On Nov. 22, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signed new congressional and legislative maps into law. These maps will take effect for the state’s 2022 congressional and legislative elections. Oklahoma is the 17th state to complete congressional redistricting, and the 21st state to complete legislative redistricting.

The Oklahoma State Senate approved the Senate map in a 46-1 vote on Nov. 17, and the House approved the Senate map 95-1 on Nov. 19. The only dissenting votes came from Sen. Nathan Dahm (R) and Rep. Wendi Stearman (R). The Oklahoma House of Representatives approved the House map 88-3 on Nov. 17, and the Senate approved the House map 44-2 on Nov. 19. Reps. Stearman, Tommy Hardin (R), and Eric Roberts (R) cast no votes in the House. Sens. Dahm and George Young (D) cast no votes in the Senate.

The Oklahoma state legislature previously approved a different set of legislative maps for the 2020 redistricting cycle. The legislature drew the maps using the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey data for 2015 through 2019, and Stitt signed them into law on May 13, 2021. On Aug. 23, the House and Senate redistricting committee chairs announced the first round of enacted maps would have to be redrawn following the release of 2020 census data.

The congressional map had narrower margins of approval in the legislature. The Oklahoma House of Representatives voted 75-19 to approve the map on Nov. 17, and the Oklahoma State Senate voted to approve the map 36-10 on Nov. 19. Eighteen Democrats and one Republican voted no in the House. Nine Democrats and one Republican voted no in the Senate.

Rep. Collin Walke (D), who voted against the congressional map, said: “While I have no doubt that somebody wasn’t sitting there looking at the numbers of Democrats versus Republicans while literally drawing this map, I think we’d all be naive to assume that there weren’t political influences outside of this building dictating what happens inside of this building.” Rep. John Pfeiffer (R), who voted in support of the map, said: “We do like to fight about the change and the things that have changed. But the truth be told, although our population has increased, this map hasn’t changed that much.”

During the 2010 redistricting cycle, Oklahoma approved legislative and congressional maps on May 10, 2011, and May 20, 2011, respectively.

(The Center Square) – As the oil ad gas industry rebounds from last year's COVID-driven recession, Oklahoma's economy continues to improve.

Over the past 12 months, a record $14.7 billion in receipts have been collected by Oklahoma state government, indicating economic growth, according to the State Treasurer's Office. Every major revenue stream in the state, excluding motor vehicle collections, is continuing to grow.

"Natural gas continues to play a vital role in Oklahoma's future through jobs, tax revenues and a reliable, affordable fuel source for industry, business and homes," Tom Rider, executive director of Oklahoma Gas Association, told The Center Square.

Oklahoma Gas Association's members are not in the production side - which has the biggest impact on the state's revenue.

Since oil hit $68 a barrel in August and has continued to increase, revenues, rigs, and jobs have also gone up, signaling steady economic growth for the foreseeable future.

Rider said natural gas will continue to be a viable, economic driver for years to come.

"Even now, however, the industry is looking for alternative fuels, specifically hydrogen and waste methane, that can be developed and used," Rider said. "Natural gas is very much a part of the 'green' conversation. One of the issues that all states should take on is changing how natural gas is managed on a national level," Rider said. "If energy is a national priority, its number one fuel source (for electric production as well as a heating source) should not be a commodity."

While the current increase in oil and gas prices seems to be benefiting the economy, there is a question about whether the state should be so reliant on one industry for its economic well being.

"From a personal perspective, no state economy should be governed by one or two economic drivers," Rider said. "Oklahoma must continue to diversify both its energy production (wind, solar, hydrogen) and look for other means of developing business and industry that can stand the highs and lows."

More Americans are dying from drug overdoses than ever before, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were an estimated 100,306 fatal overdoses over the 12 months through April 2021 -- the most ever reported in a 12-month period and double the annual number of car accidents and firearm deaths combined.

The record number of deadly overdoses marks a 29% increase from the same period a year earlier and is more than double the number reported as recently as 2014. Public health experts attribute the surge to the proliferation of fentanyl -- a synthetic opioid reported to be 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine -- as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has isolated many Americans struggling with addiction while reducing their treatment options and care resources.

