Community Profile of the City of Stillwater

Community Profile of the City of Stillwater Emily Fitzsimmons

Table of Contents List of Tables……………………………………………….……………………....3 List of Figures……………………………………………………………………...4 Executive Summary……………………………………………...………………...6 Demographic Analysis……………………………………...………………….......7 Demographic Changes Through Time and Across Area………………..…....8 Housing in Stillwater and Payne County………………………….…….......11 Educational Attainment in Stillwater and Payne County…………………...12 Employment, Income, and Economic Development………………………..13 Means of Transportation………………………………………………….....15 Economic Analysis…………………………………………….……………….....17 Demographics and Flow of Employment …………………………………..18 Employment Concentrations in Stillwater……………………………….….19 Economic Specializations of Stillwater………………………………..……21 Changes in Employment by Industry……………………………………….22 Changes in Income and the Housing Market…………………………….....23 References……………………………………………………………….…….….25 Figure 1. OSU Student Union

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List of Tables Table 1. Total Population of Stillwater, OK, in 2000, 2017, and 2018………….…8 Table 2. Race and Ethnicity in Stillwater, OK, in 2000 and 2017……………..…...8 Table 3. Race and Ethnicity in Payne County, OK, and Stillwater, OK, in 2017..…9 Table 4. Residence One Year Ago in Stillwater, OK, 2017……………………….10 Table 5. Place of Birth, Stillwater, OK, 2017……………………………………..10 Table 6. Housing in Payne County, OK, and Stillwater, OK, in 2017………...…..11 Table 7. Renter-Occupied vs. Owner-Occupied Housing in Payne County, OK, and Stillwater, OK, in 2017…………………...…………………………………....11 Table 8. Education in Payne County, OK, and Stillwater, OK, in 2017, Residents 25 Years and Older……………………………………………………………..12 Table 9. Employment in the Top Four Industries in Stillwater, OK, and Payne County, OK, in 2017 …………………………...……………………………...13

Table 10. Income in Stillwater, OK, in 2000 and 2017……………………….…..14 Table 11. Income in Payne County, OK, and Stillwater, OK, 2017………….…...15 Table 12. Poverty in Payne County, OK, and Stillwater, OK, in 2017….………...15 Table 13. Means of Commuting to Work in Stillwater, OK, and Payne County, OK, in 2017………………………………...……………………………………….16 Table 14. Populations of Stillwater, OK, 2017...………………………………….18 Table 15. Employment Concentration, Changes, and Location Quotients by Industry…………………………………………...……………………………19 Table 16. Housing and Income Inflation between 2000 and 2017 in Stillwater, OK……………………………………………………………………………...23 Table 17. Affordable Housing in Stillwater, OK, 2017…………………………...24

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List of Figures Figure 1. OSU Student Union……………………………………………...……....2 Figure 2. Theta Pond……………………………………………………………….5 Figure 3. Map of Stillwater, OK………………………………………………........6 Figure 4. Map of Payne County, OK……………………………………………….6 Figure 5. Map of Oklahoma….………………………………………………..…...6 Figure 6. Stillwater Welcome Sign……………………………………………...….8 Figure 7. Edmon Low Library………………………………………………...........8 Figure 8. Mural in Downtown Stillwater……………………………………..........9 Figure 9. Downtown………………………………………………………………..9 Figure 10. Race and Ethnicity in 2000…………………………………….……….9 Figure 11. Race and Ethnicity in 2017……………………………………...……...9 Figure 12. Multi-Family Housing……………………………………………........11 Figure 13. Large, Apartment-Style Housing………………………………………11 Figure 14. Single-Family Housing Next to Apartments……………………..........12 Figure 15. Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education…….......12 Figure 16. Stillwater Middle School………………………………………….......12 Figure 17. McKnight Performing Arts Center…………………………………….13 Figure 18. Construction at Oklahoma State University…………………………...14 Figure 19. Bike Rack at OSU……………………………………………………..15 Figure 20. Downtown Businesses…………………………………………….......16 Figure 21. Residential Street in Stillwater………………………………………...16 Figure 22. Major Intersection Stillwater…………………………………….……16 Figure 23. Business District in Stillwater………………………………...……….16 Figure 24. Inflow and Outflow of Employment in Stillwater in 2017……………18 Figure 25. Inflow and Outflow of Employment in Stillwater in 2017……………18 Figure 26. Three Doctor’s Offices on the Same Street………………………........20 4

