-cities-emerging-as-future-hubs-for-life-sciences-development/?back=super_blog (https://www.velocityokc.com/blog/inside-okc/okc-named-among-five-cities-emerging-as-future-hubs-for-life-sciences-development/?back=super_blog)

                              

By Staff reports, Velocity blog:  January 14, 2022

          The Convention Center has hosted 128 events that have had over 111,000 people stream through its door
          since January 14, 2021.
 
          Official figures estimate the economic impact to be more than $15.3 million as it marks its first birthday.



          

                       (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/32/48/9b/32489b4cd5a9df93b53d593736acff90.jpg)

Oklahoma City’s May sales and use tax summary
Post Date:05/24/2022 1:11 PM

Sales tax summary

General Fund sales tax collections for May were around $27.6 million. That’s around $1.8 million (7%) above the projection and $1.9 million (7.7%) above the same month last year.

General Fund sales tax revenue is around 0.1% (about $327 thousand) below the fiscal year-to-date projection and 17.4% (about $40.9 million) above this point last year.

Use tax summary

General Fund use tax collections, which typically fluctuate more than sales tax collections, were around $8.2 million for May. That’s around $1.1 million (15.2%) above the projection and $549 thousand (7.2%) above the same month last year.

Link:  https://www.okc.gov/Home/Components/News/News/4142/18?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#!/ (https://www.okc.gov/Home/Components/News/News/4142/18?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#!/)

          Oklahoma City has now entered the top 20 populated cities in the United States per Mayor Holt

               https://twitter.com/davidfholt/status/1530652400675168257 (https://twitter.com/davidfholt/status/1530652400675168257)

          (https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FT34PASWAAE5g_-?format=jpg&name=small)


     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population)


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Yeah, but Nashville is still cooler - they have the Batman Building!!

      (https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.skyscrapercenter.com/thumbs/45052_500x650.jpg)
 
Agree, Agree, Agree.  Very beautiful building...  Awesome to see in person.  Nashville is one of my favorite cities. 

                       (https://media1.fdncms.com/okgazette/imager/u/original/4444388/oklahoma_city_municipal_building_2012.jpg)


          

                    Fiscal Year 2023: July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023

                                             $1,836.1 - 8.4% over 2022 -  (in millions)

                             https://www.okc.gov/departments/finance/financial-and-budget-reports/budge (https://www.okc.gov/departments/finance/financial-and-budget-reports/budge)

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Oklahoma City surpassed a population of 700,000 and have had two years in a row of our population growing by 10k per year.

  Link:  https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/oklahoma-city-ok-population (https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/oklahoma-city-ok-population)




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    (https://cdn.statcdn.com/Statistic/815000/815704-blank-355.png) (https://www.velocityokc.com/clientuploads/directory/super_blog/OKC_Skyline_Scissortail_credit_Steve_Johnson-850.jpg)

The Oklahoma City MSA was the 10th-fastest-growing large metro in the country and has grew twice as fast as the nation.

     2022 - Oklahoma City   population 701,266 - https://worldpopulationreview.com/states/cities/oklahoma (https://worldpopulationreview.com/states/cities/oklahoma)

     Oklahoma City exceeded its projection in 2020 census report.


Oklahoma had net in-migration of 28,481 in 2021 and 32,528 in 2022 for a total of 61,009 in 2021-22. That ranks #10 nationally.

     The Top 10 in 2021-22

          1. Florida: 735,279
          2. Texas: 585,868
          3. North Carolina: 240,610
          4. Arizona: 183,033
          5. South Carolina: 166,219
          6. Georgia: 154,308
          7. Tennessee: 143,305
          8. Idaho: 82,519
          9. Alabama: 62,715
        10. Oklahoma: 61,009

              Oklahoma City's MAPS Initiatives & Bonds investments:

              (https://www.velocityokc.com/clientuploads/directory/super_blog/downtown_OKC-lower_scissortail.jpg)

