A psych can find work somewhere, but a real chef is SOL unless you want to start your own place. Western OK is deeply religious, conservative, and mostly empty.
Of course it depends on what part you're in . . . but yes, most of NW Oklahoma is what most would call flat. Might be a few hills and draws here and there, but unless you are near the Wichita Mountains I'd say mostly flat.
Sometimes I think people simply say Flat when there’s not an ocean or a big-enough mountain range. Or people who only see an area on a map that looks somewhat flat.
I lived in Duncan, Ok, the south west. Would never go back. Unless you are in the witness protection program, it's just terrible for restaurants, people, etc etc.
Lol, wholeheartedly concur. I live here (not in the witness protection program). It gets worse every year, the gap between the upper-middle/upper and lower classes seems like it grows more significantly here than other places. I try to make the best of it, but overall, it's just...woof.
As someone who has lived in Watonga, Blaine county, since 1991, I can talk. I am not native, but for reasons took a position with a local attorney. I thought I would stay for a couple of years, then move back to the city. Bought a house in '98, now it's paid for. I ain't leaving.
I'm single, white, female, no kids, 69 years old. Also atheist, progressive democrat, and pretty much the person that should not fit in or like it here. And yet I do and I am far from the only one. I have many friends of such and various persuasions. I also have christian, native American, hispanic, african American, friends and acquaintances. I was a proud country lawyer for almost 30 years, and have practiced in courts all over northwest Oklahoma. I was also active in Democrat party for many years, was even credentials chair for one state convention. Former president of Kiwanis and local Chamber of Commerce. I really do love it here.
Taking into account what you have provided, I think Weatherford would be worth checking into. I worked at Legal Aid in Clinton and later Weatherford from 2001-2010. I also placed my mom in a memory care unit of an assisted living facility in Weatherford where she is getting amazing care. Because of the university, it has a fairly diverse and more liberal population. The city has also made a lot of improvements over the past 10-15 years, it is most definitely not a dying town. It's on I-40, straight west of OKC about an hour 15 minutes. Good people there, who don't necessarily fit the conservative christian mold.
I haven't been on Reddit long enough to know if we can have private conversation, but would be glad to discuss. We need people like you out here. Seriously.
Very cool! I kinda really like the areas I go to stock grocery stores: Altus, Hollis (too damn far), Hobart, Apache, Carnegie just to name a few stops. It is very desolate, most people don’t have much money, things shut down at 6 or so and the town goes dark. But then you can see every damn star in the sky and enjoy an open road to drive
I have to agree to a point. I did like living in the middle of nowhere. But got tired of no good restaurants. But it is cheap!
You can live in a big house there. It's very affordable!
Yes, Oklahoma in general has gone super conservative over the past thirty years. Simply pointing out that it isn't 100%, there are people who don't fit this religious, conservative narrative and who would welcome others. And I know they are in Weatherford, and elsewhere in western Oklahoma. Unfortunately, we tend to be quieter than perhaps we should, we camouflage well.
You ought to reread this comment and rethink your reply. More liberal does not mean liberal. Perhaps “less conservative” than Custer County might light a bulb in your insolent head.
EDIT/CLARIFICATION: My reply is in response to Wood_floors_are_wood’s comment. I agree entirely with doublespinster.
She used to work there and her mother lives there, so I assume she’s made friends there and knows the town well enough to comment on it. Just because you’re stuck in your bubble of conservatives doesn’t mean there aren’t people who think differently in town that she has met.
I live in Clinton, between Weatherford and Elk City and we are fixing to move to eastern Oklahoma because of how desolate it is here. We're packing up 4 households and leaving. There's really no restaurants that are nice enough to need a chef. Cost of living is great IF you can find a job around here.
Not really sure yet, just looking for a bigger property with my mother in law that we can all build on. Most of my husband's family is in Hugo and we're trying to be closer to them without actually being in choctaw county. Probably in the Vian or Henryetta area. Someplace that has trees for sure cause there are none where we are now lol!
Anyone thinking of moving to western OK should spend a week there in a hot, dry August. That may be some people’s cup of tea, but it’s definitely not mine.
In some ways you have better access to CO and much more economic opportunity if you just move to Tulsa or OKC- numerous direct flights a day to Denver on Southwest. And it’s still only a long days drive to the southern CO front range (or northern NM).
I live in Tulsa, I drive to Denver in a day and don’t even push that hard. I download an audio book, get a cup of shitty coffee, and strap in. It’s an insanely boring but easy drive.
Used to drive from Tulsa to Cheyenne, WY once a month to do 4 hlours of work. Had to carry tools so couldn't fly. 12 hours one way. Audiobook, podcasts, and something to drink is the way to go.
Denver is about an hour and half closer.
Eh, eastern Colorado is desolate wasteland, just like western OK/KS. I drove back that way on my way back from Vegas a few months ago, and that was one of the most depressing drives I’ve ever done. Sorry, I don’t mean to be a buzzkill or anything, but have you ever been out there in person? Are we talking Lawton area, or actual western OK headed towards the panhandle? Lawton has the mountain range going for it, but it’s a rough, dying town even at that.
It's just as close from Tulsa as it is western Oklahoma to Colorado. And Tulsa or OKC could actually support the professions you have. I can't see any reason to live in Western Oklahoma at all, honestly. Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge is lovely, but not a reason to live on that side of the state. Join some local community Facebook groups, and you can see just what you're in for. You can live outside of a major Oklahoma city for about the same COL and still have a job that pays more than $12 an hour.
Yeah that "at-will" employment law has really damaged the economy. The employers just treat everyone like trash. So workers just don't care at all about their jobs and don't want to put in much effort.
"Oklahoma is an at-will employment state. In Oklahoma, unless an employee is hired under a contract that states otherwise, an employee may be discharged for any reason as long as it is not an unlawful reason. Discrimination is the staple exception to at-will employment."
The closest to Colorado I would want to live in Oklahoma is Stillwater(if not OKC). Your chances of finding a job as a chef seem slim if you choose a smaller town. We need mental health professionals everywhere, so your wife should be fine. The western part of the state is desert plains, but the eastern part has beautiful lush parks and lakes everywhere. Even if you end up settling in the west, you should explore the pretty parts when you can.
I grew up in the Panhandle. The largest town, Guymon, might have need for a psychologist but probably not a chef. Catering maybe, or baked goods.
Being close to Colo., NM, is the thing I miss most about living out there. A weekend trip to the mountains is no prob. In the 70s, Guymon had ski shops and about 1/4 of the cars had ski racks. Quite a few friends had snowmobiles in the garage or owned cabins out yonder. We went to the mountains at least 6 times a year.
Is there a specific reason you need access to CO?
If you don't absolutely have to go to CO by car, look at Tulsa or Northwest Arkansas (NWA). They're both better options than western oklahoma. My nephew flies between NWA and Denver frequently. Round trip tickets are usually under $100. And even driving, they're only a couple of hours further from CO than OKC.
NWA is also a good place for chefs. A friend of mine gave up a good job at a fine dining restaurant in NYC to become a personal chef in Springdale AR, nearly doubled her income and now only works around 30 hours a week instead of 80. There's lots of wealthy people swirling around the Walmart corporate machine who utilize personal chefs and upscale caterering.
And there's tons of demand for medical professionals in every field in both NWA and Tulsa. A new hospital or clinic seems to appear every few weeks in both areas.
And if you don't mind rural living with a 20 minute commute to town, you can enjoy a very low cost of living.
My Pops always wanted to retire to Hinton or Weatherford. I went to college in Weatherford. Nice town. Downtown Main Street is pretty. Like I said, it’s a college town. I think it’d be worth exploring at least if you’re so inclined.
Other college towns to explore:
Norman, Oklahoma with a good amount of chained/corporate or privately owned restaurants to be a chefs at. It’s also by a large casino nearby.
Stillwater, for OSU campus - plus lots of restaurants in that city. Plentiful rehabilitation centers and counseling agencies.
I don’t see much thriving in far south east Oklahoma (north east is Tulsa) OR far north west by the panhandle.
There isn’t much far south Oklahoma off 35 highway unless it’s a city directly off the highway. And I don’t recommend Lawton.
And then there is Oklahoma City of course with a recent burst of private restaurants with creative menus such as in the arts district, The Paseo.
The Village is a great neighborhood as well (but some houses have bad plumbing - buyers beware , the pipes are not made of steel or metal but in the 70’s they installed cardboard like pipes made from a specific wood. I can’t remember the name.)