Figure 27. Three Doctor’s Offices on the Same Street……………………………20 Figure 28. Three Doctor’s Offices on the Same Street………………………...….20 Figure 29. Strip Mall in Stillwater………………………………………………...20 Figure 30. Doctor’s Office in Stillwater…………………………………………..20 Figure 31. Location and Concentration of Employment in Stillwater in 2017..….21 Figure 32. Stillwater Hospital………………………………………………….….21 Figure 33. Performing Arts Center at OSU………………………………..……...22 Figure 34. Stillwater Elementary School…………………………………...……..23 Figure 35. Honors College at OSU………………………………………………..23 Figure 36. Single Family Homes………………………………………………….23 Figure 37. Single Family Homes………………………………………………….23 Figure 38. Single Family Homes………………………………………………….23 Figure 39. Apartments……………………………………………………..……...24 Figure 40. Apartments………………………………………………………..…...24 Figure 41. Apartments……………………………………………………..……...24 Figure 42. Downtown Stillwater……………………………………………….....25 Figure 2. Theta Pond

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Executive Summary This report has been prepared as a supplement to the city of Stillwater’s comprehensive plan, C3 Plan, as it was adopted April 1st, 2013; C3 Plan can be found at http://stillwater.org/files/master-plans/C3-PlanComprehensive-Plan-2030.pdf. Similar to the comprehensive plan, the following text provides a community profile of Stillwater’s demographics and economy since 2000 as it compares to the reference area of Payne County, in which the city of Stillwater resides. The information analyzed includes statistics of race, ethnicity, housing, education, transportation, income, and employment. Additionally, this profile discusses possible impetuses and effects of the results, regarding economic, environmental, and social factors. Most of the data was extracted from the United States Census Bureau through the American Community Survey and the LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics, or LODES; however, some information was also collected from sources like the City of Stillwater website and in-person investigation of the city.

Key points found during this research are as follows: • The city of Stillwater dominates the reference area of Payne County in population, economic activity, housing stock, demographics, and other factors; as a result, many of the statistics for Payne County are skewed by the Stillwater data.

• Stillwater is home to Oklahoma State University, so the activities and characteristics of the students, the faculty, and the university itself heavily influence the city.

• Though Stillwater is a prosperous municipality in many ways, much of the data regarding income, poverty, and employment indicate significant shortcomings in economic equity.

Figure 4. Map of Payne County, OK

Figure 3. Map of Stillwater, OK

(“Stillwater GIS Map,” n.d.)

Figure 5. Map of Oklahoma

(“Stillwater GIS Map,” n.d.)

(“Stillwater GIS Map,” n.d.)

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Demographic Analysis

Demographic Changes Through Time and Across Area Table 1. Total Population of Stillwater, OK, in 2000, 2017, and 2018 2000 2017 Population 39,065 48,685

2018 50,391

(“American Fact Finder” 2000, 2017, 2018) The city of Stillwater has experienced considerable growth in the past two decades. Between 2000 and 2017, the population increased by 24% from 39,065 to 48,685. According to the census estimates, Stillwater’s 2018 population was 50,391, which is a significant leap in growth with a 3.5% increase in just one year. For comparison, Stillwater has averaged a 565 population increase annually since 2000; if the 2018 estimate is correct, the city gained roughly 1,700 residents in one year, over three times that average (“American Fact Finder” 2000, 2017, 2018). However, this 2018 appraisal is likely an inaccurate approximation due to the short time span. Even so, with the increase in population, Stillwater has also experienced an increase in diversity.

Table 2. Race and Ethnicity in Stillwater, OK, in 2000 and 2017 2000 Population 2017 Population 2000 Percentage Total 39,065 48,685 N/A White 32,220 38,170 82.5% African American 1,681 2,368 4.3% American Indian/ 1,519 2,413 3.9% Alaska Native Asian 1,974 3,376 5.1% Other Race 359 307 0.9% Hispanic/Latino 976 2,455 2.5%

2017 Percentage N/A 78.4% 4.9% 5% 6.9% 0.6% 5%

(“American Fact Finder” 2000, 2017) Figure 7. Edmon Low The white population in Stillwater has grown the most in numbers since 2000 with Library a 5,950 increase; however, this group’s percentage of the population has decreased from 82.5% to 78.4%. Additionally, the “Other Race” category has decreased in both population total and percentage. Meanwhile, all other categories of race or ethnicity have increased in both population totals and percentages. In particular, the Hispanic and Latino Figure 6. Stillwater Welcome Sign population has multiplied by 2.5. Likewise, the Asian population has also experienced strong growth, gaining over 1,400 new members in the area (“American Fact Finder” 2000, 2017). This rising demographic differentiation has likely resulted from efforts by Oklahoma State University to build a more diverse student and faculty body.