               1990 July - The 1/8 of a cent sales tax appropriation passed by Oklahoma City on July 17, 1990 has improved the Oklahoma City Zoo.
               1993 $350 million - Bricktown Ballpark. Bricktown Canal, Cox Convention Center, Civic Center Music Hall, Downtown Arena, State Fairgrounds Improvements'
                                            Downtown Library, Oklahoma River & Oklahoma Spirit Trolleys
               2001 MAPS for Kids - $514 million and $180 million Oklahoma City Public Schools bond issue
               2007 $835.5 million program approved in 2007
               2008  Bonds $87.7 million NBA downtown arena improvements
               2009  MAPS 3 Initiative $777 million - Projects: Convention Center | Downtown Public Park | Modern Streetcar and Transit | Oklahoma State Fairgrounds Improvements | Senior
                                    Health & Wellness Centers | Oklahoma River Improvements | Trails | Sidewalks
               2022  MAPS 4 Initiative $1.1 billion.
               2022  $260 New County Jail Bonds
               2023  $955 million - Bonds Oklahoma City Public Schools


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               Oklahoma City and Tulsa continues to anchor State's Growth

                   (https://www.oklahoman.com/gcdn/presto/2021/08/12/NOKL/0655db96-1507-4405-936d-a1b7442f23f9-oklahoma_population-01.jpg?crop=1099,619,x0,y42&width=1099&height=619&format=pjpg&auto=webp)  

               2023 -update  Oklahoma State's population estimates eclipse 4,048,375
                                                                            (https://t3.ftcdn.net/jpg/02/25/31/94/360_F_225319487_ks50HGDBtJ0nc2A8Qxo10rvr7FpcQyP1.jpg)
                                                                                       Tulsa city (411,867) - Tulsa metro (1,034,123)
                                                                
                                                                             (https://media.istockphoto.com/id/543842822/photo/oklahoma-city-skyline-with-devon-tower-at-dusk.jpg?s=170667a&w=0&k=20&c=dIZXURKbB3cByiIDRIpaqi4vTFEaxHCfruNY9YAwVtk=)
                                                      Oklahoma City city (694,800)  Oklahoma City metro (1,459,380)

  More than half of the State's 4,048,375 residents reside in the combined metros of Oklahoma City and Tulsa (2,493,503).


* * *  Breaking News * * *

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A $1 billion investment by Enel North America for the Tulsa metro area with Solar PV Cell & Panel Manufacturing Facility at Tulsa's Port of Inola Industrial Park.

It will boost population estimates for 2025-26, this is a huge get for Tulsa, one that will see the metro population expand when the plant is in full production.  

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          Oklahoma City, new data shows tourism numbers continue to increase.

               Link to KOCO-TV 5 ABC - Oklahoma City https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-city-tourism-numbers-increase/44870159 (https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-city-tourism-numbers-increase/44870159)

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     USA Today article list the fastest growing metro areas since 2019.  Oklahoma City ranks number 12

     Which metro areas are growing fastest? Since 2019, this is where most folks are flocking:

      1.  Austin, TX
      2.  Dallas, TX
      3.  Las Vegas, NV
      4.  Denver, Co
      5.  Orlando, FL
      6.  Phoenix, AZ
      7.  Houston, TX
      8.  Jacksonville, FL
      9.  Nashville, TN
    10.  Salt Lake City, UT
    11.  Seattle, WA
    12.  Oklahoma City, OK
    13.  Virginia Beach, VA
    14.  San Antonio, TX
    15.  Tampa, FL
    16.  Raleigh, NC
    17.  San Diego, CA
    18.  Portland, OR
    19.  Charlotte, NC
    20.  Kansas City, MO
    21.  Indianapolis, ID
    22.  Columbus, OH
    23.  Atlanta, GA
    24.  Miami, FL
    25.  Washington D. C.

    Link to top 50 metros:  https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/08/28/fastest-growing-metro-areas-since-2019/70659464007/ (https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/08/28/fastest-growing-metro-areas-since-2019/70659464007/)

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            These 10 U.S. Cities Have the Best Airbnbs for Families
                                (and 2 Are in Oklahoma)

               Link:  https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/these-10-u-s-cities-have-the-best-airbnbs-for-families-and-2-are-in-oklahoma/ss-AA18fvbQ#image=1 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/these-10-u-s-cities-have-the-best-airbnbs-for-families-and-2-are-in-oklahoma/ss-AA18fvbQ#image=1)

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                                                                               4. Tulsa, OK

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                                                                               7. Oklahoma City, OK

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