Broken Arrow, OK has a population of more than 100,000 residents, making it the fourth-largest area in the state. Known for cultural diversity and low crime rates, the city is a mix of blue and white-collar workers who value family, friends and community. Offering some of the lowest housing prices in Oklahoma, Broken Arrow attracts families and young professionals looking to buy a place of their own and put down roots. With public schools recognized as some of the state’s best and a large college-educated population, it’s a perfect place for parents to raise their children. Offering broad ethnic diversity as well as high per capita incomes, Broken Arrow has a variety of neighborhoods that are able to meet the needs of a variety of residents.
Fair Oaks
One of the area’s best neighborhoods is Fair Oaks. A rural neighborhood where everyone knows each other, it consists of residences that are considered established but not old, with most homes being 15-40 years old. One of the area’s wealthiest neighborhoods, most of its residents are employed in executive or managerial positions. It’s a neighborhood with very low turnover, with the vacancy rate being less than three percent. An interesting fact about the neighborhood is that it has a higher percentage of residents with Native American ancestry than virtually any other neighborhood in the United States, with almost eight percent of residents in that category. One of the most favorable aspects of Fair Oaks is its proximity to schools and jobs. Most schools are within easy walking distance, and commuters to work can expect an average drive of only 15-25 minutes.
Route 51 / East 81st Street
Another popular neighborhood in Broken Arrow is the Route 51/East 81st Street area. One of the city’s most family-friendly neighborhoods, it has one of the state’s highest proportions of families with school-age children. The neighborhood is known for its strong sense of community, with children playing with one another each day while their parents establish friendships with each other. Parents in this neighborhood place a high value on education, with a higher proportion of their children attending college than other parts of Oklahoma. Homes consist mostly of singe-family houses with 3-4 bedrooms and have an average price of just under $130,000, making them very affordable to young families just getting started.
Forest Ridge
Forest Ridge is perhaps Broken Arrow’s premier neighborhood. Consisting almost exclusively of single-family homes, it’s seen as a throwback to the earlier generations of the 1950s and 1960s, when life seemed simpler and a neighborhood was where friends watched each other’s families grow up. Housing prices average over $200,000, but most homes are owner-occupied. Different from many of the area’s neighborhoods, most of the houses built here have been built since 2000. A number of professionals, including physicians, college professors and corporate executives call Forest Ridge home, giving it some of the highest levels of education and income of any community within Broken Arrow.
By offering neighborhoods that provide stability and a strong sense of community among residents, Broken Arrow continues to be one of the most desirable areas in Oklahoma for people to settle down, start careers and raise families. With growth in the area expected to continue well into the next decade, it’s poised to keep its place as one of the state’s most vibrant areas.
Charlie Teschner started MESA Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling in 1982. Charlie has a journeyman and master plumber’s license. He was raised with a strong work ethic and he now applies those values to tasks such as Boulder plumbing repair.
