[joe bob junior]

I remember hearing several years ago that these areas, particularly Collinsville, were growing very fast, with lots of people moving in from other states. Seems like I'd heard that many of the new residents had chosen it as a good place to retire.

Now, looking at info on CD, as of July 2008, I see that Collinsville has grown at a rate of over 23% and Skiatook at over 26%. And I'm wondering what's going on in these towns that are drawing so many people? Is it just for retirement? Are people actually flocking to Tulsa but wanting to live outside the metro area? Has someone discovered gold there?

Help me out here, folks. Having never been to either of these places, I assume that they are quite beautiful, as is most of the northeast part of the state, but what is it that sets these towns apart?

[StillwaterTownie]

I assume it's simply much cheaper to buy a house in Collinsville and Skiatook than it is in Tulsa.

[Goodpasture]

Tulsa is growing that way. It's also growing south and east and west.

[joe bob junior]

Hi StillwaterTownie,

Well yeah, that might be it, but by the time you factor in the commute both ways each day, it might not be cheaper. That is, assuming that there is a commute involved. I know that wouldn't be the case for retirees.

[joe bob junior]

Originally Posted by Goodpasture

Tulsa is growing that way. It's also growing south and east and west.

Yes, I got to looking at the growth rate in some of the other places in the surrounding area and while there are towns that inexplicably lag way behind in growth, they are still growing much faster than the rest of the state. Wow! Bixby is showing a 55% plus growth rate! And there are many more with growth rates in the mid-20s % range.

What strikes me as strange is that Tulsa itself, is showing a minus 1.9% growth rate for the same period. While Tulsa is a relatively large metro area, it doesn't seem to be and I haven't heard of people saying that it is too large and they are wanting to escape the bustle and congestion, yet. So apparently the burbs or otherwise outlying areas themselves are the main draw.

[TulsaArtist]

Tulsa is small geographically,,, at least compared to OCK lol. If we were OKC sized, most of our suburban development would be in the city. As for growth rates, Skiatook and Collinsville are still very small so it doesnt take much to make their numbers skyrocket percentage wise. And again, the are quite close to Tulsa commute wise, but still have a very country feeling to them. I am actually suprised that Skiatook hasnt been "discovered" more when people talk about the different suburbs. When your on part of the lake, you can actually look out and see downtown Tulsa. Its probably the most beautiful lake in the area imo, and is SO close to town. I can see it becoming a big, close in, destination point for Tulsans full of high end neighborhoods and nice resorts. Has a lot of untapped potential. Once enough development happens in that area to get some critical mass, I bet it will see a huge swarm of development.

[joe bob junior]

Originally Posted by TulsaArtist

Tulsa is small geographically,,, at least compared to OCK lol. If we were OKC sized, most of our suburban development would be in the city. As for growth rates, Skiatook and Collinsville are still very small so it doesnt take much to make their numbers skyrocket percentage wise. And again, the are quite close to Tulsa commute wise, but still have a very country feeling to them. I am actually suprised that Skiatook hasnt been "discovered" more when people talk about the different suburbs. When your on part of the lake, you can actually look out and see downtown Tulsa. Its probably the most beautiful lake in the area imo, and is SO close to town. I can see it becoming a big, close in, destination point for Tulsans full of high end neighborhoods and nice resorts. Has a lot of untapped potential. Once enough development happens in that area to get some critical mass, I bet it will see a huge swarm of development.

Hello TulsaArtist from a fan of yours!

Yes, I can see how, with relatively small populations, it wouldn't take much to seemingly indicate dramatic growth. That is something I hadn't taken into consideration till now. Mapquest shows Collinsville as being 23 miles and 27 minutes from Tulsa and I guess that is an easy commute, (even on a daily basis), for people of means. Still, I never would have dreamed you could actually see downtown Tulsa from the lake. I have heard from many others that Skiatook Lake is quite beautiful, as well.

I have noticed on CD's detailed profiles that rents are already higher than other small towns and agree with your assessment of the future of these areas. On the other hand, I'm saddened that this will also eventually make them unaffordable for some of us.