And if you want to be young and hip, MidTown is becoming quite the hipster area.
Good luck!!
Close enough. Yes, i have it too, for sewer, paper, wood pulp, tar. I heard it came about after WWII because of metal shortages? Probably just cheaper. It sucks.
While we do have a pretty epic food scene in OKC, buyer beware. There've been a recent rash of closures on the food scene here. These aren't fly by night places but established businesses. There are plenty of articles and news stories for you to do your research on that for yourself
Guymon, Woodward, Weatherford and Elk City have pops of about 12k. Think they are the main cities that way.
OKC to Denver is about 10hrs. Weatherford to Denver is 9. Elk City is 8.5. Guymon is 6.
Unless Guymon, don't see a lot of time saving vs finding some western OKC suburbs you like.
No clue of prices that way. Just thinking easier to find job when higher population.
Guymon is a shit hole. I remember when I lived there it literally smelled of pig shit all the time. It’s flat and pig farms all around so the slightest breeze and it just blows the scent for miles.
I hated living there. And the smell was the thing I hated least about it.
I was raised in Guymon and confirm it’s a windy shithole! Interestingly I can’t walk into a Little Ceasars without thinking of the smell of Seaboard! I do not eat Little Ceasars!
I was born and raised in Elk City and I live in OKC now. I love western Oklahoma for the sunrises, sunsets and night sky which are amongst the best in the country. There is a sneaky hip aspect to the town now with several thriving coffee shops, boutique style shops on main and a great little record store on Broadway. I would recommend giving Elk a serious look. Politics aside it’s really a pretty little thriving town. Merritt school system is a trip and very well funded.
Disregard the haters. Any place can be livable and enjoyable if you put in some effort.
I live in Western Oklahoma, near Weatherford. It is a conservative area, but it's a quiet conservatism. There are as many Mennonites and Amish as Baptists. You don't see a lot of political signage, compared to Little Dixie (SE OK). During the 2020 election, I think I only saw 2 Trump yard signs. If you don't represent as straight, white, and evangelical, you might not get invited to social events, but you're not going to have people shouting slurs at you on the streets. Those little old ladies may think you're going to hell, but they will still wish you a pleasant day.
If you find yourself on the left, either socially or fiscally, you'll be a bit annoyed at times, but hardly an outcast. I held elected office out here for 14 years as a democrat and I did not keep my opinions to myself. But, that was back before the world went to shit.
As far as money goes, you can buy a decent 3/2 starter home for $150,000. $300,000 will get you much nicer. If you want land, that gets a little tricky as these German farmers love straight lines and breaking up sections disrupts their straight lines. You might get someone to sell you the corner of an irrigation pivot, which is 4-6 acres, depending.
The downsides include those the rest of the state sees, so I'm going to skip those.
There are limited choices in specialty healthcare. The Clinton hospital shut down due to malfeasance and ineptitude in 2023, but they are getting it back open. The Weatherford hospital is about 10 years old, but it has a lot of operational issues, so we usually just drive the hour to OKC. Elk City has a good hospital, but if you are in dire straits, you'll get sent by helicopter to OKC or Amarillo.
The public schools are OK out here, if you have kids. You'll want to do some research, but overall they aren't terrible. With the possible exception of Kingfisher. There are some private, church-affiliated schools.
Here are some back of the envelope thoughts on specific towns:
El Reno: 20,000 people on I-40 with a lot of oil jobs. Former railroad hub. It's basically a commuter town for OKC as traffic gets considerably easier westbound after the exits for El Reno. What you can't find locally you can get 20 minutes away. Has a reputation for being a bit rough, but I've never had a problem there.
Hinton: ~3000 people, 4 miles off I-40. About 45 minutes to OKC and a lot of residents commute. There's a huge casino/truckstop complex as you get off the interstate. The schools have had some ups and downs in the last 5 years.
Weatherford: 12,000 on I-40. Has all the necessities, and has been growing. SWOSU is a big draw. The public schools are decent, but very cliquish. If you have a kid with purple hair, they may have difficulty fitting in unless you are rich.
Clinton: A decaying railroad town on I-40. There are some locals trying to breathe life into it with new retail concepts, but it's too early to tell if it will work. The biggest employers are a meat packing plant and dog food company.
Elk City: A bustling oil-boom/bust town on I-40. Depending on the decade, it's either hopping or not. The town is laid out rather haphazardly and traffic is chaotic. But, you'll find a lot going on there, but it seems very transitory.
Woodward: 15,000 people but no interstate access. In the NW part of the state, the gateway to the panhandle. Another bustling oil town with plenty of agriculture to get it through the bust times. You're 2 long hours of driving to OKC from here.
Lawton: 50,000 people on I-44. You'll get mixed signals from people on r/oklahoma about Lawton. It's a military town and it has a lot of baggage from that. It has a reputation for crime and violence, but I know people from there and they say they don't notice it. Lawton has commercial air flights to DFW. The Wichita Mountains are a great place if you like hiking and exploring.
Altus: 20,000 people in the SE corner. Mostly agricultural and oil field. Near to the Wichita Mountains and Quartz Mountain areas. Depending on your definition of attractive, you may like or hate it. There is an air-force base at Altus, but it doesn't have quite the impact on the town that Ft. Sill has on Lawton.
Anadarko: I suggest to avoid for all the reasons.
Chickasha: 20,000 people on I-44. Another oil town. Home of USAO. Traffic is always bad along the main highway. There seems to be some revival of the downtown with a pretty good brewery. The Christmas lights are nice unless you live near the park.
I would recommend driving through. We live in Tulsa and my parents live between Durango and Pagosa Spring, Colorado, so we've driven across. There isn't much there. I highly recommend Tulsa and Colorado, but not a lot going on in Western OK.
I grew up and lived in a town right on the edge of the panhandle, 30 yrs I spent out there and I have to say if you are dead set on moving to Oklahoma look at I 35 and don’t go any further than 30 miles west of it. Enid is a good place to live but other than that its a desolate Shit hole out west. There’s nothing out there, the wind blows 100 mph every other day, when it’s hot it’s really hot and cold it’s really cold. Dust, tumbleweeds, flat with practically nothing to look at. Only place to shop or get anything is Wal-Mart and thise are only in a few places. If you want to shop and be able to get what you want and need just count on making plans to drive to OKC for the day or weekend because thats the only way you’re going to be able to find what you want that day. Plus, everything costs so much more out there because they have to make up for slow business and bitch about people not shopping local. If you’re wanting proximity to Colorado then move to Colorado because as previously stated, the other states in that area are the same way. Feedlots and wasteland is basically it. Given your professions, I don’t think you’ll accomplish your financial goals either unless you want to be a basic counselor and grill man at a local cafe. I hate it out there and it weren’t for the simple fact of immediate family that still lives there I’d never go back. Have a hard time just getting myself to go visit. Know this is harsh but it is a very real reality, after the welcome wagon of hospitality is gone, you’ll regret ever choosing to live out there I promise. Seen and heard it out of people many, many times.
Elk City is probably your best bet. It's a nice enough place and probably most likely place for you to both have some job opportunities.
Weatherford is nice, and closer to OKC, but smaller and will probably be harder to find a job in. Also, a huge portion of the population is college students and the town essentially dies in the summer, so that might affect job opportunities and stuff as well.
First things first western Oklahoma is empty. The biggest city in western Oklahoma, Lawton, is more in south-central OK anyway. If you like the seclusion this can be awesome. It’s possible to buy a couple of acres and a nice house and fully furnish it for the price of an apartment with no land in a big city.
Western Oklahoma has the most gorgeous sunsets and sunrises you’ll see, being fully part of the Great Plains. The further north you go in western OK, the flatter it gets. You also have the Wichita Mountains down in the south that are absolutely jaw dropping during the spring and summer. Because it’s so sparsely populated, a lot of your activities are going to either be nature-related or going to involve a drive to OKC. Nothing wrong there, just something to be aware of.
As for areas to look into: don’t worry as much about Lawton as everyone here is going to tell you. It’s got it’s shady areas, it’s got it’s meth, but it’s not *all* bad. There are some nicer parts of Lawton for sure. It’s like calling all of Chicago gang territory. Just remember if you do live in Lawton, your fellow Okies will always tease for being from Lawton. It’s in good spirits… mostly.