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Figure 8. Mural in Downtown Stillwater

Figure 9. Downtown

Table 3. Race and Ethnicity in Payne County, OK, and Stillwater, OK, in 2017 2017 Payne County 2017 Stillwater 2017 Payne County 2017 Stillwater Population Population Percentage Percentage Total 80,634 48,685 N/A N/A White 65,396 38,170 81.1% 78.4% African American 3,227 2,368 4% 4.9% American Indian/ 4,075 2,413 5.1% 5% Alaska Native Asian 3,570 3,376 4.4% 6.9% Other Race Hispanic/Latino

388 3,699

307 2,455

0.5% 4.6%

0.6% 5%

(“American Fact Finder” 2017) Demographics of race and ethnicity are decidedly similar between the city of Stillwater and the reference area, Payne County. This resemblance occurs because Stillwater contains the majority of the county’s population, so Stillwater’s attributes have a high influence on the data for the county as a whole. Even so, Stillwater has higher percentages for most of the minority populations while Payne County has a higher percentage of white residents; this difference is due to the presence of a university in Stillwater, which tends to bring more diversity to an area as students from many backgrounds come for education (“American Fact Finder” 2017).

Figure 10. Race and Ethnicity in 2000 Figure 11. Race and Ethnicity in 2017

(“American Fact Finder” 2000)

(“American Fact Finder” 2017) 9

Table 4. Residence One Year Ago in Stillwater, OK, 2017 Number of Residents Total Population 1 Year and Over 47,914 Same House 31,453 Different House in the United 15,368 States Same County 6,885 Different County 8,483 Same State 5,746 Different State 2,737 Abroad 1,093

Number of Residents (%) N/A 65.6% 32.1% 14.4% 17.7% 12.0% 5.7% 2.3%

(“American Fact Finder” 2017) As of 2017, only 65.6% of Stillwater’s population remained in the same housing unit as the year before, indicating high rates of residential moves. Just 2.3% of the population lived abroad as of a year ago, so foreign immigration is not the main cause of this. Rather, the statistic is mostly influenced by students at Oklahoma State University. For many, housing is turbulent during college: Many students move after only one or two years of living in an apartment for various reasons, such as low-quality housing, changing income, or outgrowing roommates. Due to these moves by students within Stillwater, the data shows a high percentage of moves within the entire county at 14.4%. Meanwhile, 17.7% of housing changes involved residents from outside Payne County; this is similarly influenced by university students moving to Stillwater for their first or second year of school (“American Fact Finder” 2017).

Table 5. Place of Birth, Stillwater, OK, 2017 Number of Residents Total Population 48,685 Native 43,871 Born in United States 43,357 State of Residence 24,993 Different State 18,364 Born in Puerto Rico, U. S. 514 Island Areas, or Born Abroad to American Parent(s) Foreign Born 4,814

Number of Residents (%) N/A 90.1% 89.1% 51.3% 37.7% 1.1% 9.9%

(“American Fact Finder” 2017) An extremely high percentage of the population in Stillwater is native to the United States at 90.1% – or 43,871 residents – with only 1.1% born in the United States territories or born outside the country to American parents. 9.9% of the population is foreign-born, however, which is high for Oklahoma. The strong presence of immigrants is largely due to the university in Stillwater, which actively attracts international students, faculty, and staff. Notably, this number also consists highly of immigrants from Hispanic and Asian countries, as those portions of the population in Stillwater have grown substantially since 2000, as shown in Table 2 on page 8 . Compared to the reference area of Payne County – which has a foreign-born population of 5,415, or 6.7% of the county population – Stillwater’s numbers are impressive, especially considering 4,814 of that 5,415 are Stillwater residents (“American Fact Finder” 2017). Such diversity improves the area economically and socially but will require deliberate planning in order to accommodate heterogeneity as well as policy to maintain and increase the city’s cultural competency.

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Housing in Stillwater and Payne County Figure 12. Multi-Family Housing

Figure 13. Large, Apartment-Style Housing

Table 6. Housing in Payne County, OK, and Stillwater, OK, in 2017 Number of Number of Stillwater Percentage of Payne County Housing Units Payne County Housing Units Housing Units Total 35,603 21,454 N/A Vacant 5,199 2,887 14.6% Occupied 30,404 18,576 85.4%

Percentage of Stillwater Housing Units N/A 13.5% 86.5%

(“American Fact Finder” 2017) Professionals typically consider a healthy rental and homeowner vacancy rate to be close to 8% and 2%, respectively. As displayed by Table 6, Stillwater has a high overall vacancy rate of 13.5%. This number is so elevated because 64.3% of housing in the city is renter-occupied, and renter vacancy rate tends to be higher than homeowner vacancy rate in general (“American Fact Finder” 2017). This data may also be affected by students leaving during school breaks to travel home or abroad. Even so, Stillwater’s vacancy rate is too high, yet Payne County has an even higher vacancy rate. This is partly because Stillwater has a large vacancy rate and, therefore, drives the percentage upward as it is a miniature primate city of Payne County. However, another contributing reason is that the rest of the urban areas in the county are already small, rural towns, which are shrinking as more people move to large cities for opportunity.

