TULSA - Fueled by a robust energy industry, personal income for the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metropolitan areas continued to outpace the nation in 2007, according to estimates released Thursday from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
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The Lawton area, whose community includes the Ft. Sill U.S. Army base, came in slightly under the national average, but still posted a strong showing, a state economist said.
Nationally, personal income — income received by all persons from all sources — grew 6.2 percent in 2007, down from 6.8 percent in 2006.
The bureau surveyed 363 metropolitan areas for its report and found that in more than half of them — 208 — personal income growth slowed. In 2006, personal income increased in 252 of those areas.
In the Oklahoma City area, personal income totaled more than $44 billion in 2007, a growth of 6.4 percent. Tulsa posted a personal income of $36.4 billion for a 6.8 percent increase.
Both cities were ranked in the top 100 based on those figures — Tulsa in 55th and Oklahoma City in 92nd. Lawton's rank was 207.
Growth in Oklahoma City and Tulsa "is a continuation of a trend that's been under way for years," said Mark Snead, an economist at Oklahoma State University.
"This is just another good year on top of 2005 and 2006," he said. "2008 is basically looking like a repeat of '07, '06 and '05."
Lawton posted personal income of nearly $3.7 billion, a 5.6 percent increase. Despite it being below the national average, Snead said the city still posted a strong showing in 2007, given that it had to prepare for the relocation of an artillery school from Fort Bliss, Texas.
Snead also cautioned that the bureau has been revising its income numbers upward the past two years, and that could continue this year for the areas.
In terms of per-capita personal income, the nation posted a 5.2 percent growth rate, increasing from $36,714 in 2006 to $38,632 in 2007.
Per capita income in the state's surveyed metropolitan areas also grew.
In Lawton, per capita personal income went from $31,065 to $32,380, or 4.2 percent. In Tulsa, it went from $38,219 to $40,227, or 5.3 percent. And in Oklahoma City, per-capita personal income went from $35,637 to $37,385, or 4.9 percent.
Oklahoma's strong energy industry continued to tell the story. In June, the bureau found that continued expansion of the oil and gas industry in Oklahoma helped personal income grow by nearly 1 percent in the first quarter of 2008.
With personal income of $128.5 billion in the first quarter, the state ranked roughly in the middle of the country at 28th, the June report found.
The updated 2008 Oklahoma Economic Outlook report, released Wednesday and authored by Snead, found that Oklahoma added 22,500 jobs last year as the energy sector fueled an employment growth rate of 1.4 percent, sixth highest in the nation.
Nationally, the BEA found personal income grew fastest in the areas of Gulfport, Miss., New Orleans and Pascagoula, Miss., which were boosted by federal money to help rebuild homes destroyed or damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
The slowest-growing were found in the Great Lakes region, where personal income growth in most of those areas was one-half the national pace or less, according to the bureau.
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Jon, Glen Ellyn, I share some of your felings about the grocery stores, but you're probably not familiar with the meat markets at the Crescent, the Crest store in Edmond, or, if it hasn't changed Kamp's. The meat market at La Baguette is excellent, but the price is commensurate with the quality. The delicatessen at La Baguette has a large selection of imported cheeses and other delicacies as well as some of the best cakes and pastries in town, Speaking of cheese, the Target off Memorial has a good selection including Monterrey penisula Brie. Crescent is very good in the cheese department too The opening of the Cao Nguyen "Super shopping experience", also added a lot to the city's food variety. Unfortunately, as in many other things, Walmart tends to set the standard, and other food suppliers have to find ways to compete with it. That, in itself, can limit both quality and variety. And, J.L., if I lived in Sandiego, I wouldn't know what anybody said about Oklahoma, much less care. Maybe it's no longer the sunny, cosmopolitan delight I remember.
tu, by now you must have figured out that most people who read this forum think your comments are asinine. Yes, there is racism here. Find me a place where it doesn't exist. Yes, the Bible-thumpers here can be pretty single-minded. Perhaps you'd rather be in some secular haven like Riyadh, or Tehran...perhaps Hanoi or Mogadishu. Canada's a lovely country. Perhaps Moose Jaw would be more to your liking, Pack your long Johns.
By the way, Racism, like intolerant religiosity, is not inherent. Both have to be learned. It's also true that they have to be unlearned. If you were around this state anytime before the sixties, you'd know Oklahomans have done a lot of unlearning. And, while you may be scornful of those, " semi-literate, Bible dummies", I guarantee if you ever find yourself lying by the side of the road following an accident, no one is more likely to go out of their way to help you, and they won't mind getting their clothes bloody doing it. They're good people, just don't argue religion with them. It's a waste of time, and both of you will end up angry. Kinda like the comments you make on the forum.
Tu,
I know you will hate it but TU does have a point about the grocery stores. They are extremely dated and lack the selection you see in many grocery stores throughout the nation. I have traveled throughout the country and visit quite a few grocery stores as part of my job so I'm not talking about something that I don't know. I believe the reason for this is that traditionally personal income has lagged much of the nation. Something to brew on...OK is in a Oil/Gas boom and personal income growth is in the middle of the pack when much of the rest of the nation is in or near ecession. I'm not being critical, just stating the obvious. I don't currently live in OK but grew up their and care deeply about the state and people. I'm proud of the positive changes but more investment in growth initiaties is needes.
TU, your comments are absolutely ridiculous. I have lived all over the United States, currently in Massachusetts, and I have not yet met better people or a better community than that of Oklahoma City. Every city has problems, but the people of Oklahoma continually remind me of how a courteous and polite nature are not to be taken for granted elsewhere. Oklahoma City, and all of Oklahoma for that matter, are on the rise and will soon be the focus of many people around the nation, and not for the ridiculous reasons you have listed.
"inherent racsim, semi literate bible dummies" - tu. Let's not forget inherent bigotry while we are at it. Dude you need to get clue. How can use those two terms at the same time and not look stupid, or dare I say, semi literate.
oh boy! but when you add in the inherent racsim, semi literate bible dummies, horrible grocery stores and awful weather i guess that income really isn't much.
9
Thank you for joining our conversations on NewsOK.com. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Leave a comment. Log in below or sign up (it's free).Editor's note: It is not our intent to offer comments on crime or fatality stories.
By the way, Racism, like intolerant religiosity, is not inherent. Both have to be learned. It's also true that they have to be unlearned. If you were around this state anytime before the sixties, you'd know Oklahomans have done a lot of unlearning. And, while you may be scornful of those, " semi-literate, Bible dummies", I guarantee if you ever find yourself lying by the side of the road following an accident, no one is more likely to go out of their way to help you, and they won't mind getting their clothes bloody doing it. They're good people, just don't argue religion with them. It's a waste of time, and both of you will end up angry. Kinda like the comments you make on the forum.
I know you will hate it but TU does have a point about the grocery stores. They are extremely dated and lack the selection you see in many grocery stores throughout the nation. I have traveled throughout the country and visit quite a few grocery stores as part of my job so I'm not talking about something that I don't know. I believe the reason for this is that traditionally personal income has lagged much of the nation. Something to brew on...OK is in a Oil/Gas boom and personal income growth is in the middle of the pack when much of the rest of the nation is in or near ecession. I'm not being critical, just stating the obvious. I don't currently live in OK but grew up their and care deeply about the state and people. I'm proud of the positive changes but more investment in growth initiaties is needes.