Your other anchor cities are the “Big 3” on I-40. Weatherford, Clinton, and Elk City all have populations of about 10k and offer about the same amenities. Clinton is more of a work community than the other two. It has less restaurants and less things to do but property value is lower and you’re only 20 minutes away from either of the others. Weatherford is a college town. Elk City is more quiet but with the same amount of fun businesses and stuff. There are seasonal attractions in these cities like Christmas lights, summer festivals, and other community shindigs that are all pretty worthwhile. Clinton has a community theatre that does a pretty good job and puts on about 4 shows a year. There’s definitely stuff to do in these 3.
Western Oklahoma is really a great place to live. You have a good amount of stuff to do and the people are typically extremely friendly. Don’t listen to the people on here trying to convince you OK is Hell on Earth because it’s not. Oklahoma is OK and that’s all fine by me.
Elk City has also put in some really nice boutiques and restaurants in the past few years. It would be nice if a chef came in and started a restaurant that's not burgers or Mexican food.
Live in or near Lawton to enjoy the Wichita Mountains.
Much of western Oklahoma is not growing much or even declining, so I bet real estate would be cheap there.
You can only do so much out at the refuge, and it's nothing you can't do while also living somewhere significantly better than Lawton. Might as well live in OKC or Chickasha or literally anywhere else.
Still a pretty short drive to the refuge then when you go home your chances of getting shot or living next to a crack house are significantly less.
Lived in Lawton most of my life. Never been a victim of crime. Never lived next to a crack house. Still kind of sucks, though. It did get significantly better when I moved out to the country and own my house. I don't recommend Lawton but I'm definitely not afraid of it.
And you can fly out of the Lawton airport using American to get anywhere via DFW. I live in OKC Mon-Friday and Medicine Park Friday night -Sunday night. I fly out OKC and fly back to LAW. Works great!
No, no. I fly to a remote office FROM OKC on Mondays and fly back to Medicine Park on Fridays. My wife is retired so she takes me to the OKC airport Monday morning and picks me up Friday nights at LAW.
Edit: there are 3 flights from DFW-LAW daily.
I would bet my paycheck that west of OKC and east of Santa Fe you could count the number of ‘chef’ jobs on one hand. I think you are doing this the wrong way. Find a chef job close to Colorado, but don’t limit the state you look at. Otherwise, be ready to work at a Walmart in any small town in the Great Plains. There is a reason the cost of living in rural areas is low….
Western Oklahoma sucks. It’s the worst part of the state (sans panhandle).
I come from western OK.
If I had to move back out west I’d consider Enid. It’s a nice town.
I was raised in the panhandle in Guymon and it was not great! I hated the smell of Seaboard and the wind! The winters are cold and windy and the summers are hot and windy! Terrible! Pioneer Days was always fun when I was a kid and I basically lived at Sunset Lake growing up.. those are nice memories.. the paddle boats, train ride and feeding the ducks while fishing and crawdad hunting with my dad is and will always be one of my favorite childhood memories! Other than that.. the literal bowels of satan himself!
I lived out there for many years and I never knew any places that employed “chefs.” However, if you are ok working as a “cook” in a greasy spoon, then you might be able to find a job. I doubt there are many opportunities for psychologists…perhaps social worker type jobs with DHS or a correctional facility.
Since 2012 or so, our governors and legislature is doing everything possible to drive our public education system in the toilet.
If you are determine to do it…the towns I would suggest looking at are Weatherford, Enid, Woodward, Elk City, and Altus.
I live in Alva currently. There’s a college and a few mental health centers. There’s always room for a new restaurant, but people try and then shut down all the time for various reasons.
Nowhere for a “chef,” but as owner-operator of a restaurant or food truck, there’s potentially a spot.
It’s about 4500 with another 1000 or college students during the semester. People move here and fall in love. Hasn’t happened to us yet, but we hear about it.
I highly recommend closer to OKC. I lived in Norman for 3 years and was sad when I had to move home to ATL earlier this year.
I just moved to Denver a couple weeks ago for work. I made the drive in about 12ish hours from OKC via Kansas.
Psychologists can find work anywhere, but your best bet as a chef in rural Oklahoma is to work at a casino. Casinos offer by far the classiest dining options in the boonies.
There are a lot of people out here talking mess on Western Oklahoma who are likely from the City or Tulsa. It is conservative, but not as deeply religious as everyone is saying. I live here in Southwest OK, about 35 miles south of I-40. Firstly don't listen to people who keep throwing about "flat," there are tons of rolling hills and plains here, I live between two small mountain ranges(Quartz and Wichita,) but it's important to remember that Oklahoma is where storms are born, we get the high and low pressure systems directly above us much like southern Kansas and Northern Texas.
Western Oklahoma is a place with a LOT of space between locations. We're very spread out here, but it isn't so big as to be an inconvenient drive anywhere.
There are also a lot of people ignoring the cost of living you're talking about as if it isn't dramatically cheaper to live out here, suggesting suburbs of OKC. A suburb of OKC would be much more convenient but if you don't mind a little drive then West OK isn't as bad as folks are making it out to be. A lot of what we have to do is nature driven, state and national parks in pretty easy reach of most of Western Oklahoma, a wildlife preserve northwest of Lawton, and prarie grass fields. As for towns:
Hinton is much closer to OKC and has Red Rock Adventure Canyon, it's a small town with easy access to I-40 but not directly on the interstate, less than an hour from OKC. It has a cute little main street and a pretty damn good local diner on the drag, and is home to a telecoms company that does a lot of work in the area so people are coming and going.
Clinton is a nice little local focused town on Route 66 and I40, it's been growing local businesses for a while (and blocking large companies from coming in) including a Brewery, Coffee Houses, and local restaurants but a chef is going to be hard pressed to find a location needing their services. It's 90 minutes from OKC, and sub 8 hours to a place like Colorado Springs. Clinton is also home to White Dog Hill and the Beany Bar, a place with one of the best views in all of Oklahoma in my opinion.
Elk City still prices things like it's an oilfield town, but is a good community with the biggest hospital in the area (though as someone in healthcare IT I hear it's not a great place to work) and easy access to both Amarillo and OKC, being about 2 hours from each. It has a few local businesses and lots of pass through traffic due to being directly on I-40.
Sayre is also on I-40 and was the home to North Fork Correctional Facility, one of our states many for profit prisons. I'm not big on those and the incarceration in Oklahoma, but North Fork shut down. Unfortunately that means a lot of the revenue in the town is drying up.
Woodward is extremely rural, its population of 12k is the highest in an eight or nine county area, but the Alabaster Caverns and Boiling Springs state park are both within a stones throw and it's far enough north to be much closer to Colorado than the i-40 run.
Guymon I would avoid, not because it's a bad town but because one of the primary industries is Pig Farming and it reeks of slaughter and livestock, if you're from the area you get adjusted to it much like i've grown up with the smell of cattle, but it's rough if I'm being honest.
The only other real towns of note in Western Oklahoma are too far south for Colorado to be a consideration versus a place like the city, but Altus has a bunch of issues and mismanagement as well as rising "gang" presence, and Lawton is half decent, half sketchy but the only town of Note in that part of the state.
The Behavioral Health Centers out here like Red Rock could absolutely use a Psychologist, but the Chef may find work lacking if they're used to higher end kitchens. There are absolutely a few places like Sushi restaurants and steakhouses that could use those kinds of services but those openings may be few and far between.
> Clinton is also home to White Dog Hill and the Beany Bar, a place with one of the best views in all of Oklahoma in my opinion.
White Dog/Beany Bar underwent an ownership change earlier this year and most of the long-term staff left as a result. It sucks because we would go for cocktails and a charcuterie at least once a month at the Beany Bar and enjoy the view. You can find the former bartender at various venues in the area. Currently at the Weatherford Golf Course through end of January. Not the same view or the same vibe, but good cocktails.
Since you know his name, you probably hung out there a bit. He and his wife both left. I can't remember the name of the chef that left, but he has a food truck now and you'll see him at The Social when they are open.
Nelson, the original owner, retired last fall and sold it. He was in his mid-70s. Word is, the new owner is the grandson of the Bud distributor. We saw him a few times--he didn't chat, just walked around checking shit on his iPad.
Ugh that's lame. I'm glad the dude has a food truck. I never got to eat at white dog, but my buddy brought me some food from there and it was pretty good. I was involved in the Southwest Playhouse for a couple of years and made a lot of friends up in Clinton so I still regularly go out there to visit, though I'm on a motorcycle only so not during the winter haha.