Table 7. Renter-Occupied vs. Owner-Occupied Housing in Payne County, OK, and Stillwater, OK, in 2017 Number of Number Percentage Percentage Median Median Payne County of of Payne of Stillwater Payne Stillwater Housing Stillwater County Housing County Rent or Units Housing Housing Units Rent or Value Units Units Value Total Occupied 30,404 18,576 N/A N/A N/A N/A Housing Renter-Occupied 15,354 11,940 50.5% 64.3% $765 $775 Owner-Occupied 15,050 6,627 49.5% 35.7% $147,400 $162,300 (“American Fact Finder” 2017) Data regarding renter-occupied housing in Payne County is largely influenced by the data for Stillwater, as 77.8% of renter-occupied housing units in Payne County are located in the city of Stillwater. Stillwater’s high number of renters establishes the entire county as a renter-dominated area, though the county is practically half 11

Figure 14. Single-Family Housing Next to Apartments owner-occupied, half renter-occupied.

Because Stillwater accommodates most of the renters in Payne County, the county’s median rent hovers just $10 above Stillwater’s median rent. However, the towns outside of Stillwater consist chiefly of owner-occupied housing with 27.1% more owner-occupied dwellings than Stillwater (“American Fact Finder” 2017). As a result, the data represents Payne County’s median housing value more accurately than median rent.

Educational Attainment in Stillwater and Payne County Table 8. Education in Payne County, OK, and Stillwater, OK, in 2017, Residents 25 Years and Older Payne County Stillwater Payne County Percentage Stillwater Percentage Population 25 Population of Population 25 Years or of Population 25 Years or Older 25 Years or Older Years or Older Older Total 43,342 22,441 N/A N/A Attained High School 39,592 21,370 91.3% 95.2% Degree or Higher Attained Bachelor’s 15,962 10,856 36.8% 48.4% Degree or Higher (“American Fact Finder” 2017) Stillwater and Payne County have surprisingly low numbers for educational attainment: Neither one reaches even 50% for attainment of a bachelor’s degree amongst adults 25 years and older, though Stillwater has a university (“American Fact Finder” 2017). With higher education geographically accessible to the entire Figure 15. Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education

Figure 16. Stillwater Middle School

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county, one would expect these percentages to be higher; however, these low numbers are induced by smallscale brain drain. As soon as students graduate, most must disperse to jobs across the country rather than stay in the area, for Payne County does not have enough economic activity to employ everyone who attends OSU. Additionally, many older residents do not have a bachelor’s degree because higher education was less accessible and less necessary for success during their younger years.

Employment, Income, and Economic Development Table 9. Employment in the Top Four Industries in Stillwater, OK, and Payne County, OK, in 2017 Top 4 Industries Employed Percentage of Top 4 Industries Employed Percentage of Emin Stillwater Population in Employed in Payne County Population ployed Population Stillwater, Population in in Payne in Payne County, Age 16 Stillwater, County, Age 16 Years or Years or Age 16 Years Age 16 Older Older or Older Years or Older Total Employed 22,790 N/A Total Employed 36,377 N/A Educational Ser8,757 38.4% Educational Ser12,127 33.3% vices, Health vices, Health Care, and Social Care, and Social Assistance Assistance Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Accommodation, and Food Services Retail Trade

3,145

13.8% Retail Trade

4,582

12.6%

3,112

4,295

11.8%

Other Services, Excluding Public Administration

1,263

13.7% Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Accommodation, and Food Services 5.5% Construction

2,405

6.6%

(“American Fact Finder” 2017) Figure 17. McKnight Performing Arts Center Given the presence of OSU and the expansive medical complexes in Stillwater, the industry sector with the most employees is, unsurprisingly, the education, health care, and social services category with 8,757 workers. The following two categories both have about 3,100 employees, which is considerably less than the top sector (“American Fact Finder” 2017). Even so, these two industries – arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services as 13

well as retail – are also logical as the second and third top sectors for Stillwater because of the high population of young adults. In general, this age group spends much of its free time and resources going out to eat, partaking in recreational activities, or shopping for fun, all of which require employees to accommodate demand.

Several of Payne County’s top industries align with Stillwater’s because the city contributes so many employees to the local economy. For example, 72.2% of Payne County residents employed in the education, health care, and social assistance sector work in Stillwater. Likewise, 67.9% of retail employees and 73.2% of those in the arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services in Payne County work in Stillwater. Notably, however, Stillwater and its reference area differ in their fourth biggest industries: In Stillwater, this is non-governmental services while, for Payne County, it is construction (“American Fact Finder” 2017). The prevalence of construction in Payne County is likely due to the combination of prolific renovations on OSU’s campus, Cushing’s oil industry, and constant upgrading of public infrastructure.

