Rodger Randle

The Demographics of Today’s Tulsa

Former Tulsa Mayor Rodger Randle, with statistical and graphic help from the Indian Nations Council of Governments, provided a “demographic look at Tulsa as it is today.”

• Tulsa, population 400,000, is the largest city in two counties, Tulsa and Osage counties. We are the 44th largest city in America. We are growing at .1 percent annually, growing a little slower in the city than in the county or the metro area as a whole.
• In Tulsa, downtown is on the edge of town because of the growth pattern of the city. The geographic center of Tulsa is 26th and Memorial. The population center of Tulsa is 36th and Pittsburg.
• Our population density is greater than Kansas City or St. Louis.
• Tulsa is increasingly diverse, much like America is increasingly diverse. Our Hispanic population is our largest minority group in terms of growth, and it may be a surprise for many to learn that the Vision Summit was covered by two or three different Spanish language publications in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• Tulsans are better educated than other Americans. Over 28 percent of Tulsans above the age of 25 have a bachelor’s degree or more. Nine percent of the city’s population over the age of 25 has a graduate or a professional degree, higher than the national average.
• Household and family sizes in the City of Tulsa have remained the same over the last decade, and are smaller than Oklahoma and national averages. The average household size in Tulsa is just 3.21.
• City of Tulsa households are less likely to be married couple households, and more likely to be female headed or individual householders living alone than is the case in Oklahoma or the nation. Only 43 percent of Tulsa households are married couples. Thirty four percent are householders living alone, 13 percent are female headed households.
• The median age in Tulsa is one year younger than Oklahoma or U.S. averages. The City of Tulsa’s fastest growing age group is 45 to 54. The city’s fastest declining age group is 25 to 34. So maybe one reason we didn’t have more negative reviews on nightlife and entertainment at the Summit is because they’ve already gone.
• One of the things we all agree about and we so often hear about is, Tulsa is a wonderful community for families. And it is a wonderful community for families. But think on those population statistics that indicate that it is a much smaller part of the overall population than we tend to think.
• Our incomes are comparable to the national average. Our cost of living here, of course, is less than the national average. Our poverty rates in Tulsa are declining. The highest poverty rates in the city are experienced by female-headed households with children.
• Drive time here, despite comments earlier about the road conditions, is 18.6 minutes, up slightly from a decade ago, but well under the national average of 25.5 minutes. A majority of Tulsa households have no vehicle or one vehicle only available.
• Tulsa always gets a great rating from outside groups rating quality of life. The The Forbes/Milken list of Best Places for Business and Careers rated us as 58th out of 200 cities.
• Surprisingly we rate low in comparison in parks and open spaces than other large cities in the country.

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Contents

Introduction

The Mayor’s Objectives

Small Group Discussions & Questions

Glen Heimstra
The Shape of Things to Come

William Hudnut III
A Vision for Urban America

Q&A: Hudnut and Heimstra

Clayton Vaughn
You Said We Couldn’t Do It, But...

Rodger Randle «
The Demographics of Today’s Tulsa

The Branding of Tulsa

Robert LaFortune
Investing in the future generations of our city

Mollie Williford
Volunteerism and the Arts

James Goodwin
Leaving No One Behind

Kathy LaFortune
Continuing the Vision

Credits