Tulsa is a city located in Osage County, Rogers County, Tulsa County, and Wagoner County Oklahoma. Tulsa has a 2023 population of 408,956. It is also the county seat of Tulsa County.Tulsa is currently declining at a rate of -0.3% annually and its population has decreased by -0.89% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 412,629 in 2020.
The average household income in Tulsa is $79,727 with a poverty rate of 18.01%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Tulsa is 35.6 years, 34.7 years for males, and 36.5 years for females.
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma. For a bit of perspective on how large Tulsa is, the city stretches over Wagoner, Tulsa, Rogers, and Osage counties.
Tulsa's estimated population is 394,500, up very slightly from the 2010 population of 393,500. The city anchors the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, which has a population of about 953,000, while the greater Tulsa-Muskogee-Bartlesville Combined Statistical Area (CSA) has a population of 1.12 million. Tulsa has the 54th largest metropolitan region in the United States. This metro area accounts for 25% of Oklahoma's population.
Two rings of suburbs surround Tulsa, and the cityscape of the inner city with the ring of suburbs forms the immediate Tulsa Urban Area, separated from the second ring of suburbs. After Tulsa, the largest cities in the metro area are Broken Arrow (99,000, 4th largest in the state), Bartlesville (36,000), and Owasso (29,000). Owasso is currently the fastest growing city in Oklahoma.
The 2010 Census found that Tulsa was one of just 3 of the largest 20 cities in Oklahoma to see a population decline over the last decade. Meanwhile, its towns and outer-lying suburbs are experiencing more rapid growth as more people leave the downtown Tulsa area. The nearby city of Broken Arrow, for example, grew 32% in the last decade.
The Tulsa region was originally part of Indian Territory and settled by Creek and Lochapoka tribes in 1836. The tribes created a home under an oak tree at the present-day intersection of 18th Street and Cheyenne Avenue and named the settlement Tallasi -- or "old town" -- which became Tulsa. The city was officially incorporated in 1898.
Oil was discovered in 1901, and a flood of entrepreneurs made their way to the city, pushing the population to more than 140,000 by 1930, with an early peak of 180,000 in 1909. Tulsa was the "Oil Capital of the World" for much of the 20th century, and revenue from the oil industry helped Tulsa manage better than most areas during the Great Depression.
Tulsa also became home to one of the most prosperous African American communities in the country in the early 20th century in the Greenwood neighborhood, which was ultimately the site of the Tulsa Race Riot that left up to 300 people dead and an estimated 10,000 homeless.
In 1925, Tulsa businessman Cyrus Avery began a campaign to link Chicago to California with the establishment of the U.S. Highway 66 Association in the city. When Route 66 was completed, Tulsa grew even faster as the city became a favorite rest stop.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Tulsa was:
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Native American
Other race
Asian
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 167,948 | 2.41 | 52.4 | 47.6 |
Non Family | 72,652 | 1.25 | 40.5 | 59.5 |
Married | 63,925 | 3.24 | 73.4 | 26.6 |
Female | 23,217 | 3.4 | 35.3 | 64.7 |
Male | 8,154 | 3.36 | 43.6 | 56.4 |
3.19
Average Family Size
2.41
Average Household Size
52.4%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
81.22% of Tulsa residents speak only English, while 18.78% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 14.09% of the population.
rate
18.01%
Overall Poverty Rate
16.46%
Male Poverty Rate
19.48%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Tulsa is Islander, with 53.04% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Tulsa is White, with 12.35% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4%. Among those working part-time, it was 22.66%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 25.73%.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
42.4%
Overall Marriage Rate
44.5%
Male Marriage Rate
40.5%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
9.68%
Veteran Poverty Rate
34.51%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
65.1%
Labor Force Participation
61%
Employment Rate
6.3%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
57%
Born in Tulsa
90.5%
Native Born
11.2%
Foreign Born
7.59%
Non Citizen
3.61%
Naturalized
90.5% of Tulsa residents were born in the United States, with 57% having been born in Oklahoma. 7.59% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
1900 | 1,400 | -400,308 | 4.48% |
1910 | 18,182 | 16,782 | 29.23% |
1920 | 72,075 | 53,893 | 14.77% |
1930 | 141,258 | 69,183 | 6.96% |
1940 | 142,157 | 899 | 0.06% |
1950 | 182,740 | 40,583 | 2.54% |
1960 | 261,685 | 78,945 | 3.66% |
1970 | 330,350 | 68,665 | 2.36% |
1980 | 360,919 | 30,569 | 0.89% |
1990 | 367,302 | 6,383 | 0.18% |
2000 | 393,049 | 25,747 | 0.68% |
2010 | 391,906 | ||
2011 | 394,022 | 2,116 | 0.54% |
2012 | 396,138 | 2,116 | 0.54% |
2013 | 398,254 | 2,116 | 0.53% |
2014 | 400,370 | 2,116 | 0.53% |
2015 | 402,486 | 2,116 | 0.53% |
2016 | 404,602 | 2,116 | 0.53% |
2017 | 406,718 | 2,116 | 0.52% |
2018 | 408,834 | 2,116 | 0.52% |
2019 | 410,950 | 2,116 | 0.52% |
2020 | 412,629 | 1,679 | 0.41% |
2021 | 411,401 | -1,228 | -0.3% |
2022 | 410,177 | -1,224 | -0.3% |
2023 | 408,956 | -1,221 | -0.3% |
2024 | 407,739 | -1,217 | -0.3% |
2025 | 406,526 | -1,213 | -0.3% |
2026 | 405,316 | -1,210 | -0.3% |
2027 | 404,110 | -1,206 | -0.3% |
2028 | 402,907 | -1,203 | -0.3% |
2029 | 401,708 | -1,199 | -0.3% |