Demographics of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Broken Arrow is a city located in northeastern Oklahoma in the Tulsa metropolitan area. With a population of over 108,000 as of 2019, it is the fourth largest city in Oklahoma. Broken Arrow has experienced rapid growth in recent decades thanks to its diversified economy, quality school districts, and proximity to Tulsa.

The following sections will provide an in-depth look at Broken Arrow’s demographics including population trends, age distribution, racial diversity, household data, income and poverty levels, education attainment, and more. Comparing Broken Arrow’s demographics to Oklahoma state averages provides useful context on how the city differs from the rest of the state.

Population Growth

The population of Broken Arrow has increased substantially since the city’s founding:

• 1900 – Population of 272
• 1940 – Population of 4,565 (increase of 1,579%)
• 1980 – Population of 28,025 (increase of 514% since 1940)
• 2000 – Population of 74,859 (increase of 167% since 1980)
• 2010 – Population of 98,850 (increase of 32% since 2000)
• 2019 estimate – Population of 108,503 (increase of 10% since 2010)

Over the past 40 years, Broken Arrow’s population has nearly quadrupled in size. While growth has slowed slightly in recent years, the city’s population increased 10% between 2010 to 2019 compared to a 5.5% increase statewide during the same period.

Subdivisions

Much of Broken Arrow’s rapid growth can be attributed to new housing construction in subdivisions at the city’s edges:

• Stone Creek, Silver Creek, Creekwood, and Ashton Creek subdivisions saw over 2,000 new homes built between 2000 to 2015.
• More recent subdivisions like Battle Creek and Green Country have also expanded Broken Arrow’s borders.
• Numerous apartments, townhomes, and duplexes have also been constructed around commercial corridors to meet housing demand.

Age Distribution

In 2019, Broken Arrow had an estimated population age distribution of:

• 6.1% under 5 years
• 7.4% aged 5 to 9 years
• 7.8% aged 10 to 14 years
• 14.7% aged 15 to 19 years
• 7.3% aged 20 to 24 years
• 13.4% aged 25 to 34 years
• 15.9% aged 35 to 44 years
• 13.7% aged 45 to 54 years
• 7.1% aged 55 to 59 years
• 4.0% aged 60 to 64 years
• 2.6% aged 65 to 74 years
• 0.2% aged 75 to 84 years
• 0.1% aged over 85 years

Broken Arrow has a younger population compared to statewide averages. Key takeaways include:

• 36.0% under 20 years old (Oklahoma average = 24.3%)
• 13.4% aged 20 to 34 years (Oklahoma average = 18.7%)
• 29.8% aged 35 to 54 years (Oklahoma average = 26.3%)
• 13.9% aged 55 and older (Oklahoma average = 19.3%)

The median age in Broken Arrow is 35.8 years compared to 36.3 years for all Oklahoma residents.

Racial Diversity

The racial and ethnic composition of Broken Arrow is:

• 75% White (Non-Hispanic)
• 11.1% Hispanic or Latino
• 6.5% Native American
• 3.0% Black
• 3.0% Asian
• 1.4% Other race

Broken Arrow is slightly less diverse compared to Oklahoma overall which has a demographic breakdown of:

• 70.1% White (Non-Hispanic)
• 10.9% Hispanic/Latino
• 7.7% Native American
• 7.0% Black
• 2.2% Asian
• 2.1% Other race

Key takeaways:

• Largest minority group is Hispanic/Latinos at 11.1%
• Above average Native American population relative to statewide average
• Very small Black and Asian populations

Household Data

There are over 40,000 households in Broken Arrow:

• 69.4% are married couple families
• 13.3% have children under 18 but no spouse present
• 4.6% are unmarried partners
• 30.6% are non-families
• 24.9% are householders living alone
• 5.1% are householders aged 65+ living alone

The average household size is 2.54 persons while family households have an average size of 3.04 persons.

Compared to all Oklahoma households:

• Broken Arrow has more married couple and fewer non-family households
• Household and family sizes are slightly smaller

Income and Poverty

In 2019, Broken Arrow had a median household income of $78,578 compared to $51,924 for Oklahoma overall. Key income figures:

• Per capita income was $36,573 in Broken Arrow versus $28,923 for Oklahoma
• Only 6.0% have income below the poverty line (Oklahoma average is 15.0%)
• 2.7% of families and 6.6% of the overall population have income below 50% of the poverty level

Broken Arrow’s higher median income and lower poverty rates can be attributed to an abundance of white collar jobs, higher educational attainment levels, and a lack of blighted areas found in larger cities.

Income Disparity

Despite the city’s relative affluence, income disparities do exist:

• Households in the poorest neighborhoods have a median income below $35,000
• Median income figures also vary substantially based on education levels and race/ethnicity as outlined later in this report

Education Attainment

Broken Arrow’s education levels are significantly higher than statewide averages:

• 95% of residents aged 25+ have a high school degree (Oklahoma average is 88%)
• 37% of residents aged 25+ have a bachelor’s degree or higher (Oklahoma average is 25%)

Broken Arrow’s well-regarded school district and large white collar workforce help explain higher educational attainment. However, significant variation exists among demographic groups:

Educational Attainment by Race

• White: 41% have a bachelor’s degree or higher
• Asian: 60% have a bachelor’s degree or higher
• Hispanic/Latino: 13% have a bachelor’s degree or higher
• Black: 29% have a bachelor’s degree or higher
• Native American: 14% have a bachelor’s degree or higher

Whites and Asians are nearly 3x as likely as Hispanics/Latinos and Native Americans to have college degrees. This contributes to racial income disparities mentioned earlier.

Conclusion

In summary, Broken Arrow’s rapid growth over the past 40 years can be attributed to economic opportunities and high quality suburbs. The city skews younger than Oklahoma overall with higher incomes and education levels alongside lower poverty rates. However, racial disparities in income and education demonstrate room for continued progress.

References

1. American Community Survey (ACS) 2019 1-Year Estimates
2. 2010 Census SF1 100% Data
3. Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce Population Statistics
4. Oklahoma Policy Institute Report on Income Disparities