Oklahoma City Demographics

City Size and Population
Area	608.2 square miles
Elevation	1,285 feet above sea level
Oklahoma City MSA	1,308,537
* City of Oklahoma City	537,734
Median Age	34.6
* Male	48.7%
* Female	51.3%
Number of Households	437,763
Average Persons per Household	2.48
Household Income
Median Household Income	$38,873
Under $15,000	16.3%
$15,000-$24,999	15.2%
$25,000-$49,999	32.2%
$50,000-$99,999	26.8%
$100,000-$149,999	5.8%
$150,000 or more	2.8%
Educational Attainment
Less than H.S. Graduate	13.5%
High School/Technical School	28.4%
Some College	24.6%
Associate Degree	5.8%
College Graduate or Higher	27.7%

2008 Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area Economic Conditions
(Center for Applied Economic Research, Spears School of Business,
Oklahoma State University Jan. 08)

Job and income growth in the Oklahoma City metro area slowed steadily along with the state and nation in 2007. The national economic backdrop of relatively high energy prices, increasingly weak housing and construction markets, and a cautious Federal Reserve combined to produce an incremental downshift in local economic activity. Nevertheless, the economic climate in Oklahoma City remains strong.

Job growth in the metro area is expected to total 1.7% for all of 2007, slightly down from 2.2% in 2005 and 2.0% in 2006. Metro job growth will likely exceed the projected 1.5% gain for the state and 1.3% growth for the nation. We believe current annualized job growth is running close to 1.7%, or slightly below the core long-run annual growth rate for the region of around 2.0%. The Oklahoma City region is outperforming the state for much the same reason that the state is outperforming the nation – energy. Oklahoma remains an energy state and the heavy concentration of oil and gas activity in the metro area will provide a boost to area job and income growth as long as energy prices remain high enough to encourage local firms to expand their operations.

The greatest income gains in the metro area have occurred in Oklahoma County and have propelled the county among the ranks of the top ten nationally in terms of income growth in recent data releases. The expansion underway since late 2003 remains broad-based and will generate job gains this year in every major industry group except manufacturing and the housing-related financial services sector. The construction sector continues to add jobs despite a sharp national slowdown in building. 

Population, Households, and Income
(Downtown Housing Demand Study – July 2005)
 

Population and households are growing with employment.  The region is estimated to have over 1.1 million residents in 2005.  Through the 1990’s, the City of Oklahoma Cit captured about half of regional population growth, but this share is estimated to have been declining since 2000, with a larger share of growth occurring in the outer suburbs.  A marked feature of population trends in the region is the large “baby boomer” population segment, which continues to move into its 50s.  A smaller but significant “bulge” in the population is the “echo boomers” who are currently moving into their 30s.  The continued aging of the baby boomers is projected to add significantly to the population aged 55 and over for the next fifteen years, while the young adult population is projected to level off.  The total population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is projected to reach 1.2 million by 2015 and 1.3 million by 2030.

In 2005, the region is estimated to contain about 450,000 households.  Less than 3,000 of these are estimated to be in the Downtown Study Area.  In recent years, one- and two-person households have accounted for the lion’s share of household growth.  The average number of persons per household has declined slightly since 1990 and now is just under 2.5.