Leadership Notes: OKC saw dramatic growth during MAPS era

I was recently asked to make a presentation about how Oklahoma City has changed during the MAPS era. Some of the numbers may surprise you. 

To make comparisons easier, we went back to 1990 and looked at the three decades that followed. During this time, our metro added nearly a half a million people. Our annual growth rate was 1.4 times faster than the nation.

As population and jobs are inextricably linked, we also saw total employment grow by more than 330,000 during the same period. Our personal income grew by $55 billion, and our per capita income now exceeds $50,000. This is one area where we still lag behind the U.S. and something we can continue to work to improve.

One surprise? Our cost of living actually dropped relative to the U.S. during the period. In 1990, we were 6% below the national average, and now we are 14% below the national average, which helps to counterbalance income levels. We have dramatically changed this city and improved our quality of life without sacrificing the lower cost of living that gives our citizens more choices about how they spend.

These numbers don’t tell the whole story, however. The biggest changes are in something that can’t be measured – our attitude about the future, the opportunity we are offering our young people and the satisfaction we all have in living here.

I am so encouraged that we remain on that trajectory of growth. We are continuing to invest in critical quality of life infrastructure – whether that is a coliseum or a mental health facility, a senior wellness center or a diversion hub. We are making this a better place for every person that lives here, and that is continuing to attract more people who see the advantages of our city.

This story originally appeared in the December 2021 edition of the VeloCity newsletter.