In Oklahoma, drug overdose deaths are on the rise, though at a slower pace than the national average. There were an estimated 798 fatal overdoses in Oklahoma over the 12 months ending in April 2021, compared to 664 over the same period the year prior. The 20.2% increase ranks as the 15th smallest of all 46 states that reported an increase in deadly overdoses.

Of all drug classifications identified by the CDC, including synthetic synthetic and semi-synthetic opioids, cocaine, heroin, psychostimulants like methamphetamine, and methadone (a drug used to treat heroin and opioid addiction), synthetic opioids had the largest increase in fatalities in the state, up 123.3% from a year earlier.

The fatal drug overdose rate in Oklahoma now stands at 20.2 deaths for every 100,000 people, the 13th lowest among all states. Nationwide, the per capita fatality rate stands at 30.3 per 100,000.

All overdose data used in this story are from the National Center for Health Statistics, a division of the CDC. To account for pending investigations and incomplete counts, the numbers reported are estimates calculated by the NCHS. Population-adjusted fatality rates were calculated using population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's Decennial Census.

RankState1-yr change in fatal overdosesDrug OD deaths, 12 mos. ending April 2021Deaths per 100,000 people, 2021Drug OD deaths, 12 mos. ending April 2020Deaths per 100,000 people 20201Vermont69.9%20932.512319.12West Virginia62.2%1,60789.699155.23Kentucky54.5%2,31951.51,50133.34Louisiana51.6%2,21847.61,46331.45Tennessee50.1%3,58151.82,38534.56Mississippi49.9%63721.542514.47California47.8%10,58526.87,16218.18Alaska46.7%17624.012016.49Kansas45.7%55819.038313.010South Carolina45.4%1,90737.31,31225.611Oregon45.1%94022.264815.312Minnesota38.5%1,18820.885815.013New Mexico37.0%89342.265230.814North Carolina36.9%3,52633.82,57624.715Texas36.4%4,68716.13,43711.816Georgia36.3%2,08619.51,53014.317Washington35.7%1,89224.61,39418.118Nevada35.7%99232.073123.519Virginia35.5%2,26226.21,66919.320Colorado34.6%1,65528.71,23021.321Arkansas33.0%53617.840313.422Indiana32.4%2,48736.71,87827.723Alabama31.4%1,11022.184516.824New York29.3%5,49627.24,25221.025Arizona28.5%2,76838.72,15430.126Nebraska27.9%21110.81658.427Ohio26.6%5,58547.34,41037.428Florida26.2%7,89236.66,25629.029Maine24.2%52838.842531.230Wisconsin21.8%1,59927.11,31322.331Maryland21.0%2,87646.62,37638.532Oklahoma20.2%79820.266416.833Michigan19.3%2,95229.32,47424.634Idaho18.8%29716.125013.635Utah18.5%67420.656917.436Rhode Island17.5%40937.334831.737Wyoming16.9%9716.88314.438Missouri14.6%2,00432.61,74928.439Pennsylvania13.1%5,41041.64,78436.840Illinois12.6%3,60128.13,19725.041North Dakota11.9%12215.710914.042Iowa9.5%42613.438912.243Montana6.6%16114.815113.944Hawaii6.3%26818.425217.345Massachusetts5.8%2,41934.42,28632.546Connecticut4.4%1,40939.11,35037.447New Jersey-1.0%2,91831.42,94831.748Delaware-1.7%45946.446747.249New Hampshire-7.2%37227.040129.150South Dakota-19.8%778.79610.8

(The Center Square) – Oklahoma's October gross tax receipts were in the double digits again, signifying continued economic growth.

"The recent revenue growth along with the low unemployment rate shows Oklahoma is heading in the right direction," Curtis Shelton, Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA)’s Policy Research Fellow, told The Center Square. "Gov. Kevin Stitt along with Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat and House Speaker Charles McCall kept the state relatively open throughout the pandemic, positioning the state to capture all this growth once the economy began to pick up."