Figure 18. Construction at Oklahoma State University

Table 10. Income in Stillwater, OK, in 2000 and 2017 2000 Median Household Income $25,432 Median Family Income $41,938

2017 $29,450 $62,647

(“American Fact Finder” 2000, 2017) In Stillwater, median household income increased by 15.7%, or $4,018, between 2000 and 2017. At first, this increase seems satisfactory, but, if inflation is considered, purchasing power for households in Stillwater has decreased (“American Fact Finder” 2000, 2017). In order to have the same purchasing power in 2017 as in 2000, median household income would have to be about $36,000 (US Inflation Calculator 2018). The decrease in purchasing power is due to various reasons, including minimum wage failing to keep up with inflation over time. As a result, the local economy suffers because people are not able to contribute as much capital, diminishing fiscal circulation in the area. By contrast, to maintain purchasing power from 2000 in 2017, median family income would need to be $59,866, which Stillwater exceeds by about $3,000. During that time, median family income increased by a whopping 49%, or $20,709 (“American Fact Finder” 2000, 2017).

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Table 11. Income in Payne County, OK, and Stillwater, OK, 2017 Payne County Median Household Income $39,149 Median Family Income $59,647

Stillwater $29,450 $62,647

(“American Fact Finder” 2017) Median family income between Payne County and Stillwater is fairly comparable; however, the county’s similarity in numbers is at least partly because of Stillwater’s strong influence on the data. Even so, there is a significant difference of nearly $10,000 between Payne County and Stillwater’s median household income (“American Fact Finder” 2017). This discrepancy occurs because many of the households in Stillwater consist of unmarried students who cannot work as many hours or in higher paying jobs due to being in school.

Table 12. Poverty in Payne County, OK, and Stillwater, OK, in 2017 Payne County Total Population in Poverty (%) 26.3% Population Younger than 18 Years in Poverty 21.7% (%) Related Children Younger than 18 Years of a Householder in Poverty (%) (“American Fact Finder” 2017)

21.6%

Stillwater 34.3% 22.7% 22.6%

Stillwater has a much higher rate of total poverty than that of Payne County due to the presence of college students, who tend to be poorer because they are unestablished young adults. Nevertheless, Payne County and Stillwater share extremely similar percentages for the adolescent population in poverty, all of which are higher than the national average (“American Fact Finder” 2017). Such high poverty rates have negative economic, social, and environmental effects, such as decreased public health, economic lethargy, and increased pollution.

For instance, some of the lower-income neighborhoods are not maintained as well and have poor infrastructure and more litter. However, the city does host active non-governmental services for low-income residents, including a Habitat for Humanity branch as well as a system of food pantries.

Means of Transportation

Figure 19. Bike Rack at OSU

As is typical with Oklahoma, Stillwater sprawls; this – among other reasons, such as social expectations, lacking infrastructure, and ease – induces high numbers of single occupancy vehicles. In 2017, 75.1% of the 18,836 commuters traveling by car, truck, or van drove alone to work in Stillwater. By contrast 7% walked to work, and 1.9% utilized public transportation (“American Fact Finder” 2017). Those who commute via alternative transportation consist largely of students and other low-income residents who must limit how much they drive due to the cost of gas and car maintenance. The imbalance begets several negative effects on the Stillwater community and surrounding area, including ecosystem disruption, climate change, urban sprawl, traffic congestion, and social inequality.

Notably, everyone except three commuters in the public transportation category lives in Stillwater, for Stillwater is the only city in the county large enough by Oklahoma standards to support public transportation.

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In reality, those three extra people are probably a data collection error. Like residents of Stillwater, the majority of people throughout Payne County commute in single-occupancy vehicles. In fact, Payne County’s percentages are even higher than Stillwater’s at 78.7%. Lastly, Payne County’s mean travel time to work is skewed by Stillwater data as well as those who commute long distances to larger cities. For the other urban areas in the county are very small towns with populations under 15,000 residents (“American Fact Finder” 2017). Towns of such size can typically be crossed in five minutes in a car.

