IV.

The People of Oklahoma

In 1910, shortly after Oklahoma became a state, its population was 1,657,155. The population increased each year until the 1930s, when it reached a total of 2,396,040 people. Between 1930 and 1950, however, the population decreased. Oklahoma was hit by both the national economic depression and the drought that created the Dust Bowl in the 1930s. Many farmers, unable to make a living, left the state and became migrant workers. During World War II (1939-1945) many people left Oklahoma to work in war plants in other localities. A further drop in population occurred when production stabilized or even fell in some of the great oil fields. In Seminole County, for example, the population grew rapidly between 1920 and 1930, when its oil wells were being heavily exploited. By 1960 its population had fallen to a level little higher than that in 1920.

Since 1950, however, Oklahoma’s population has gradually increased, and by 2006 it had reached 3,579,212. This figure represents an increase of 9.7 percent over 1990. Population densities generally decline from east to west across the state, and the highest densities are found in the metropolitan areas. The average population density for the state in 2006 was 20 persons per sq km (52 per sq mi).

A.

Population Patterns

Urbanization was rapid in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1940 the urban share of the population stood at just 38 percent. In 1950 the urban population had grown slightly larger than the rural population. By 1960 the urban share of the population had jumped to 63 percent. During the last half of the 20th century, the share of urban dwellers remained fairly stable, and in 2000 some 65 percent of Oklahoma’s people lived in cities or towns. The increased use of machinery on farms and in mining, and the replacement of croplands by pastureland, influenced the migration of people from rural to urban areas. Manufacturing, wholesaling, retailing, and service industries helped to absorb workers.

In 1990 approximately 98 percent of the people living in Oklahoma were born in the United States. Of the total population in 2000, whites constitute 76.2 percent, Native Americans 7.9 percent, blacks 7.6 percent, Asians 1.4 percent, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders 0.1 percent, and those of mixed heritage or not reporting race 6.9 percent. Hispanics, who may be of any race, were 5.2 percent of the population.

According to the 2000 census, there were 273,200 Native Americans in Oklahoma. This is a relatively large Native American community, trailing only Alaska, New Mexico, and South Dakota as a percentage of total population. Most Native Americans live in the Ouachita and Ozark regions of eastern Oklahoma in what was originally Indian Territory. The Plains peoples live in small groups in the western part of the state. Most Native Americans live in rural areas.

There were 261,000 blacks in Oklahoma in 2000. The largest number live in Oklahoma City and Tulsa and in southern and eastern Oklahoma, especially in the Coastal Plain and the Sandstone Hills part of the Central Lowland.

B.

Principal Cities

Oklahoma City, with a population of 531,324 in 2005, has the largest population of any city in the state. With an area of 1,608 sq km (621 sq mi), it is also one of the largest cities geographically in the United States. Oklahoma City is the capital and principal retail and wholesale center of Oklahoma. Tinker Air Force Base, one of the largest air matériel centers in the nation, is located in the southeastern part of the city. Edmond (74,881) is a nearby residential community.

Tulsa is the second largest city of the state, with a population of 382,457, and is often referred to as the oil capital of the world. Tulsa is also an important manufacturing center. Petroleum refining and airplane manufacturing are leading industries in the city. Residential suburbs include Broken Arrow (86,228).

Lawton is the wholesale and retail trade center for southwestern Oklahoma. The city, which had a population of 90,234, is also the service center for Fort Sill Army Base, which borders it on the north. Norman, with 101,719 inhabitants, is the home of the University of Oklahoma. Located less than 30 km (20 mi) south of Oklahoma City, Norman is largely a residential and service center for students at the University of Oklahoma and people working in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area but has recently added industries to this base.

Midwest City sprang up during World War II, because of its proximity to Tinker Field. Many of its 54,890 residents are employed in the aircraft industry, which services the U.S. Air Force. Enid, which has 46,416 inhabitants, is the leading agricultural service center of the state. Bartlesville, with 34,734 inhabitants, is an important center for mineral research and is a corporate headquarters to Phillips Petroleum, a major U.S oil producer.

C.

Religion

Southern Baptists, Methodists, and Roman Catholics are more numerous than any other religious groups in Oklahoma. About two-thirds of the population claim membership in an established church.