2013 Accolades

Accolades are sorted by most recent.

OKC Leads the Nation in Housing Recovery
December 29, 2013 - Wall Street Journal
According to the Wall Street Journal, Oklahoma City ranks No. 1 in home value increases since pre-recession highs of 2007. In fact, OKC home values have increased 13.1 percent, nearly doubling second-place Denver's growth.

Forbes: Invest in OKC Housing
December 26, 2013 - Forbes
Looking to buy a home? According to Forbes, Oklahoma City should be near the top of your list. The magazine ranked OKC No. 7 on its "Best Cities to Invest in Housing 2014" list. A robust economy and affordable homes helped the metro in the ranking.

Metro has the Momentum Going into New Year
December 26, 2013 - Complex
Based on a variety of metrics, New Geography listed Oklahoma City as one of the metro areas with the "Most Economic Momentum" for 2014. Overall, OKC ranked No. 8 on the list due in no small part to continued low unemployment and high job growth.

OKC is a Must-Visit Destination
November 18, 2013 - Complex
Website Complex.com has ranked OKC as one of 10 "U.S. Cities that Transformed into a Must-Visit Destination." The website highlighted the city's trails, river sports and rock climbing, calling it "a mecca for those looking for outdoor activity."

Millennials are Flocking to OKC
November 14, 2013 - The Atlantic
According to Census data, Oklahoma City is one of the 15 most popular cities for Millennials. In fact, the metro ranks No. 12 in the U.S. for net migration gains during the post-recession years.

Oklahoma City Ranks No. 5 for Middle-Class Job Creation
October 24, 2013 - New Geography
The middle class is thriving in Oklahoma City as a new report by New Geography ranks the metro No. 5 in middle class job creation. OKC has seen a 2.1 percent increase in middle class job creation since 2007. Only eight major U.S. cities posted positive job growth numbers over that time.

OKC Ranks No. 3 in Post-Recession Housing Market Recovery
October 7, 2013 - Apartment Guide
Oklahoma City ranks 3rd out of 350 metros in the U.S., in post-recession housing market recovery according to new data from the National Association of Home Builders. Looking at permits, prices and employment, the NAHB found that OKC is actually running at 110 percent its pre-recession activity.

Wages Continue to Grow in OKC
Sept. 2, 2013 - The Atlantic: Cities
Oklahoma City ranked No. 6 on The Atlantic: Cities' list of large metros with the highest wage increase since the recovery. According to the data, metro residents saw an average salary increase of $3,460 between 2009 and 2012.

Luxury is Affordable in OKC
August 5, 2013 - Apartment Guide
According to Apartment Guide, Oklahoma City is one of the best places to find value in the apartment market. The publication ranked OKC No. 9 on its list of "10 Affordable Cities where Luxury Apartments are Within Your Reach". The ranking was determined by looking at lower rent prices that still provided top amenities to the renters. The ranking is just more proof than in OKC your dollar stretches further.

OKC is a "Magnet of Opportunity"
July 30, 2013 - The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast set out to find the most "Aspirational" cities in the U.S. and unsurprisingly OKC ranked No. 4. The ranking looked at the economy, quality of life and demographics of each city to determine which cities presented the most opportunity to their citizens.

OKC Ranks No. 12 "Brainiest" Metro
July 16, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities
The Atlantic Cities set out to find the "brainiest" metros in the USA using the cognitive performance index. Measured by several dimensions such as regional innovation and economic performance, Oklahoma City ranks No. 12 out of all large metros (pop. more than 1 million) in the index.

Running City, USA - OKC Ranks as One of the Fittest Cities in America
July 9, 2013 - Facebook
According to fitness-related check-ins, Facebook ranked OKC No. 8 on its "Fittest Cities" list. In fact, the website gave the Metro the name "Runner City".

OKC Cracks Top 10 List for New Grads
June 17, 2013 - Apartments.com
As summer begins, new graduates are entering the workforce and according to Apartments.com Oklahoma City is one of the first places they should look to start their career. The website ranked OKC No. 7 on its "Best Cities for New Grads" list. The metro's low unemployment and rent rates helped obtain the lofty ranking.

Military Families Have a Home in OKC
June 17, 2013 - MilitaryFriendly.com
Oklahoma City and Tinker Air Force Base have always shared a strong bond and MilitaryFriendly.com recognized that support. The website recently named OKC No. 2 on its "Top 50 Military Friendly Cities". The metro has more than 250 veteran owned businesses.

Tastiest tap water? You bet!
June 12, 2013 - American Water Works Association
According to the American Water Works Association, Oklahoma City has the best tap water in the U.S. OKC won the annual "Best of the Best" Tap Water Taste Test at the AWWA's annual conference.

Forbes: OKC is an American Manufacturing Boomtown
May 30, 2013 - Forbes
According to a report from Forbes, Oklahoma City is one of the cities helping an American renaissance in manufacturing. In fact, the publication ranked OKC No. 4 on it "Manufacturing Boomtown" list. The metro has seen a 15.7 percent increase in manufacturing jobs since 2009.