Table 13. Means of Commuting to Work in Stillwater, OK, and Payne County, OK, in 2017 Number of Percentage of Number of Percentage of Commuters Total Commuters Commuters in Total Commuters in Stillwater in Stillwater Payne County in Payne County Car/Truck/Van 18,836 85.2% 31,367 88.6% Carpooled 2,240 10.1% 3,513 9.9% Single Occupant 16,596 75.1% 27,854 78.7% Vehicle Public Transportation 428 1.9% 431 1.2% Walking 1,549 7% 1,707 4.8% Other Means Works at Home Mean Travel Time to Work (Minutes) (“American Fact Finder” 2017) Figure 20. Downtown Businesses

618 681

2.8% 3.1%

15.3

763 1,139 17.5

Figure 21. Residential Street in Stillwater

Figure 22. Major Intersection in Stillwater Figure 23. Business District in Stillwater

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2.2% 3.2%

Demographics and Flow of Employment Table 14. Populations of Stillwater, OK, 2017 Total 16 Years and Older 16 Years and Older in the Labor Force

Population

Percentage of Stillwater’s Total Population

48,685 41,826 23,974

N/A 85.9% 49.2%

(“American Fact Finder” 2017) As expected, an overwhelmingly large portion of Stillwater’s population – 85.91% – is sixteen years or older.

Notably, however, only 57.31% of people in this age group are in the labor force (“American Fact Finder” 2017). The remaining 33.69% consists mostly of retirees as well as students who do not need to work because of external financial support for their studies. As shown in Figures 24 and 25, 16,880 non-residents commute into Stillwater for work, which is over 7,000 more than both the number of residents who work in Stillwater and the number of residents who work outside of Stillwater (“On the Map” 2017). This count is unsurprising, for most of the population, jobs, and resources in Payne County are located in Stillwater. As a result, many who live in the surrounding rural towns must commute to the larger city for employment. The estimates for the other two categories, however, were unexpected. Rather, I envisaged that the number of residents who also work in Stillwater would form the highest number because Stillwater has the highest population in the county by a considerable amount. Even so, a large portion of the city’s total population consists of students, many of whom do not work if they can afford it; this fact shapes the results. Likewise, I did not foresee the number of residents working outside the city being so high; in fact, it is almost equivalent to the amount of people living and working in Stillwater. That statistic is mostly likely dominated by people who work in rural industries outside the city limits – such as oil extraction or agriculture – as well as those whose jobs center around travel, such as truck drivers or traveling nurses.

Figure 24. Inflow and Outflow of Employment in Stillwater in 2017

Figure 25. Inflow and Outflow of Employment in Stillwater in 2017

(“On the Map” 2017)

(“On the Map” 2017)

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Employment Concentrations in Stillwater Table 15. Employment Concentration, Changes, and Location Quotients by Industry Industry Sector Employment Location Quotients Employment Employment Concentration (Stillwater against change between Percentage Rate Change (%) Payne County) 2000 and 2017 Between 2000 and 2017 (#) (%) Agriculture, Forestry, 2.80% 0.66 +407 +154.17% Fishing, Hunting Construction

4.53%

0.72

+546

+101.11%

Manufacturing

3.41%

0.54

-816

-49.94%

Wholesale Trade

1.63%

1.03

+23

+6.25%

12.98%

1.07

+617

+24.73%

Transportation, Warehousing, Utilities

1.71%

0.60

+34

+9.07%

Information

1.76%

1.09

-186

-30.45%

Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Rental Leasing

3.28%

0.87

-59

-6.97%

Professional, Scientific, Management, Administrative, and Waste Management Services

4.94%

0.84

-358

-23.22%

Educational Services, Health Care, Social Assistance

36.53%

1.15

+344

+4.09%

Art, Entertainment, Recreation, Accommodation, and Food Services

13.12%

1.16

+842

+36.56%

Other Services, Except Public Administration

5.27%

1.10

+429

+51.44%

Public Administration

3.10%

0.79

0

0%

Retail Trade

(“American Fact Finder” 2000, 2017) Employees in the education, health, and social services sector constitute Stillwater’s largest industry by far; in fact, this sector’s employment concentration comprises 36.53% of the city’s labor force (“American Fact Finder” 2017). This industry’s prominence is due to several reasons, such as the many, high quality health care complexes throughout the city, including a nationally recognized hospital. Additionally, the presence of Oklahoma State University as well as several primary schools generates many jobs surrounding education.

Second to that sector, the arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services industry make up 13.12% of the labor force (“American Fact Finder” 2017). This industry is also prominent because many young people must work in such jobs – particularly food services – before starting their careers, and Stillwater attracts an abundant supply of young people because of the university. Similarly, many students work in retail 19

Figures 26, 27, 28. Three Doctor’s Offices on the Same Street

trade, which is why this industry is a close third at 12.98% of the labor force (“American Fact Finder” 2017).

Additionally, the high demand for products require high numbers of workers to serve customers. For the same reason, the sector for other services, excluding public administration, make the fourth-highest employment concentration in Stillwater’s labor force at 5.27% (“American Fact Finder” 2017).