Gross tax receipts totaled $1.27 billion, a 16% increase over the same time last year.

State Treasurer Randy McDaniel attributes growth to rising oil and natural gas prices, according to The Tulsa World. For the third consecutive month, oil and gas tax revenue exceeded $100 million.

Income and sales taxes also grew rapidly year-over-year. These are the state's two largest income sources. Sales tax receipts were $529.1 million, a 15% increase over the same time last year. Use taxes were $76.9 million, rising more than 20%. Income taxes came in nearly 10% higher than the same time last year, totaling $414.4 million.

"The data also shows Oklahoma could benefit from continued pro-growth tax reform," Shelton said. "Eliminating Oklahoma’s penalty on work would help Oklahoma compete with states like Texas, Tennessee, and Florida which do not have an income tax and have subsequently seen billions in economic growth over the last decade."

Tax reform continues to be a hot issue as varying proposed bills have the potential to dramatically impact the state's revenue sources.

"Oklahoma must find a way to stabilize its revenue base as the federal government continues to push a climate agenda that would make Oklahoma’s already volatile reliance on oil and gas revenue even more unstable," Shelton said. "Moving to a consumption-based tax model with a larger reliance on the sales tax and less on the income tax would continue to move the state in right direction."

(The Center Square) – The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama ruled in favor of 13 states that challenged an American Rescue Plan Act provision prohibiting states from using the federal funding to enact tax cuts.

“The Biden Administration was trying to punish fiscally responsible states like Iowa, which has a record budget surplus, and that’s why we took legal action,” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a news release Tuesday about the victory. “With this ruling, Biden’s Administration can’t keep us from cutting taxes and I look forward to doing just that.”

Iowa was joined by Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia in the lawsuit.

The court ruled that Congress overstepped its authority under the Spending Clause of Article I , Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution by stating that states could not use the federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to reduce taxes. The plaintiff states called that part of ARPA a “Tax Mandate.”

While Congress can place conditions on states’ receipt of federal funding, there are limits on the conditions, including that Congress must make those conditions “unambiguously” so the state “can make an informed choice,” the ruling said, citing the 1981 case of Pennhurst State Sch.& Hosp. v. Halderman.

The court agreed with the states’ argument that the “Tax Mandate” portion of ARPA made it impossible for them to make an informed choice about the costs of receiving ARPA funds because they didn’t know how to exercise taxing authority without putting the funds in jeopardy, the ruling said.

Americans for Prosperity Iowa State Director Drew Klein told The Center Square in an emailed statement Tuesday that the states’ victory is an important win for taxpayers.

“The federal government’s attempt in this case to place conditions on funding to the states that would prevent them from enacting any form of tax-relief is unconstitutional and works against the interests of state taxpayers,” Klein said. “As this case continues to move through the appeals process, we are optimistic that higher courts will agree with today’s ruling.”

Iowans for Tax Relief Vice President and former House Majority Leader Chris Hagenow told The Center Square in an emailed statement Tuesday that the ruling would encourage legislators seeking to cut taxes in next year’s legislative session and cutting taxes would boost the economy.

“Iowa is on track to hold roughly $2 billion dollars of excess taxpayer money at the end of the current fiscal year. Instead of government sitting on this massive stockpile of taxpayer money, these funds should be used for permanent tax relief,” Hagenow said.

Reynolds approved tax cuts, including phasing out the state inheritance tax by 2025, in this year’s legislative session by signing SF619 in June.

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Utah, and West Virginia were the other states that sued.

(The Center Square) – A U.S. Supreme Court decision, McGirt v Oklahoma, ruled Muscogee Nation's reservation was never disestablished, prohibiting state prosecutors from pursuing charges in major crimes involving American Indians on reservation land. Now tribes are arguing that the ruling also extends to areas such as taxation and regulation.

At a recent panel on state tax and budget issues hosted by the Oklahoma Policy Institute, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. noted that the ruling exempts a number of Native American citizens from paying state income tax.