OKC Ranks 4th for Economic Strength
May 23, 2013 - The Business Journals
Greater Oklahoma City ranked No. 4 in May's On the Numbers Economic Index. The monthly reports looks at the economic vitality of the U.S.'s biggest cities, factoring in things such as job growth, unemployment and retail activity.

Oklahoma City is Ideal for Young Entrepreneurs
April 29, 2013 - NerdWallet
Are you young and looking to start the next Facebook or Twitter? Few cities offer you more than OKC, according to NerdWallet. The website ranked the metro No. 5 on its "Best Cities for Young Entrepreneurs" list. The site claimed Oklahoma City's low cost of living and available capital as great opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Bloomberg: OKC is a Boomtown
April 29, 2013 - Bloomberg
Business publication Bloomberg ran the census numbers to find the top Boomtowns in America and unsurprisingly Oklahoma City made the list. With a population increase of 7.13 percent between 2007 and 2011, the metro ranked 7th in the U.S. OKC has also had a 1.44 percent GDP compound annual growth over the same period.

Want to Start a Business? OKC is for You
April 22, 2013 - NerdWallet
For Small Business Month, NerdWallet set out to find the "Best Cities to Start a Business" and when the publication crunched the numbers, OKC came in at 5th on their list. NerdWallet cited the metro's aviation and healthcare hubs, low unemployment, low cost of living and available funding as reasons you need to start your next business in Oklahoma City.

Forbes: OKC Among Fastest Growing Cities in the U.S.
April 2, 2013 - Forbes
Forbes recently looked at demographic trends to determine which cities in the U.S. were growing the fastest and unsurprisingly Oklahoma City made the list. In fact, OKC ranked 12th with a growth rate 60 percent above the national average. The metro was one of the biggest risers, as Oklahoma City ranked 20th over the past decade.

Best Places for Young Adults? OKC Ranks in the Top 10
March 26, 2013 - The Business Journals
More than 1.8 million U.S. students will be finishing college this May. Where should they go to start their career? According to The Business Journals, Oklahoma City should be at the top of their list. The business publication ranked OKC No. 7 on its "Best Places for Young Adults" list. The study looked at factors such as population growth, per capita income and private-sector employment growth.

OKC Gets AAA Rating for Third Straight Year
March 13, 2013 - Standard and Poor's
For the third straight year, OKC has received a AAA rating from Standard & Poor's. Strong financial management practices, high reserve levels and a stable and diverse economy are three of the factors that led the rating services to confirm Oklahoma City’s General Obligation debt rating. The rating allows OKC access to lower interest rates. Moody's Investor Service also gave OKC a AAA rating.

High-Wage Sectors Growing Fast in OKC
February 27, 2013 - New Geography
In an era where many businesses are shedding high paying jobs, that sector continues to grow in Oklahoma City. New Geography ran the numbers and OKC ranks No. 6 on the "Fastest Growing High-Wage Sector" list. The metro saw a 31 percent growth in this sector over the past decade.

Forbes: OKC is One of the Best Cities for Good Jobs
February 25, 2013 - Kiplinger
Forbes recently ranked Oklahoma City No. 7 on its "10 Best Cities for Good Jobs" list. The publication looked at cities with the best combination of low unemployment, high wages and expected job growth to formulate their ranking.

Greater OKC Sports Three Universities on Best Values List
February 22, 2013 - Kiplinger
Access to an educated workforce is critical to all companies. With several high-quality, affordable universities in the metro area, companies in OKC are at a competitive advantage in the quest to find a talented workforce. Greater OKC placed three colleges on Kiplinger's "Top 100 Best Values in Public Colleges" list: the University of Oklahoma, University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University.

OKC Ranks No. 2 for Small Business
February 7, 2013 - The Business Journal
Looking for the perfect place to launch your next business? Few places are better than Oklahoma City as The Business Journal ranked the metro the second-best city in America for small business. The business publication looked at several factors for its formula. OKC had a 4.02 percent job growth the past year and has 26.9 small businesses per 1,000 people.

Oklahoma Ranks Sixth in Wind Power
January 31, 2013 - American Wind Energy Association
According to the American Wind Energy Association, Oklahoma ranks sixth in the nation for wind-generation capacity. More than 1,100 megawatts of wind power capacity was added in 2012, moving the state up from eighth place in 2011.

Oklahoma City Among the Fastest Growing
January 24, 2013 - Forbes
Forbes continues to recognize Oklahoma City, as the publication ranked the metro 17th on its list of "Fastest Growing Cities". Forbes predicts OKC will grow by 1.2 percent in 2013. That follows a 1 percent increase in 2012.

OKC Regains Top Spot in Economic Rankings
January 15, 2013 - On Numbers Economic Index
Oklahoma City once again ranks No. 1 in the monthly On Numbers Economic Index. The index looks at the top 102 markets in the United States and ranks their vitality. Oklahoma City has ranked No. 1 five out of the six months the index has been released.