Both the construction industry and the professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste services sector each constitute about 4% of Stillwater’s labor force (“American Fact Finder” 2017). This was surprising because I expected the university to provide more of these jobs from research, administration, and expansion needs. Meanwhile, the industries of manufacturing, public administration, and financing, insurance, and real estate all make up about 3% of the labor force (“American Fact Finder” 2017). The manufacturing sector concentration of employment is expectedly low because the United States as a whole has moved from a manufacturing economy to a service-centered market. Furthermore, many manufacturing nodes have moved out of cities like Stillwater to rural areas, where land is cheaper. The financing, insurance, and real estate industry is extremely vital to the city’s economy because of students’ needs for loans and temporary housing.

Even so, this sector has a small employment concentration because customers typically only utilize human representatives in this industry for the big purchases, like hiring a realtor to buy property. For everyday business in this sector, most customers now use online services, such as mobile banking, so this industry does not require many employees. The remaining industries have employment concentrations ranging from 1.63% to 2.8% (“American Fact Finder” 2017). These include agriculture, forestry, mining, fishing, and hunting; information; transportation, warehousing, and utilities; and wholesale trade, from highest to lowest employment concentration in the city’s labor force. These sectors employ few people in Stillwater because such businesses are more suitable for rural settings where land is plentiful and inexpensive. Furthermore, zoning often requires these industries to operate outside of cities, away from residents.

Geographically, the highest concentration of jobs in Stillwater is located at Oklahoma State University (“On the Map” 2017). This fact easily aligns with the data from Table 15, which states that the education, health care, and social services sector provide the highest number of jobs and is the second-largest base industry in Figure 29. Strip Mall in Stillwater

Figure 30. Doctor’s Office in Stillwater

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Stillwater (“American Fact Finder” 2017). As demonstrated in Figure 31, the concentration of employment lessens the farther one goes from the university campus; however, a few, larger nodes still dot other parts of the city where major companies are located, such as Walmart and Oklahoma Natural Gas. These clusters of employment also follow Stillwater’s major arterial roads because of the easy access to movement of goods and people. In general, most of Stillwater has a density of 5-1,033 jobs/sq. mile (“On the Map” 2017).

Figure 31. Location and Concentration of Employment in Stillwater in 2017

(“On the Map” 2017)

Economic Specializations of Stillwater Compared to the reference area of Payne County, Stillwater’s basic and non-basic sectors are clearly split between urban and rural industries, respectively. As stated by the location quotients in Table 15, the city’s base industries essentially consist of services, trade, and information. These sectors include wholesale trade; retail trade; information; education, health care, and social Figure 32. Stillwater Hospital assistance; arts, recreation, entertainment, accommodation, and food services; as well as other services besides public administration, all of which have location quotients ranging from 1.03 to 1.16.

According to the location quotients, Stillwater’s greatest specialization is in the arts, recreation, accommodation, entertainment, and food services sector at 1.16 with education, health, and social services close behind at 1.15 (“American Fact Finder” 2017). By contrast, several of the non-basic industries – such as manufacturing, construction, transportation, warehousing, utilities, agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, and mining – are more appropriate to the rural areas, where there is more space and natural resources. Excluding the city of Stillwater, Payne County is largely rural, as the other towns are much 21

smaller than Stillwater, so the rest of the county is ideal for such businesses. Stillwater’s remaining non-basic sectors include public administration; insurance, finance, and real estate; and professional, scientific, administrative, and management services – which have location quotients of 0.79, 0.87, and 0.84, respectively (“American Fact Finder” 2017). As stated above, these sectors do not require as many employees, but each town in the county typically hosts its own group working in these industries. As a result, the entire county adds up to more employees in these sectors, though the county’s other towns are much smaller than Stillwater.

Additionally, businesses in the small towns often have less technology and resources available, so they require more workers.

Figure 33. Performing Arts Center at OSU

Changes in Employment by Industry Unsurprisingly, the industries that have shrunk since 2000 correlate largely to the sectors with lower employment concentrations and location quotients, though the overlap is not exact. The manufacturing sector has decreased the most by -49.94%; this halving corresponds heavily with the nationwide shift from manufacturing to a service-based economy (“American Fact Finder” 2017). Most cities can no longer depend on a corporation establishing a factory nearby for jobs; the companies move to wherever land and labor is cheapest and regulations loose, such as developing countries. As a result, the manufacturing industry in places such as Stillwater decrease dramatically as the industry grows overseas. Moreover, the professional, scientific, administrative, and management sector; finance, insurance, and real estate sector; and the information sector all have decreased due to the technology boom in the past two decades that allows most of these services to be performed with fewer employees. Notably, the public administration sector in Stillwater did not change at all between 2000 and 2017, which exemplifies the government’s reluctance to structural adjustments and the sloth of bureaucracy (“American Fact Finder” 2017).