Jonathan Small, president of Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA), told The Center Square that the decision directly impacts all Oklahomans living in the areas covered by the McGirt reservations, which now comprises most of eastern Oklahoma.

"The combined area of the McGirt reservations is home to roughly two million people, of which 21% are estimated to be American Indian," Small said. "Potentially, all Native citizens could be exempt from state income tax and state sales tax."

The Oklahoma Tax Commission previously estimated that the McGirt decision could slash Oklahoma state tax collections by $72.7 million per year from reduced income tax collections and $132.2 million annually from reduced sales/use tax collections. Small said that figure is based on only five tribes receiving McGirt status; the number of McGirt reservations is already higher than that, and could continue to increase.

"As a matter of good policy, Oklahoma should eliminate the state income tax to increase economic growth, but the case will be stronger if a sizable share of the population is already exempt from paying the tax," Small said.

The McGirt decision plays into more than just state taxes, though.

"As a result of McGirt, Oklahoma state-and-local police cannot arrest many individuals committing crimes on reservation land that are perpetrated by or against an American Indian, while tribal authorities cannot arrest or prosecute many crimes involving non-Indians as either victims or perpetrators," Small said. "Most such cases now fall under federal jurisdiction, and state officials report that federal law-enforcement officials are declining to prosecute most cases aside from the most serious crimes such as rape and murder. As a result, many crimes are going unprosecuted or remain in limbo."

(The Center Square) – A poll by Oklahoma Education Association revealed that one in five Oklahoma teachers said they are planning to leave the profession at the end of this school year.

"In Oklahoma, we already had a large number of teachers near retirement age," Katherine Bishop, president of Oklahoma Education Association, told The Center Square. "The difficulty of the last two years, and now the lack of respect and a greatly increased workload, are causing more and more educators [to look] outside the profession.”

Bishop said as hard as last year was for teachers, this year has been even more difficult, due in part to teaching in-person while being required to also create online content. Another difference this year is the lack of community support; Bishop said this year too many people are taking their frustrations out on teachers and school boards and educators are not receiving the respect they deserve.

"A teacher shortage has meant large-class sizes," Bishop said. "The substitute shortage has meant losing planning time to cover other classes or adding more students to full classrooms when a colleague is out and their students are divided into other classes. Over these past two years, there has been extensive disruption in not only our students’ academic learning but also their social and emotional development and well-being."

Teacher pay is another contributing factor. According to Enid News & Eagle, those in the profession currently are looking for other positions with better compensation and benefits. A recent survey of college-bound Oklahoma students revealed that only 2% were planning on pursuing a career as a teacher.

"We want to believe we’re back to normal, but we are still in a pandemic," Bishop said. "Things are not normal. Kids and educators are still catching the virus and having to quarantine. The pandemic has created a teacher shortage and a substitute shortage, and that translates to a much more difficult working environment."

Parents want the best for their children, including the best school experience. This, of course, includes getting good grades and performing well on state and college entry exams, but that is not all.

Students also benefit from a positive school culture, participating in extracurricular activities, having individualized attention from teachers and counselors, and learning in a diverse environment.

Though there are hundreds of excellent schools across the country, each major city and metropolitan area has one school that stands out as the best in its area.

Holland Hall is a private school that enrolls about 1,000 students in grades K-12 as well as pre-K. With a 7:1 student-to-teacher ratio as well as a highly-ranked teaching staff, strong academics, and top rated college prep, the school ranks as the best school in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, area.

While annual tuition costs at Holland Hall top $21,000, more than one in every three students receive some form of financial aid. Though the school is affiliated with the Episcopal church, it offers a comprehensive liberal arts education. The most recent class of graduates were accepted to 39 different colleges and universities, including Brown, Smith, Duke, Carnegie Mellon, and Northwestern.

To determine the best schools by city, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2022 K-12 School & District Rankings from Niche, a platform for education data. The Niche ranking is based on academic and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education as well as reviews submitted to Niche. City boundaries are based on Census Bureau definitions for places. We identified the best school in every city for the 50 largest U.S. cities based on five-year population data from the Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey.

