Lawton, Oklahoma
Lawton, Oklahoma, has a population of nearly 93,000 residents1. Lawton is located just 90 miles southwest of Oklahoma City and about 54 miles north of the Texas-Oklahoma border. Lawton was founded on August 6, 1901, when the last of the Native American lands, the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache reservation, were opened by the federal government for settlement.
Today, Lawton proudly thrives as the home of the U.S. Army's Field Artillery and Air Defense Artillery, at Fort Sill. This base is located just north and adjacent to Lawton. Along with Fort Sill, Lawton is host to multiple large employers, providing ample opportunity for its residents and prospective residents. Some of these employers include the Apache Casino Hotel, Bar S Foods, Cameron University, Comanche County Memorial Hospital, Cosmetic Specialty Labs, General Dynamics, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Raytheon, Republic Paperboard Company, Silver Line Plastics, and Southwestern Medical Center, just to name a few.
Education in Lawton is abundant for each level of education, providing well-established schools for each neighborhood in the district. Lawton Public School District encapsulates 26 neighborhood elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 3 high schools, 1 alternative school, and 1 Pre-K center. Combined, Lawton Public School District employs roughly 2,300 administrators, support personnel and teachers. All schools combined educate approximately 14,000 students.
The median household income in Lawton, Oklahoma is roughly $43,262 a year with a median housing list price at $109,900. At any one time, there are typically anywhere from 200-500 homes for sale in Lawton starting from as low as $5,000 and ranging to $1.4MM.
Tourism plays a large role in the thriving economy of Lawton, Oklahoma. The award-winning Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is home to over 59,000 acres and was one of the country’s first natural wildlife refuge, established in 1901. The refuge attracts over a million visitors each year who are looking to hike, bike, and enjoy this natural wonder. The Refuge is host to bison, elk, longhorn and a variety of other wildlife. In addition to the Wildlife Refuge, Lawton boasts a variety of other attractions including the U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum, Apache Casino and the Comanche County Fairgrounds. The Fairgrounds host sporting events, art shows, rodeos, and livestock shows, along with a wide range of product display/trade shows.
Lawton, Oklahoma, is a wonderful place to raise a family. The city of Lawton is a Certified Healthy Living Community, receiving recognition in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Lawton thrives on preserving natural habitats with over 50 parks, one for almost every community, and with 9 recognized bicycle routes throughout the city and into the Refuge and nearby areas. Lawton city limits also include 3 major lakes: Lake Lawtonka, Lake Ellsworth and Elmer Thomas Lake. In Lawton, there are two hospitals, Southwestern Medical Center and Comanche County Memorial Hospital, as well as plenty of specialty care including urgent care clinics, physical therapy, and MRI facilities to name a few.
Getting to and from Lawton is easy – Interstate 44, which connects to Wichita Falls, Texas and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, runs through the middle of town, separating east and central/west Lawton. The Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport offers 4-daily round trip flights to Dallas/Ft Worth International Airport (DFW) 7 days a week through American Eagle Airlines. There are plenty of taxi companies locally, including Uber and Lyft, as well as car rental facilities through Enterprise.
1 Based on U.S. Census data from July 2018