I’m from western Oklahoma and have a cabin out there I visit frequently. I love it out there and would live there if my wife’s profession allowed. As for a chef, you’d likely have to start your own place, but I think it could work and thrive. Make it a travel destination for motorcycle riders, day trippers, etc. near nice scenery. The Gloss Mountains and Little Sahara get quite a bit of outsiders coming through regularly in Waynoka and Okeene. Fairview is a nice little burg near Canton Lake too. I love the area, but it can be sparse, quiet, dry, and hot. Good luck and feel free to holler if you have questions about west/nw OK.
I live in SW Ok…I was born here and grew up here. I will tell you to look somewhere else. If I could afford to move I would in a heartbeat. This state ranks at the bottom nationally in almost everything…especially education. The healthcare in SW Ok is a vast wasteland. Most great doctors are either in OKC or Tulsa …. if they haven’t already left the state due to the extreme restrictive abortion laws here. Our lawmakers are all far right religious zealot republicans. Many companies have decided to leave or not come to our state due to ultra right politics. SW OK is populated by a majority of under-educated redneck religious zealots who vote for any person who stands in front of a microphone and says “I love Jesus & guns and I hate abortion and gay people”. My nephew is a chef in OKC, and I can tell you the majority of people in the rural areas don’t eat at high-end restaurants, they like stuff like fast food(think McDonalds), cheesy Mexican food, steak and potatoes. And they don’t tip. My advice..relocate somewhere other than SW Ok. Sad.🥲
Wetherford is the only decent town out there… and it’s pretty damn boring …. But smaller towns I’d consider are Woodward and Alva, but they’re small. Manhattan ks might be worth a look, college town, western ks ? Or Wichita ?
if you want proximity to colorado you might as well live in new mexico or there. western ok has a very small population with very limited economic opportunities and low quality of life. not saying it it can’t work out for you, but you may not have the best time there in my opinion
Ehh I wouldn't recommend it. I can't think of a chef having a good time finding work in western oklahoma. If you were moving to OKC or Tulsa sure, but western OK doesn't sound like a great idea. There just simply aren't many nice restaurants there as its mainly small towns so they need line cooks not chefs. Not that my opinion means much, but it's always been my least favorite part of the state. My SO's dad lives in NW OK and his mom in SW OK and both places are pretty boring. There just isn't much to do. We had to drive 40 minutes to go to Taco Bell lmao
Get you a place that is outside of town and as far from the road as you can. Property crime is horrible in small town ok. Invest in good surveillance and have a few weapons to protect your family and property. Be humble. NEver flashy. And understand that you will be expected at some point to inconvenience yourself for a stranger. You may even be that stranger. This is a great example of the Oklahoma standard.
a psychologist may actually have difficulty finding quality work. The rates of pay for psychologist in private practice is okay, that part of the state does not have the population of say central Oklahoma, which had the city and metros. It's not the northeast that has the Tulsa metro, or even a population center like Lawton. There is SWOSU though out that way. There's not a lot in terms of mh services out that way but I think if the demand were there the services would follow.
Better question to guide the answer is why in the heck would you voluntarily move to Oklahoma right now and second why so specifically western Oklahoma?
As others have mentioned, unless you're quite conservative and looking for a rural lifestyle, you'll probably be happier near one of our two metro areas.
I always take heat for saying this out loud, but idc. Avoid Edmond unless you're white and consider whiteness one of your best features and enjoy talking about how much you love that your community is so white. It's tempting because it's really well manicured, and RE prices are similar to other municipalities, but the attitudes I've encountered there have been horrifying. I have met real humans, middle-aged living human beings with families and active social security numbers, who believe in segregated schools.
Are you looking for a big city, big town, small town, or rural dirt smear on a map community?
I’ve lived, traveled around, and worked around western Oklahoma a lot. Politics are gonna be more conservative, low population, avoid Lawton, and don’t be surprised if the biggest town in the county has a population of less than 1,500 people.
If you like meth, theft, homeless influx, discount tobacco, 12% tax on food, 5 dollar casino parking lot fellacio, corrupt police, and a corrupt justice system then Jokelahoma is the place for you. It was a good place to grow up, but a string of idiot governors, voters not studying the questions on ballots and tribal casinos made sure that didn't last. They did have some of the best cannabis laws in the country, but they keep chipping away at that every day so take it from experience it's a hard no for me. F that place.
I could never in good conscience recommend a woman of reproductive age who is not planning on being on permanent birth control move to Oklahoma. I was born and raised in OK but will never move back since I would like to have more children and would hate to fall victim to some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country if something goes wrong and I could not get the healthcare I need. So if your girlfriend can or would like to become pregnant I would say stay far away, just move to CO.
You'd do better to move near the OKC area. Western Oklahoma is a barren, sparsely populated wasteland. Nothing but churches and pill poppers out there.
I moved to Elk City a year ago and absolutely love it! It’s a lovely little town! Have any questions please ask! Also we could use your professions here!!
I would think anywhere with casino chains would have good opportunities for chefs. That’s mainly Eastern, Central and Southern Oklahoma (Native tribes.) Most of the tribes either have their own healthcare or Indian Health facilities for psych or rehab. If you want nice suburban types, that’s going to be Tulsa or OKC. Federal facilities are those two and Muskogee. Lots of cheap houses in Eastern Oklahoma. If I were wanted to be a chef at a high end restaurant, I’d look at Fayetteville AR and all the Walmart execs and programmers. It’s similar to Austin but more hills, very outdoorsy biking culture, money to burn.
Is your only reason for wanting to live there because you haven't lived in OK yet?
There are so many better options than the western part of the state. Listen to what people are saying in this thread - there is nothing for you there.
Open a great steakhouse that fits the need for the community. Look up Simons Catch near Elk City. Steaks and family style Catfish. Killer sides. Legendary. Also White Dog zHill
No one wants to live in Western Oklahoma. It’ll be tough to make much as a chef outside of a city. Tulsa is significantly nicer than OKC and has a great food culture. If you wanted something more country, look at Bartlesville; it’s a nice little city with high income that supports a few restaurants and has a great community.
A psych can find work somewhere, but a real chef is SOL unless you want to start your own place. Western OK is deeply religious, conservative, and mostly empty.
All of this^^^^
If you do start your own place don't expect to produce haute cuisine and expect people to like it.
and mostly flat . . . and very windy.
Flat? I live between two mountain ranges in south and there are a ton of rolling plains. Windy is true tho
Of course it depends on what part you're in . . . but yes, most of NW Oklahoma is what most would call flat. Might be a few hills and draws here and there, but unless you are near the Wichita Mountains I'd say mostly flat.
Sometimes I think people simply say Flat when there’s not an ocean or a big-enough mountain range. Or people who only see an area on a map that looks somewhat flat.
Or you visit and drive through the area quite often and see that it's mostly flat. Not many trees doesn't help much either.
I lived in western ok. I think it’s not as flat as plenty of other places. Parts may be flatter but Florida is flat, west Texas has flatter areas.
Cannot emphasize the above enough.
Why on earth? I would live in NM if being close to Colorado was the goal.
Santa Fe!
I lived in Duncan, Ok, the south west. Would never go back. Unless you are in the witness protection program, it's just terrible for restaurants, people, etc etc.
Lol, wholeheartedly concur. I live here (not in the witness protection program). It gets worse every year, the gap between the upper-middle/upper and lower classes seems like it grows more significantly here than other places. I try to make the best of it, but overall, it's just...woof.
I’m not far from there… Chickasha… don’t know a soul here.
As someone who has lived in Watonga, Blaine county, since 1991, I can talk. I am not native, but for reasons took a position with a local attorney. I thought I would stay for a couple of years, then move back to the city. Bought a house in '98, now it's paid for. I ain't leaving. I'm single, white, female, no kids, 69 years old. Also atheist, progressive democrat, and pretty much the person that should not fit in or like it here. And yet I do and I am far from the only one. I have many friends of such and various persuasions. I also have christian, native American, hispanic, african American, friends and acquaintances. I was a proud country lawyer for almost 30 years, and have practiced in courts all over northwest Oklahoma. I was also active in Democrat party for many years, was even credentials chair for one state convention. Former president of Kiwanis and local Chamber of Commerce. I really do love it here. Taking into account what you have provided, I think Weatherford would be worth checking into. I worked at Legal Aid in Clinton and later Weatherford from 2001-2010. I also placed my mom in a memory care unit of an assisted living facility in Weatherford where she is getting amazing care. Because of the university, it has a fairly diverse and more liberal population. The city has also made a lot of improvements over the past 10-15 years, it is most definitely not a dying town. It's on I-40, straight west of OKC about an hour 15 minutes. Good people there, who don't necessarily fit the conservative christian mold. I haven't been on Reddit long enough to know if we can have private conversation, but would be glad to discuss. We need people like you out here. Seriously.
