Reviews & Comments
Oklahoma City, OK
It's average or below average about everywhere. -
7/30/2019Oklahoma City is one of those cities that constantly appears competitive on lists about starting businesses and having low costs of living and yet doesn't have any more industry or population growth than any other city. The city and State are well publicized that the city is one of the worst in the nation in health care, life expectancy, public education, higher education, public transportation and infrastructure.
Oklahoma City has transformed itself with the multiple MAPS projects that tricked the citizens into making their community better- the city is modernizing, and that's neat. But it's not enough. I got a job quickly in my field of study, but I make about $30k a year for what, even in Tulsa, is about a $45-50k job. "Negotiate better!" you may say, "Get a better job!". Why, when I can just move to Tulsa, or a metro anywhere else and spend the same energy I would have spent getting $40k here into getting $50-55k somewhere nicer. If companies in this area have the money, they're not filtering it down, and I'm ready to move on because of it. I'm not the only one- my job is ABOUT workforce training- no one- degreed, skilled unskilled- is being paid well, and few of the companies are retaining any quality talent.
I didn't grow up in Oklahoma, maybe some people find it charming. There's really not much to do. Sure, the convention bureau will send out flyers about concerts and every local bar has a trivia night promo. But that surface level "community" is everywhere. Nebraska has live music. Utah can answer questions about Game of Thrones. South Dakota has parks. Oklahoma's identifiable uniqueness is pretty much the red colored dirt and a little more Native American history which, despite the best efforts of local civic leaders, has managed to survive. We've got route 66, that road has more signs than some of the other roads. Pops has sodas you can only get in other states; though that's a long trip and expensive way to get a Moxie, the medicine-era soda even inventors in Lisbon, ME don't really drink. Oklahoma City is just not special.
More than anything though Oklahoma City is just kind of depressing. It's a bit of a reminder of how little agency you have in the world. For example: the roads are bad. Everyone says that. It's on every citizen survey to fix our roads. But when it comes time to raise taxes the city lurches into a campaign to prevent it. Even the republican mayor, who also has virtually no power in a weak mayoral system, is asking the city to raise taxes. But it doesn't matter- perhaps due to decades of under-funding education and driving skilled labor into Dallas, Denver and Kansas City we've managed to loose the concept that taxes fund public infrastructure. But hey, that's not unique to Oklahoma either- all the mid-western and southern states are dealing with it.
A lot of people are happy in Oklahoma. It's not the worst place to live. Get your kid into one of the good school districts or pay for private, get a job that satisfies you and pays you just enough, find a church that doesn't extort you or preach prosperity salvation, and you could be happy. Some people don't need more, and that's ok.
But if you're a person who is more competitive and wants to compete at the top, I can't think of an industry besides maybe oil and gas that would bring you here permanently. If you're someone who wants adventure, better to move to a city where there are more nearby geographic oddities than a few man-made rust-colored rapids and lakes. If you're looking for the best of nightlife, probably don't pick a prohibitionist state where you have to drive everywhere. If you're looking for the best for your kids, I really couldn't recommend a place that makes it more difficult to learn, engage in extra-curricular activities or let them behave as "latch-key" children. And if you don't want those things or they don't apply to you, that's fine. But they do for me, and a lot of other young adults. I haven't been in Oklahoma City more than a couple years now, but wow has it left a negative impression compared to the other eight cities I've lived.