A positive indicator

For years, state officials worried about Oklahoma’s “brain drain,” concerned that the state’s young college graduates had to go to other states to find employment. One sign of the changing times is that data collected by realtor.com now finds Oklahoma City is a top-10 destination for millennials. Good job prospects and low unemployment were cited as driving factors for the city’s No. 6 ranking. Among the top 10 cities found to be attracting millennials (individuals between 20 and 35 years old), Oklahoma City had the second-lowest unemployment rate and the lowest median home price. The report was based on Census Bureau migration data collected from 2009 to 2013 that tracked people’s moves into and out of metropolitan areas, the number of cross-metro moving requests recorded on moving. com, and a cross-metro search of traffic on realtor. com. The state’s subsequent recession may have altered those numbers, but the report is another positive indicator of Oklahoma’s progress.