Overall, however, Stillwater has experienced considerable economic growth since 2000, which is evident in the city’s new and well-maintained construction, landscaping, and infrastructure. Unsurprisingly, the agricultural, forestry, fishing, hunting, and mining industry has experienced the greatest percentage rate change with a 154.17% increase due to the volatility of the oil and gas industry. By contrast, the educational, health, and social services sector experienced the least percentage rate growth at 4.09% despite the increasing demand 22

for bachelor’s degrees (“American Fact Finder” 2017). However, these results are somewhat deceptive: Though the percentage rate changes are starkly different, the number of increased jobs is much more comparable, as the agricultural sector gained 407 employees and the educational, health, and social service sector gained 344. Despite its lower location quotient and employment concentration, Stillwater’s construction industry also has over doubled in size since 2000 as a result of the economic growth in other sectors, which spurs physical growth through both renovations and new development. Other services – excluding public administration – as well as both retail and wholesale trade in Stillwater have also increased at various rates, for, as reliance on manufacturing decreases, an economy will eventually substitute those jobs with service- and trade-oriented ones (“American Fact Finder” 2017).

Figure 34. Stillwater Elementary School

Figure 35. Honors College at OSU

Changes in Income and the Housing Market Table 16. Housing and Income Inflation between 2000 and 2017 in Stillwater, OK 2000 2000 data inflated by 42.75% Median Values of Homes $96,700.00 $138,039.25 Median Value of Rent $468.00 $668.07 Median Household Income $25,432.00 $36,304.18 Median Family Income $41,938.00 $59,866.50 30% of Median Household Income

$7,629.60 per year, or $635.80 per month

(“American Fact Finder” 2000, 2017) Figures 36, 37, 38. Single Family Homes

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$10,891.25 per year, or $907.60 per month

2017 $162,300.00 $775.00 $29,450.00 $62,647.00

$8,835.00 per year, or $736.25 per month

Table 17. Affordable Housing in Stillwater, OK, 2017 Total Renters Homeowners with a Mortgage Homeowners without a Mortgage

10,731 3,796 2,745

Paying 30% or more of household income on housing 7,170 855 307

Paying 30% or more of household income on housing (%) 66.8% 22.5% 11.1%

(“American Fact Finder” 2017) Figures 39, 40, 41. Apartments According to changes in the consumer price index, cost of living inflated by 42.75% between 2000 and 2017; however, incomes and the cost of living in Stillwater have not grown proportionally in that time.

If consistent with inflation, the median value of homes in Stillwater should be $138,039.25. By contrast, the actual 2017 median value of a house in Stillwater was $162,300, nearly $25,000 more than the inflation-adjusted 2000 data. Similarly, the 2017 median rent value in Stillwater was $775 even though it should only be $668.07 after inflation.

While housing costs rise faster than the rate of inflation, median household income lags behind. In 2000, median household income was $25,432; therefore, in 2017, this number should have been $36,304.18 to stay steady with inflation. In reality, Stillwater’s median household income in 2017 was considerably less at $29,450 (“American Fact Finder” 2017). As a result, housing in Stillwater is largely unaffordable.

To be considered affordable, housing costs should not exceed 30% of a household’s income. Based on the median household income of Stillwater, housing was extremely affordable as of 2000: The 30% maximum was $635.80 per month while the median rent was only $468. As of 2017, median rent skyrocketed to $775 while the 30% affordability cutoff only rose to $736.25, a mere $100 augmentation.

This discrepancy has created a decidedly unaffordable housing market – particularly for renters – as 66.8% of renters in Stillwater now pay 30% or more of their income on housing costs. With the majority of housing in Stillwater being renteroccupied, this fact becomes even more atrocious (“American Fact Finder” 2017). These high housing costs further disadvantage the low-income residents that cannot afford homeownership so that they are prevented from advancing their socio-economic status. In particular, many renters are university students who already have additional expenses for school supplies, fees, and tuition. Coupled with unaffordable housing, this financial detriment constrains current and future quality of life of the city’s young adults.

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References “American Fact Finder.” United States Census Bureau, US Department of Commerce, 2000-2018. https:// factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/community_facts.xhtml.

“On the Map.” United States Census Bureau, US Department of Commerce, 2017. https:// onthemap.ces.census.gov/.

“Stillwater GIS Map.” The City of Stillwater, Oklahoma, esri. Accessed September 14, 2019, http:// stw.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=e5f507cfcbe445d5a5b9277ab706a2bc.

US Inflation Calculator. CoinNews Media Group, LLC, 2018, https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/.

Figure 42. Downtown Stillwater

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