AreaSchoolGrades offeredStudent-to-teacher ratioStudentsNew York City AreaTrinity SchoolK-126:11,001Los Angeles AreaHarvard-Westlake School7-128:11,625Chicago AreaUniversity of Chicago Laboratory SchoolsPK, K-128:12,051Houston AreaSt. John's SchoolK-127:11,258Phoenix AreaPhoenix Country Day SchoolPK, K-127:1750Philadelphia AreaGermantown Friends SchoolPK, K-126:11,070San Antonio AreaKeystone SchoolPK, K-128:1495San Diego AreaThe Bishop's School6-128:1800Dallas-Fort Worth AreaSt. Mark's School of Texas1-127:1903San Jose, CAThe Harker SchoolPK, K-1210:11,975Austin AreaSt. Stephen's Episcopal School6-126:1696Jacksonville AreaStanton College Preparatory9-1219:11,575Columbus AreaThe Columbus AcademyPK, K-128:11,085San Francisco AreaThe Nueva SchoolPK, K-124:1605Fort Worth, TXTrinity Valley SchoolPK, K-129:11,017Indianapolis AreaPark Tudor SchoolPK, K-127:1950Charlotte AreaProvidence Day SchoolPK, K-1211:11,788Seattle AreaLakeside School5-129:1838Denver AreaKent Denver School6-128:1740Washington, D.C. AreaGeorgetown Day SchoolPK, K-126:11,075Boston AreaPhillips Academy9-125:11,146El Paso AreaRadford SchoolPK, K-129:1221Detroit AreaCranbrook SchoolsPK, K-127:11,659Nashville AreaUniversity School of NashvilleK-129:11,071Memphis AreaSt. Mary's Episcopal SchoolPK, K-128:1827Portland AreaCatlin Gabel SchoolPK, K-129:1779Oklahoma City AreaOklahoma School of Science and Mathematics11-126:1150Las Vegas AreaThe Meadows SchoolPK, K-129:1910Louisville AreaDuPont Manual High School9-12N/AN/ABaltimore AreaThe Bryn Mawr SchoolPK, K-126:1705Milwaukee AreaBrookfield AcademyPK, K-128:1842Albuquerque AreaAlbuquerque Academy6-128:11,163Tucson AreaBASIS Oro Valley6-126:1626Fresno AreaUniversity High School9-1225:1477Sacramento AreaSacramento Country Day SchoolPK, K-128:1507Mesa, AZBASIS MesaK-1228:1823Atlanta AreaThe Westminster SchoolsK-126:11,870Kansas City AreaThe Pembroke Hill SchoolPK, K-128:11,177Omaha AreaBrownell Talbot SchoolPK, K-129:1441Long Beach, CACalifornia Academy of Mathematics & Science9-1228:1659Colorado Springs AreaFountain Valley School9-127:1241Raleigh AreaNorth Carolina School of Science and Mathematics11-127:1680Miami AreaRansom Everglades School6-127:11,130Virginia Beach, VACape Henry CollegiatePK, K-1211:1949Oakland, CAThe College Preparatory School9-127:1373Minneapolis-St. Paul AreaMounds Park AcademyPK, K-127:1562Tulsa AreaHolland HallPK, K-127:11,009Arlington, TXThe Oakridge SchoolPK, K-129:1768New Orleans AreaBenjamin Franklin High School9-1220:1997Wichita, KSWichita Collegiate SchoolPK, K-129:1846

Parents want the best for their children, including the best school experience. This, of course, includes getting good grades and performing well on state and college entry exams, but that is not all.

Students also benefit from a positive school culture, participating in extracurricular activities, having individualized attention from teachers and counselors, and learning in a diverse environment.

Though there are hundreds of excellent schools across the country, each major city and metropolitan area has one school that stands out as the best in its area.

Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics ranks as the top school in the Oklahoma City area. Unlike most of the top schools on this list, OSSM is a public school. OSSM earned an A+ overall grade from educational data platform Niche as well as A+ grades for its academics, teachers, health and safety, and college prep.

The students at OSSM benefit from small class sizes, with a 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio. Nationwide, the ratio is 17:1. The school is open to 11th and 12th grade students only and has an enrollment of 150.

To determine the best schools by city, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2022 K-12 School & District Rankings from Niche, a platform for education data. The Niche ranking is based on academic and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education as well as reviews submitted to Niche. City boundaries are based on Census Bureau definitions for places. We identified the best school in every city for the 50 largest U.S. cities based on five-year population data from the Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey.

AreaSchoolGrades offeredStudent-to-teacher ratioStudentsNew York City AreaTrinity SchoolK-126:11,001Los Angeles AreaHarvard-Westlake School7-128:11,625Chicago AreaUniversity of Chicago Laboratory SchoolsPK, K-128:12,051Houston AreaSt. John's SchoolK-127:11,258Phoenix AreaPhoenix Country Day SchoolPK, K-127:1750Philadelphia AreaGermantown Friends SchoolPK, K-126:11,070San Antonio AreaKeystone SchoolPK, K-128:1495San Diego AreaThe Bishop's School6-128:1800Dallas-Fort Worth AreaSt. Mark's School of Texas1-127:1903San Jose, CAThe Harker SchoolPK, K-1210:11,975Austin AreaSt. Stephen's Episcopal School6-126:1696Jacksonville AreaStanton College Preparatory9-1219:11,575Columbus AreaThe Columbus AcademyPK, K-128:11,085San Francisco AreaThe Nueva SchoolPK, K-124:1605Fort Worth, TXTrinity Valley SchoolPK, K-129:11,017Indianapolis AreaPark Tudor SchoolPK, K-127:1950Charlotte AreaProvidence Day SchoolPK, K-1211:11,788Seattle AreaLakeside School5-129:1838Denver AreaKent Denver School6-128:1740Washington, D.C. AreaGeorgetown Day SchoolPK, K-126:11,075Boston AreaPhillips Academy9-125:11,146El Paso AreaRadford SchoolPK, K-129:1221Detroit AreaCranbrook SchoolsPK, K-127:11,659Nashville AreaUniversity School of NashvilleK-129:11,071Memphis AreaSt. Mary's Episcopal SchoolPK, K-128:1827Portland AreaCatlin Gabel SchoolPK, K-129:1779Oklahoma City AreaOklahoma School of Science and Mathematics11-126:1150Las Vegas AreaThe Meadows SchoolPK, K-129:1910Louisville AreaDuPont Manual High School9-12N/AN/ABaltimore AreaThe Bryn Mawr SchoolPK, K-126:1705Milwaukee AreaBrookfield AcademyPK, K-128:1842Albuquerque AreaAlbuquerque Academy6-128:11,163Tucson AreaBASIS Oro Valley6-126:1626Fresno AreaUniversity High School9-1225:1477Sacramento AreaSacramento Country Day SchoolPK, K-128:1507Mesa, AZBASIS MesaK-1228:1823Atlanta AreaThe Westminster SchoolsK-126:11,870Kansas City AreaThe Pembroke Hill SchoolPK, K-128:11,177Omaha AreaBrownell Talbot SchoolPK, K-129:1441Long Beach, CACalifornia Academy of Mathematics & Science9-1228:1659Colorado Springs AreaFountain Valley School9-127:1241Raleigh AreaNorth Carolina School of Science and Mathematics11-127:1680Miami AreaRansom Everglades School6-127:11,130Virginia Beach, VACape Henry CollegiatePK, K-1211:1949Oakland, CAThe College Preparatory School9-127:1373Minneapolis-St. Paul AreaMounds Park AcademyPK, K-127:1562Tulsa AreaHolland HallPK, K-127:11,009Arlington, TXThe Oakridge SchoolPK, K-129:1768New Orleans AreaBenjamin Franklin High School9-1220:1997Wichita, KSWichita Collegiate SchoolPK, K-129:1846

The U.S. population growth rate hit its lowest level since the Great Depression, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. Over the past decade, the Great Recession and COVID-19 pandemic slowed immigration as well as caused many Americans to hold off on having kids.