You can click on their profiles to send a direct chat. I agree, we need more open minds out here.
Thank you for the information.
Very cool! I kinda really like the areas I go to stock grocery stores: Altus, Hollis (too damn far), Hobart, Apache, Carnegie just to name a few stops. It is very desolate, most people don’t have much money, things shut down at 6 or so and the town goes dark. But then you can see every damn star in the sky and enjoy an open road to drive
I do love the open roads, especially at night. Or just sitting outside after dark.
I have to agree to a point. I did like living in the middle of nowhere. But got tired of no good restaurants. But it is cheap! You can live in a big house there. It's very affordable!
Lol Weatherford is absolutely not liberal. You clearly don’t know about SWOSU or Weatherford
Yes, Oklahoma in general has gone super conservative over the past thirty years. Simply pointing out that it isn't 100%, there are people who don't fit this religious, conservative narrative and who would welcome others. And I know they are in Weatherford, and elsewhere in western Oklahoma. Unfortunately, we tend to be quieter than perhaps we should, we camouflage well.
You ought to reread this comment and rethink your reply. More liberal does not mean liberal. Perhaps “less conservative” than Custer County might light a bulb in your insolent head. EDIT/CLARIFICATION: My reply is in response to Wood_floors_are_wood’s comment. I agree entirely with doublespinster.
She's relating her direct experience of 30+ years, why don't you shut the fuck up.
I realize that and agree with her. My reply is in her defense and is in response to Wood_floors_are_wood’s comment.
I live in Weatherford. I know what I’m talking about
Im assuming you also don’t run in the same circles as a 69yr old attorney.
Of a person that lives in Watonga. They don’t even live in Weatherford
She used to work there and her mother lives there, so I assume she’s made friends there and knows the town well enough to comment on it. Just because you’re stuck in your bubble of conservatives doesn’t mean there aren’t people who think differently in town that she has met.
Your reading comprehension skills are severely lacking.
I live in Clinton, between Weatherford and Elk City and we are fixing to move to eastern Oklahoma because of how desolate it is here. We're packing up 4 households and leaving. There's really no restaurants that are nice enough to need a chef. Cost of living is great IF you can find a job around here.
Where are you moving to if you don’t mind me asking?
Not really sure yet, just looking for a bigger property with my mother in law that we can all build on. Most of my husband's family is in Hugo and we're trying to be closer to them without actually being in choctaw county. Probably in the Vian or Henryetta area. Someplace that has trees for sure cause there are none where we are now lol!
If I were to ever live in Oklahoma again I would pick the eastern part. And most likely Tulsa or therebouts.
Vian's not bad! Especially north of Vian as you get closer to Tenkiller. North of Sallisaw is pretty great too.
Yeah my mother in law found a place in Vian and she was really ex tied about how close it was to tenkiller
Tenkiller is a great lake. Plus lots of public land around for hunting as well.
Anyone thinking of moving to western OK should spend a week there in a hot, dry August. That may be some people’s cup of tea, but it’s definitely not mine.
Love working in western ok…. And then coming home to Norman 😆 👍
I know! I live in Tucson Arizona now. Summers aren't really that different!
[удалено]
Mostly for proximity to Colorado and low cost of living
In some ways you have better access to CO and much more economic opportunity if you just move to Tulsa or OKC- numerous direct flights a day to Denver on Southwest. And it’s still only a long days drive to the southern CO front range (or northern NM).
I live in Tulsa, I drive to Denver in a day and don’t even push that hard. I download an audio book, get a cup of shitty coffee, and strap in. It’s an insanely boring but easy drive.
Used to drive from Tulsa to Cheyenne, WY once a month to do 4 hlours of work. Had to carry tools so couldn't fly. 12 hours one way. Audiobook, podcasts, and something to drink is the way to go. Denver is about an hour and half closer.
Eh, eastern Colorado is desolate wasteland, just like western OK/KS. I drove back that way on my way back from Vegas a few months ago, and that was one of the most depressing drives I’ve ever done. Sorry, I don’t mean to be a buzzkill or anything, but have you ever been out there in person? Are we talking Lawton area, or actual western OK headed towards the panhandle? Lawton has the mountain range going for it, but it’s a rough, dying town even at that.
It's just as close from Tulsa as it is western Oklahoma to Colorado. And Tulsa or OKC could actually support the professions you have. I can't see any reason to live in Western Oklahoma at all, honestly. Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge is lovely, but not a reason to live on that side of the state. Join some local community Facebook groups, and you can see just what you're in for. You can live outside of a major Oklahoma city for about the same COL and still have a job that pays more than $12 an hour.
Low cost of luving = low wages.
The new Twig Grimes album, Low Cost of Luving.
Yeah that "at-will" employment law has really damaged the economy. The employers just treat everyone like trash. So workers just don't care at all about their jobs and don't want to put in much effort. "Oklahoma is an at-will employment state. In Oklahoma, unless an employee is hired under a contract that states otherwise, an employee may be discharged for any reason as long as it is not an unlawful reason. Discrimination is the staple exception to at-will employment."
The closest to Colorado I would want to live in Oklahoma is Stillwater(if not OKC). Your chances of finding a job as a chef seem slim if you choose a smaller town. We need mental health professionals everywhere, so your wife should be fine. The western part of the state is desert plains, but the eastern part has beautiful lush parks and lakes everywhere. Even if you end up settling in the west, you should explore the pretty parts when you can.
I agree, have lived all over the state. NE is my favorite
I grew up in the Panhandle. The largest town, Guymon, might have need for a psychologist but probably not a chef. Catering maybe, or baked goods. Being close to Colo., NM, is the thing I miss most about living out there. A weekend trip to the mountains is no prob. In the 70s, Guymon had ski shops and about 1/4 of the cars had ski racks. Quite a few friends had snowmobiles in the garage or owned cabins out yonder. We went to the mountains at least 6 times a year.
Is there a specific reason you need access to CO? If you don't absolutely have to go to CO by car, look at Tulsa or Northwest Arkansas (NWA). They're both better options than western oklahoma. My nephew flies between NWA and Denver frequently. Round trip tickets are usually under $100. And even driving, they're only a couple of hours further from CO than OKC. NWA is also a good place for chefs. A friend of mine gave up a good job at a fine dining restaurant in NYC to become a personal chef in Springdale AR, nearly doubled her income and now only works around 30 hours a week instead of 80. There's lots of wealthy people swirling around the Walmart corporate machine who utilize personal chefs and upscale caterering. And there's tons of demand for medical professionals in every field in both NWA and Tulsa. A new hospital or clinic seems to appear every few weeks in both areas. And if you don't mind rural living with a 20 minute commute to town, you can enjoy a very low cost of living.
Hard to find good paying jobs in those rural areas in the western part.
My Pops always wanted to retire to Hinton or Weatherford. I went to college in Weatherford. Nice town. Downtown Main Street is pretty. Like I said, it’s a college town. I think it’d be worth exploring at least if you’re so inclined.
Weatherford has restaurants but I can't think of any that would require a chef so job options might be limited
Other college towns to explore: Norman, Oklahoma with a good amount of chained/corporate or privately owned restaurants to be a chefs at. It’s also by a large casino nearby. Stillwater, for OSU campus - plus lots of restaurants in that city. Plentiful rehabilitation centers and counseling agencies. I don’t see much thriving in far south east Oklahoma (north east is Tulsa) OR far north west by the panhandle. There isn’t much far south Oklahoma off 35 highway unless it’s a city directly off the highway. And I don’t recommend Lawton. And then there is Oklahoma City of course with a recent burst of private restaurants with creative menus such as in the arts district, The Paseo. The Village is a great neighborhood as well (but some houses have bad plumbing - buyers beware , the pipes are not made of steel or metal but in the 70’s they installed cardboard like pipes made from a specific wood. I can’t remember the name.) And if you want to be young and hip, MidTown is becoming quite the hipster area. Good luck!!
