State of growth: 10 Oklahoma cities where population is growing the fastest

Jana Hayes, The Oklahoman
Updated ·2 min read

The latest population estimates are out from the Census Bureau, revealing what areas of Oklahoma are growing.

We know Oklahoma City retained its spot as America's 20th largest city, and surpassed the 700,000 population mark.

But what about other communities in Oklahoma? Here's what we know about which cities in Oklahoma with at least 5,000 residents grew the fastest between July 2022 and July 2023.

10 fastest growing towns in Oklahoma

  • Newcastle grew by 7%, adding 921 people

  • Collinsville grew by 4.7%, adding 415 people

  • Owasso grew by 4.7%, adding 1,834 people

  • Mustang grew by 4.6%, adding 1,082 people

  • Piedmont grew by 4.3%, adding 359 people

  • Tuttle grew by 3.8%, adding 304 people

  • Durant grew by 3.7%, adding 728 people

  • El Reno grew by 3.5%, adding 643 people

  • Coweta grew by 3.2%, adding 336 people

  • Yukon grew by 3.2%, adding 816 people

Americans moving farther from city-centers since COVID-19

The U.S. Census Bureau found that across the country, the fastest-growing towns are becoming more likely to "far-flung exurban communities on the outer margins of metro areas," according to a news release.

This rang true in Oklahoma, with nine of the top 10 on our list ranging from 13 miles to 28 miles from the downtowns of Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

The Bureau said it could be a sign of the COVID-19 pandemic's lasting impact, with fewer inner suburbs landing in the fastest-growing places between 2022 and 2023 than in 2019 before the pandemic. Higher housing costs and more remote work could be some of the factors behind the increased growth in these areas.

"While the Census Bureau doesn’t define exurbs, we tend to think of them as far outer suburbs of metro areas, and they often have a mix of urban and rural character," said Luke Rogers, a demographer in the Census Bureau’s Population Division. "Exurbs have sometimes been among the most rapidly growing communities, but this appears to be even more true now than before the pandemic."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 10 fastest growing cities in Oklahoma, according to latest census data