Population growth did not stagnate everywhere in the U.S., however. In fact, in nearly every state at least one major metro area reported a faster population growth rate from 2010 to 2020 than the comparable national rate of 6.7%.

The fastest growing city in Oklahoma is the Oklahoma City metro area. Its population grew by 13.8% from 2010 to 2020 to 1,425,375 residents. During that same time, the population of Oklahoma grew by 6.1%.

Economic opportunity often drives population changes, and most of the fastest growing cities in each state have relatively high incomes compared to the state as a whole. The Oklahoma City metro area has a median annual household income of $60,605, well above Oklahoma's median of $54,449.

To determine the fastest growing city in each state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed population data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Population and Housing Estimates Program. Metropolitan areas were ranked based on total population change from 2010 to 2020. Data on the components of population growth -- births, deaths, international and domestic migration -- also came from the PEP program. Supplemental data on employment used to calculate employment growth from 2010 to 2020 came from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Seasonally adjusted data on the May 2021 unemployment rate also came from the BLS. Data on median household income came from the Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey and are one-year estimates. This is the fastest growing city in each state.

StateMSATotal population change, 2010 to 2020 (%)Total population, 2020State population change, 2010 to 2020 (%)AlabamaDaphne-Fairhope-Foley25.8229,2873.0AlaskaAnchorage4.2397,3082.9ArizonaPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler20.75,059,90916.1ArkansasFayetteville-Springdale-Rogers24.7548,6343.9CaliforniaStockton12.1767,9675.7ColoradoGreeley32.1333,98315.5ConnecticutBridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk2.8942,426-0.5DelawareDover13.1183,6439.9FloridaThe Villages48.8139,01815.6GeorgiaAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta15.26,087,76210.5HawaiiKahului-Wailuku-Lahaina8.4167,9023.4IdahoBoise City24.9770,35316.5IllinoisChampaign-Urbana3.6225,547-1.9IndianaLafayette-West Lafayette10.9233,2784.2IowaDes Moines-West Des Moines16.7707,9153.8KansasLawrence10.6122,5302.1KentuckyBowling Green14.0180,7513.2LouisianaHammond13.0136,7652.5MainePortland-South Portland5.7543,2211.6MarylandSalisbury13.3423,4814.9MassachusettsBoston-Cambridge-Newton7.24,878,2115.3MichiganGrand Rapids-Kentwood8.81,081,3720.8MinnesotaMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington9.73,657,4776.7MississippiGulfport-Biloxi7.8418,9630.0MissouriColumbia10.3210,0942.7MontanaMissoula11.3121,6309.2NebraskaLincoln11.8337,8366.1NevadaLas Vegas-Henderson-Paradise18.72,315,96316.2New HampshireManchester-Nashua4.5418,7353.8New JerseyTrenton-Princeton-0.1367,2391.0New MexicoLas Cruces5.8221,2622.3New YorkPoughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown1.2678,527-0.2North CarolinaRaleigh-Cary25.61,420,37611.2North DakotaFargo19.1248,59413.8OhioColumbus12.52,138,9461.4OklahomaOklahoma City13.81,425,3756.1OregonBend27.9201,76910.7PennsylvaniaLebanon6.0141,6630.6Rhode IslandProvidence-Warwick1.41,623,8900.4South CarolinaMyrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach36.6514,48812.8South DakotaSioux Falls19.8273,5669.6TennesseeNashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin19.11,961,2328.5TexasAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown33.72,295,30316.8UtahSt. George33.9184,91317.6VermontBurlington-South Burlington4.7221,160-0.4VirginiaWinchester10.6142,0097.4WashingtonKennewick-Richland19.8303,50114.4West VirginiaMorgantown8.1140,199-3.7WisconsinMadison10.7670,4472.6WyomingCheyenne9.5100,5953.3