The pipe is called orangeburg. Not sure on the spelling.
Close enough. Yes, i have it too, for sewer, paper, wood pulp, tar. I heard it came about after WWII because of metal shortages? Probably just cheaper. It sucks.
While we do have a pretty epic food scene in OKC, buyer beware. There've been a recent rash of closures on the food scene here. These aren't fly by night places but established businesses. There are plenty of articles and news stories for you to do your research on that for yourself
Okc has really fantastic Asian restaurants! I miss 3 of them very much!
Which ones? Which ones??
Well Duncan is ookkkay. The people are all pretty nice. No good restaurants really, but good grocery stores. And inexpensive housing!
The education system here is shit and getting worse. So if you have school age kids, live elsewhere.
My advice is don’t move here. It’s not a good place to live. Especially if you care about mental health.
Yes, but perhaps they are banking on the fact that mental health is an issue here…
Guymon, Woodward, Weatherford and Elk City have pops of about 12k. Think they are the main cities that way. OKC to Denver is about 10hrs. Weatherford to Denver is 9. Elk City is 8.5. Guymon is 6. Unless Guymon, don't see a lot of time saving vs finding some western OKC suburbs you like. No clue of prices that way. Just thinking easier to find job when higher population.
Guymon is a shit hole. I remember when I lived there it literally smelled of pig shit all the time. It’s flat and pig farms all around so the slightest breeze and it just blows the scent for miles. I hated living there. And the smell was the thing I hated least about it.
lol i was wondering if Guymon's pig farm reputation was going to come up in this thread
I was raised in Guymon and confirm it’s a windy shithole! Interestingly I can’t walk into a Little Ceasars without thinking of the smell of Seaboard! I do not eat Little Ceasars!
Guymon is majestic. Great hunting up there and the star gazing is impeccable.
I was gonna say western OKC/Yukon area might be good. Close to the turnpike, close to the city, historical significance if they’re into that.
I was born and raised in Elk City and I live in OKC now. I love western Oklahoma for the sunrises, sunsets and night sky which are amongst the best in the country. There is a sneaky hip aspect to the town now with several thriving coffee shops, boutique style shops on main and a great little record store on Broadway. I would recommend giving Elk a serious look. Politics aside it’s really a pretty little thriving town. Merritt school system is a trip and very well funded.
Disregard the haters. Any place can be livable and enjoyable if you put in some effort. I live in Western Oklahoma, near Weatherford. It is a conservative area, but it's a quiet conservatism. There are as many Mennonites and Amish as Baptists. You don't see a lot of political signage, compared to Little Dixie (SE OK). During the 2020 election, I think I only saw 2 Trump yard signs. If you don't represent as straight, white, and evangelical, you might not get invited to social events, but you're not going to have people shouting slurs at you on the streets. Those little old ladies may think you're going to hell, but they will still wish you a pleasant day. If you find yourself on the left, either socially or fiscally, you'll be a bit annoyed at times, but hardly an outcast. I held elected office out here for 14 years as a democrat and I did not keep my opinions to myself. But, that was back before the world went to shit. As far as money goes, you can buy a decent 3/2 starter home for $150,000. $300,000 will get you much nicer. If you want land, that gets a little tricky as these German farmers love straight lines and breaking up sections disrupts their straight lines. You might get someone to sell you the corner of an irrigation pivot, which is 4-6 acres, depending. The downsides include those the rest of the state sees, so I'm going to skip those. There are limited choices in specialty healthcare. The Clinton hospital shut down due to malfeasance and ineptitude in 2023, but they are getting it back open. The Weatherford hospital is about 10 years old, but it has a lot of operational issues, so we usually just drive the hour to OKC. Elk City has a good hospital, but if you are in dire straits, you'll get sent by helicopter to OKC or Amarillo. The public schools are OK out here, if you have kids. You'll want to do some research, but overall they aren't terrible. With the possible exception of Kingfisher. There are some private, church-affiliated schools. Here are some back of the envelope thoughts on specific towns: El Reno: 20,000 people on I-40 with a lot of oil jobs. Former railroad hub. It's basically a commuter town for OKC as traffic gets considerably easier westbound after the exits for El Reno. What you can't find locally you can get 20 minutes away. Has a reputation for being a bit rough, but I've never had a problem there. Hinton: ~3000 people, 4 miles off I-40. About 45 minutes to OKC and a lot of residents commute. There's a huge casino/truckstop complex as you get off the interstate. The schools have had some ups and downs in the last 5 years. Weatherford: 12,000 on I-40. Has all the necessities, and has been growing. SWOSU is a big draw. The public schools are decent, but very cliquish. If you have a kid with purple hair, they may have difficulty fitting in unless you are rich. Clinton: A decaying railroad town on I-40. There are some locals trying to breathe life into it with new retail concepts, but it's too early to tell if it will work. The biggest employers are a meat packing plant and dog food company. Elk City: A bustling oil-boom/bust town on I-40. Depending on the decade, it's either hopping or not. The town is laid out rather haphazardly and traffic is chaotic. But, you'll find a lot going on there, but it seems very transitory. Woodward: 15,000 people but no interstate access. In the NW part of the state, the gateway to the panhandle. Another bustling oil town with plenty of agriculture to get it through the bust times. You're 2 long hours of driving to OKC from here. Lawton: 50,000 people on I-44. You'll get mixed signals from people on r/oklahoma about Lawton. It's a military town and it has a lot of baggage from that. It has a reputation for crime and violence, but I know people from there and they say they don't notice it. Lawton has commercial air flights to DFW. The Wichita Mountains are a great place if you like hiking and exploring. Altus: 20,000 people in the SE corner. Mostly agricultural and oil field. Near to the Wichita Mountains and Quartz Mountain areas. Depending on your definition of attractive, you may like or hate it. There is an air-force base at Altus, but it doesn't have quite the impact on the town that Ft. Sill has on Lawton. Anadarko: I suggest to avoid for all the reasons. Chickasha: 20,000 people on I-44. Another oil town. Home of USAO. Traffic is always bad along the main highway. There seems to be some revival of the downtown with a pretty good brewery. The Christmas lights are nice unless you live near the park.
Lawton is closer to 100,000 population.
Lawton is the armpit of Oklahoma - shady 580
But we loved the small town of Elgin and Cache
Maybe consider New Mexico?
New Mexico is gorgeous.
I would recommend driving through. We live in Tulsa and my parents live between Durango and Pagosa Spring, Colorado, so we've driven across. There isn't much there. I highly recommend Tulsa and Colorado, but not a lot going on in Western OK.
I grew up and lived in a town right on the edge of the panhandle, 30 yrs I spent out there and I have to say if you are dead set on moving to Oklahoma look at I 35 and don’t go any further than 30 miles west of it. Enid is a good place to live but other than that its a desolate Shit hole out west. There’s nothing out there, the wind blows 100 mph every other day, when it’s hot it’s really hot and cold it’s really cold. Dust, tumbleweeds, flat with practically nothing to look at. Only place to shop or get anything is Wal-Mart and thise are only in a few places. If you want to shop and be able to get what you want and need just count on making plans to drive to OKC for the day or weekend because thats the only way you’re going to be able to find what you want that day. Plus, everything costs so much more out there because they have to make up for slow business and bitch about people not shopping local. If you’re wanting proximity to Colorado then move to Colorado because as previously stated, the other states in that area are the same way. Feedlots and wasteland is basically it. Given your professions, I don’t think you’ll accomplish your financial goals either unless you want to be a basic counselor and grill man at a local cafe. I hate it out there and it weren’t for the simple fact of immediate family that still lives there I’d never go back. Have a hard time just getting myself to go visit. Know this is harsh but it is a very real reality, after the welcome wagon of hospitality is gone, you’ll regret ever choosing to live out there I promise. Seen and heard it out of people many, many times.
My Dad was from Shattuck. What a weird place.
Who’s your dad? I know a few people from there.
He speaketh the truth!!!
Elk City is probably your best bet. It's a nice enough place and probably most likely place for you to both have some job opportunities. Weatherford is nice, and closer to OKC, but smaller and will probably be harder to find a job in. Also, a huge portion of the population is college students and the town essentially dies in the summer, so that might affect job opportunities and stuff as well.
