OKC Receives Top Rankings for Housing and Volunteerism

Last week Oklahoma City was ranked among the top housing markets in the United States by Forbes and BusinessWeek, and also was honored by Volunteering in America for top numbers in volunteerism.

With the help of Zillow.com, both Business Week and Forbes.com found several cities experiencing stronger housing, including Oklahoma City.

Best Housing Markets #2 (Forbes)
Oklahoma ranked #2 in Best housing markets.
Q2 Zillow Home Value Index: $118,700
Q2 Year Over Year Change: 4.8%
% Change From Market Peak: 0%
When Market Was Last At Current Level: Q2 2009
Full article: http://tinyurl.com/oeuttv


Strongest US housing markets #10 (BusinessWeek)
Share of homes with increasing values: 40.20%
Median value: $119,600
Annual change: 4.94%
Quarterly change: 1.85%
The Oklahoma City metro area, which includes the state capital, is one of the nation's most affordable metros. The area is home to Devon Energy and Chesapeake Energy and has strong oil and natural gas sectors.
Full article: http://tinyurl.com/q9mch7

In Oklahoma, the number of people donating their time for various causes is on the rise. Oklahoma ranks above the national average in fundraising, collecting food and clothing, and general labor.

Best Cities for Volunteerism #7 (Volunteering in America)
Volunteering in America stated the following facts for Oklahoma volunteers:
• 335,300 volunteers
• 32.5% of residents volunteer - ranking them 7th within the 51 large cities
• 53.2 hours per resident - ranking them 2nd within the 51 large cities
• $1.1 billion of service contributed
• 33.1% of adults volunteered in Oklahoma City in 2008, contributing 78.8 million hours of service.
• In addition to the 340.4 thousand adults in Oklahoma City volunteering in 2008, an extra 31,996 individuals worked with their neighbors to fix a problem or improve a condition in their community but did not serve through an organization.
Full article: http://tinyurl.com/ozjyfm