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Oklahoma City, located in central Oklahoma, is the state capital and its largest city. The city was born when land was made available to homesteaders in 1889 and its population jumped to 10,000 in a single day. "OKC" became the state capital in 1910 and saw rapid growth in the 1920s when oil was discovered in the area. The oil industry has dominated the city's economy ever since. Among the inventions originating out of Oklahoma City are the parking meter and the traffic signal.
Today, Oklahoma City is a steadily growing city of 525,0000, the nucleus of the cattle industry and a major distribution center for the state. Seven miles southeast of downtown OKC, Tinker Air Force Base is Oklahoma's largest emloyer and the world's largest aircraft repair facility. There has been a billion dollar redevelopment program in recent years, seeing a major restoration of the Oklahoma City downtown area and other locations in the city. The Oklahoma City renovation has included the Bricktown Canal Landmark project, renovation of educational campuses, and many historical buildings.
OKC's big city cultural attractions belie its small city reputation. One of the largest museums in the country, the Omniplex Museum has an Imax theater and an array of exhibits making it known as the Smithsonian of the Southwest. Other Oklahoma City museums include the Oklahoma State Museum of History, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame and the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. The city hosts numerous festivals, with the Festival of the Arts in April, state and county fairs in September, Arts Festival Oklahoma in September and the Deep Deuce Jazz Festival in October. Downtown, the Ford Center and the Civic Center offer pop concerts, ballet, theatrical productions and sporting events throughout the year.
Without a big league sports team (though some argue that Oklahoma Sooners football is bigger than big league), OKC still has an abundance of spectator sports options. SBC Bricktown Ballpark downtown hosts home games of the Oklahoma RedHawks, a minor league (triple-A) affiliate of the Texas Rangers. The Ford Center downtown hosts the American Basketball Association's Oklahoma City Ballhawgs, ice hockey's Oklahoma City Blazers, and the Arena Football League's Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz. The city is also home to the Oklahoma City Lightning, a women's football team. For major league action, a 3-hour drive to Dallas avails sports fans to baseball's Texas Rangers, the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and the NHL's Dallas Stars.
Oklahoma City has plenty of outdoor attractions. The Myriad Botanical Gardens, OKC's most romantic urban park, has waterfalls, a lake filled with goldfish, several amphitheaters and the Crystal Bridge tropical conservatory, designed by I. M. Pei. Lake Hefner in northwest Oklahoma City has bicycle trails around its perimeter, boating facilities and a golf course. More golfing is available at the many fine courses in the area. Less than an hour away are Oak Tree Golf Club in Edmond and Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, both named among the top 100 courses in the country by Golfweek.
Nightlife in Oklahoma City is more cosmopolitan than you'd think. Bricktown, stretching for a mile through the downtown area, is a growing entertainment district that features a myriad of restaurants, bars, dance clubs and places to see live music. Around the NW 39th Expressway is OKC's gay community, which has a high concentration of bars and clubs. The city has a large Asia District offering dining and entertainment options from a variety of cultures.
Oklahoma City is a safe, affordable place to live, with a pleasant climate and low traffic and pollution. Places Rated Almanac named it one of the "Best places to live in North America".
Oklahoma City strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Oklahoma):
| Category | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| Racial Diversity (vs. State) | Top 2% |  |
| Well-Paid Single Women (vs. State) | Top 4% | |
| Public Transportation Use (vs. State) | Top 5% | |
| Well-Paid Single Men (vs. State) | Top 6% | |
| College Educated Adults (vs. State) | Top 7% | |
| Affordability of Property Taxes (vs. Peers) | Top 8% | |
| Affordability of Rents (vs. Peers) | Top 9% | |
| Median Family Income (vs. State) | Top 12% | |
Comparing Oklahoma City to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Oklahoma (State):
Ratings range from 
(lowest) to 
(highest).
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Age of the Population |  |  |
| Senior Citizens |  |  |
| Children Under 5 Years Old | |  |
| Male Share of the Population | | |
| Racial Diversity |  | |
| Female Share of the Population | | |
| Well-Paid Single Men | | |
| Well-Paid Single Women |  | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Portion of People Married | | |
| Average Household Size | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| College Educated Adults | | |
| People in Middle Class or Better | |  |
| People Above Poverty | | |
| Median Family Income | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Short Commute Times | | |
| Working at Home | | |
| Public Transportation Use | | |
| Walking and Biking to Work | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability of Property Taxes | | |
| Affordability of Rents | | |
| Seasonal and Vacation Housing | | |
| Housing Recently Built | | |
| People Living Alone | | |
| Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Low Violent Crime | | |
| Low Property Crime | | |
 | Oklahoma City Careers Oklahoma City career and employment information. |
 | Oklahoma City Colleges Oklahoma City colleges and trade schools. |
| Oklahoma City Graduate Schools Oklahoma City Graduate and Business Schools |
 | Oklahoma City Hotels & Travel Oklahoma City hotels, landmarks, tourism, transportation. |
 | Oklahoma City Mortgage Oklahoma City property, mortgage, and real estate. |