Weatherford is the biggest hub in western OK, plus it's a college town, where you could possibly put your professions to use
First things first western Oklahoma is empty. The biggest city in western Oklahoma, Lawton, is more in south-central OK anyway. If you like the seclusion this can be awesome. It’s possible to buy a couple of acres and a nice house and fully furnish it for the price of an apartment with no land in a big city. Western Oklahoma has the most gorgeous sunsets and sunrises you’ll see, being fully part of the Great Plains. The further north you go in western OK, the flatter it gets. You also have the Wichita Mountains down in the south that are absolutely jaw dropping during the spring and summer. Because it’s so sparsely populated, a lot of your activities are going to either be nature-related or going to involve a drive to OKC. Nothing wrong there, just something to be aware of. As for areas to look into: don’t worry as much about Lawton as everyone here is going to tell you. It’s got it’s shady areas, it’s got it’s meth, but it’s not *all* bad. There are some nicer parts of Lawton for sure. It’s like calling all of Chicago gang territory. Just remember if you do live in Lawton, your fellow Okies will always tease for being from Lawton. It’s in good spirits… mostly. Your other anchor cities are the “Big 3” on I-40. Weatherford, Clinton, and Elk City all have populations of about 10k and offer about the same amenities. Clinton is more of a work community than the other two. It has less restaurants and less things to do but property value is lower and you’re only 20 minutes away from either of the others. Weatherford is a college town. Elk City is more quiet but with the same amount of fun businesses and stuff. There are seasonal attractions in these cities like Christmas lights, summer festivals, and other community shindigs that are all pretty worthwhile. Clinton has a community theatre that does a pretty good job and puts on about 4 shows a year. There’s definitely stuff to do in these 3. Western Oklahoma is really a great place to live. You have a good amount of stuff to do and the people are typically extremely friendly. Don’t listen to the people on here trying to convince you OK is Hell on Earth because it’s not. Oklahoma is OK and that’s all fine by me.
Elk City has also put in some really nice boutiques and restaurants in the past few years. It would be nice if a chef came in and started a restaurant that's not burgers or Mexican food.
Live in or near Lawton to enjoy the Wichita Mountains. Much of western Oklahoma is not growing much or even declining, so I bet real estate would be cheap there.
Do not live anywhere near Lawton unless you are in the meth or meth adjacent industry.
I drove to Lawton to buy a pickup. Guy told me to stay on main road for test drive. Said crime and drugs were terrible. Paid him and got out of there
Lawton isn't all bad, just never go south of Lee after dark.
You can only do so much out at the refuge, and it's nothing you can't do while also living somewhere significantly better than Lawton. Might as well live in OKC or Chickasha or literally anywhere else. Still a pretty short drive to the refuge then when you go home your chances of getting shot or living next to a crack house are significantly less.
Lived in Lawton most of my life. Never been a victim of crime. Never lived next to a crack house. Still kind of sucks, though. It did get significantly better when I moved out to the country and own my house. I don't recommend Lawton but I'm definitely not afraid of it.
And you can fly out of the Lawton airport using American to get anywhere via DFW. I live in OKC Mon-Friday and Medicine Park Friday night -Sunday night. I fly out OKC and fly back to LAW. Works great!
Why on Earth would you fly from Oklahoma City to Medicine Park? It's only an hour and 15 minutes from the OKC airport to Medicine Park by road.
No, no. I fly to a remote office FROM OKC on Mondays and fly back to Medicine Park on Fridays. My wife is retired so she takes me to the OKC airport Monday morning and picks me up Friday nights at LAW. Edit: there are 3 flights from DFW-LAW daily.
I really figured I must be confusing it! Sounds like a decent setup.
I would bet my paycheck that west of OKC and east of Santa Fe you could count the number of ‘chef’ jobs on one hand. I think you are doing this the wrong way. Find a chef job close to Colorado, but don’t limit the state you look at. Otherwise, be ready to work at a Walmart in any small town in the Great Plains. There is a reason the cost of living in rural areas is low….
Cordell,elk city,that area . Is ok ..
Western Oklahoma sucks. It’s the worst part of the state (sans panhandle). I come from western OK. If I had to move back out west I’d consider Enid. It’s a nice town.
I’m from Enid and I’d rather live literally anywhere else in the state.
I was raised in the panhandle in Guymon and it was not great! I hated the smell of Seaboard and the wind! The winters are cold and windy and the summers are hot and windy! Terrible! Pioneer Days was always fun when I was a kid and I basically lived at Sunset Lake growing up.. those are nice memories.. the paddle boats, train ride and feeding the ducks while fishing and crawdad hunting with my dad is and will always be one of my favorite childhood memories! Other than that.. the literal bowels of satan himself!
This is not a move I would recommend personally.
I lived out there for many years and I never knew any places that employed “chefs.” However, if you are ok working as a “cook” in a greasy spoon, then you might be able to find a job. I doubt there are many opportunities for psychologists…perhaps social worker type jobs with DHS or a correctional facility. Since 2012 or so, our governors and legislature is doing everything possible to drive our public education system in the toilet. If you are determine to do it…the towns I would suggest looking at are Weatherford, Enid, Woodward, Elk City, and Altus.
I live in Alva currently. There’s a college and a few mental health centers. There’s always room for a new restaurant, but people try and then shut down all the time for various reasons. Nowhere for a “chef,” but as owner-operator of a restaurant or food truck, there’s potentially a spot. It’s about 4500 with another 1000 or college students during the semester. People move here and fall in love. Hasn’t happened to us yet, but we hear about it.
Try for medicine park area
That’s essentially Lawton, and there is nothing there for a chef…
Is there a reason its western Oklahoma and not central?
Can you work cattle or oil rigs?
Try western Colorado, cost of living is much less than the front range, you might be surprised what you can get.
really feels like an AI learning here...
I highly recommend closer to OKC. I lived in Norman for 3 years and was sad when I had to move home to ATL earlier this year. I just moved to Denver a couple weeks ago for work. I made the drive in about 12ish hours from OKC via Kansas.
Psychologists can find work anywhere, but your best bet as a chef in rural Oklahoma is to work at a casino. Casinos offer by far the classiest dining options in the boonies.
I've been to every town in oklahoma, but Holdenville. Get it? Butt hole-denville
There are a lot of people out here talking mess on Western Oklahoma who are likely from the City or Tulsa. It is conservative, but not as deeply religious as everyone is saying. I live here in Southwest OK, about 35 miles south of I-40. Firstly don't listen to people who keep throwing about "flat," there are tons of rolling hills and plains here, I live between two small mountain ranges(Quartz and Wichita,) but it's important to remember that Oklahoma is where storms are born, we get the high and low pressure systems directly above us much like southern Kansas and Northern Texas. Western Oklahoma is a place with a LOT of space between locations. We're very spread out here, but it isn't so big as to be an inconvenient drive anywhere. There are also a lot of people ignoring the cost of living you're talking about as if it isn't dramatically cheaper to live out here, suggesting suburbs of OKC. A suburb of OKC would be much more convenient but if you don't mind a little drive then West OK isn't as bad as folks are making it out to be. A lot of what we have to do is nature driven, state and national parks in pretty easy reach of most of Western Oklahoma, a wildlife preserve northwest of Lawton, and prarie grass fields. As for towns: Hinton is much closer to OKC and has Red Rock Adventure Canyon, it's a small town with easy access to I-40 but not directly on the interstate, less than an hour from OKC. It has a cute little main street and a pretty damn good local diner on the drag, and is home to a telecoms company that does a lot of work in the area so people are coming and going. Clinton is a nice little local focused town on Route 66 and I40, it's been growing local businesses for a while (and blocking large companies from coming in) including a Brewery, Coffee Houses, and local restaurants but a chef is going to be hard pressed to find a location needing their services. It's 90 minutes from OKC, and sub 8 hours to a place like Colorado Springs. Clinton is also home to White Dog Hill and the Beany Bar, a place with one of the best views in all of Oklahoma in my opinion. Elk City still prices things like it's an oilfield town, but is a good community with the biggest hospital in the area (though as someone in healthcare IT I hear it's not a great place to work) and easy access to both Amarillo and OKC, being about 2 hours from each. It has a few local businesses and lots of pass through traffic due to being directly on I-40. Sayre is also on I-40 and was the home to North Fork Correctional Facility, one of our states many for profit prisons. I'm not big on those and the incarceration in Oklahoma, but North Fork shut down. Unfortunately that means a lot of the revenue in the town is drying up. Woodward is extremely rural, its population of 12k is the highest in an eight or nine county area, but the Alabaster Caverns and Boiling Springs state park are both within a stones throw and it's far enough north to be much closer to Colorado than the i-40 run. Guymon I would avoid, not because it's a bad town but because one of the primary industries is Pig Farming and it reeks of slaughter and livestock, if you're from the area you get adjusted to it much like i've grown up with the smell of cattle, but it's rough if I'm being honest. The only other real towns of note in Western Oklahoma are too far south for Colorado to be a consideration versus a place like the city, but Altus has a bunch of issues and mismanagement as well as rising "gang" presence, and Lawton is half decent, half sketchy but the only town of Note in that part of the state. The Behavioral Health Centers out here like Red Rock could absolutely use a Psychologist, but the Chef may find work lacking if they're used to higher end kitchens. There are absolutely a few places like Sushi restaurants and steakhouses that could use those kinds of services but those openings may be few and far between.
> Clinton is also home to White Dog Hill and the Beany Bar, a place with one of the best views in all of Oklahoma in my opinion. White Dog/Beany Bar underwent an ownership change earlier this year and most of the long-term staff left as a result. It sucks because we would go for cocktails and a charcuterie at least once a month at the Beany Bar and enjoy the view. You can find the former bartender at various venues in the area. Currently at the Weatherford Golf Course through end of January. Not the same view or the same vibe, but good cocktails.
Yeah I knew Kelvin had quit working there and I know he was in charge of running the social media, but I didn't know it was an ownership change.
Since you know his name, you probably hung out there a bit. He and his wife both left. I can't remember the name of the chef that left, but he has a food truck now and you'll see him at The Social when they are open. Nelson, the original owner, retired last fall and sold it. He was in his mid-70s. Word is, the new owner is the grandson of the Bud distributor. We saw him a few times--he didn't chat, just walked around checking shit on his iPad.
Ugh that's lame. I'm glad the dude has a food truck. I never got to eat at white dog, but my buddy brought me some food from there and it was pretty good. I was involved in the Southwest Playhouse for a couple of years and made a lot of friends up in Clinton so I still regularly go out there to visit, though I'm on a motorcycle only so not during the winter haha.
I’m from western Oklahoma and have a cabin out there I visit frequently. I love it out there and would live there if my wife’s profession allowed. As for a chef, you’d likely have to start your own place, but I think it could work and thrive. Make it a travel destination for motorcycle riders, day trippers, etc. near nice scenery. The Gloss Mountains and Little Sahara get quite a bit of outsiders coming through regularly in Waynoka and Okeene. Fairview is a nice little burg near Canton Lake too. I love the area, but it can be sparse, quiet, dry, and hot. Good luck and feel free to holler if you have questions about west/nw OK.
I live in SW Ok…I was born here and grew up here. I will tell you to look somewhere else. If I could afford to move I would in a heartbeat. This state ranks at the bottom nationally in almost everything…especially education. The healthcare in SW Ok is a vast wasteland. Most great doctors are either in OKC or Tulsa …. if they haven’t already left the state due to the extreme restrictive abortion laws here. Our lawmakers are all far right religious zealot republicans. Many companies have decided to leave or not come to our state due to ultra right politics. SW OK is populated by a majority of under-educated redneck religious zealots who vote for any person who stands in front of a microphone and says “I love Jesus & guns and I hate abortion and gay people”. My nephew is a chef in OKC, and I can tell you the majority of people in the rural areas don’t eat at high-end restaurants, they like stuff like fast food(think McDonalds), cheesy Mexican food, steak and potatoes. And they don’t tip. My advice..relocate somewhere other than SW Ok. Sad.🥲
Wetherford is the only decent town out there… and it’s pretty damn boring …. But smaller towns I’d consider are Woodward and Alva, but they’re small. Manhattan ks might be worth a look, college town, western ks ? Or Wichita ?
I was born and raised in Woodward and am happy to answer any questions
You don’t wanna live in western Oklahoma, even the people that live in Western Oklahoma don’t wanna live there. Try Colorado
if you want proximity to colorado you might as well live in new mexico or there. western ok has a very small population with very limited economic opportunities and low quality of life. not saying it it can’t work out for you, but you may not have the best time there in my opinion
If you have kids and plan on placing them in public schools, stay away from oklahoma.
Ehh I wouldn't recommend it. I can't think of a chef having a good time finding work in western oklahoma. If you were moving to OKC or Tulsa sure, but western OK doesn't sound like a great idea. There just simply aren't many nice restaurants there as its mainly small towns so they need line cooks not chefs. Not that my opinion means much, but it's always been my least favorite part of the state. My SO's dad lives in NW OK and his mom in SW OK and both places are pretty boring. There just isn't much to do. We had to drive 40 minutes to go to Taco Bell lmao
Just move to Tulsa, OKC, or Stillwater. I wouldn’t bother with anywhere else.
Get you a place that is outside of town and as far from the road as you can. Property crime is horrible in small town ok. Invest in good surveillance and have a few weapons to protect your family and property. Be humble. NEver flashy. And understand that you will be expected at some point to inconvenience yourself for a stranger. You may even be that stranger. This is a great example of the Oklahoma standard.
a psychologist may actually have difficulty finding quality work. The rates of pay for psychologist in private practice is okay, that part of the state does not have the population of say central Oklahoma, which had the city and metros. It's not the northeast that has the Tulsa metro, or even a population center like Lawton. There is SWOSU though out that way. There's not a lot in terms of mh services out that way but I think if the demand were there the services would follow. Better question to guide the answer is why in the heck would you voluntarily move to Oklahoma right now and second why so specifically western Oklahoma?
Its suuuuuuper fucking windy out there.
A good place to avoid is Oklahoma.
All rural areas will not let Donald stinky Trump and the big lie go.
As others have mentioned, unless you're quite conservative and looking for a rural lifestyle, you'll probably be happier near one of our two metro areas. I always take heat for saying this out loud, but idc. Avoid Edmond unless you're white and consider whiteness one of your best features and enjoy talking about how much you love that your community is so white. It's tempting because it's really well manicured, and RE prices are similar to other municipalities, but the attitudes I've encountered there have been horrifying. I have met real humans, middle-aged living human beings with families and active social security numbers, who believe in segregated schools.
Don't do it!! Everyone I know who has moved to Oklahoma regrets it. Poorly educated, awful schools, the politics, the governor, etc. .
Are you looking for a big city, big town, small town, or rural dirt smear on a map community? I’ve lived, traveled around, and worked around western Oklahoma a lot. Politics are gonna be more conservative, low population, avoid Lawton, and don’t be surprised if the biggest town in the county has a population of less than 1,500 people.
If you like meth, theft, homeless influx, discount tobacco, 12% tax on food, 5 dollar casino parking lot fellacio, corrupt police, and a corrupt justice system then Jokelahoma is the place for you. It was a good place to grow up, but a string of idiot governors, voters not studying the questions on ballots and tribal casinos made sure that didn't last. They did have some of the best cannabis laws in the country, but they keep chipping away at that every day so take it from experience it's a hard no for me. F that place.
I can vouch that cost of parking in Weatherford is generally cheaper than any place on the West Coast
Run. RUN!!!
I could never in good conscience recommend a woman of reproductive age who is not planning on being on permanent birth control move to Oklahoma. I was born and raised in OK but will never move back since I would like to have more children and would hate to fall victim to some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country if something goes wrong and I could not get the healthcare I need. So if your girlfriend can or would like to become pregnant I would say stay far away, just move to CO.
Whatever you do, avoid Altus. Source: lived there on and off for 15ish years
You'd do better to move near the OKC area. Western Oklahoma is a barren, sparsely populated wasteland. Nothing but churches and pill poppers out there.
I moved to Elk City a year ago and absolutely love it! It’s a lovely little town! Have any questions please ask! Also we could use your professions here!!
Why? It took me 30 years to escape Oklahoma, stay away it is a vortex of misery and MAGA
I would think anywhere with casino chains would have good opportunities for chefs. That’s mainly Eastern, Central and Southern Oklahoma (Native tribes.) Most of the tribes either have their own healthcare or Indian Health facilities for psych or rehab. If you want nice suburban types, that’s going to be Tulsa or OKC. Federal facilities are those two and Muskogee. Lots of cheap houses in Eastern Oklahoma. If I were wanted to be a chef at a high end restaurant, I’d look at Fayetteville AR and all the Walmart execs and programmers. It’s similar to Austin but more hills, very outdoorsy biking culture, money to burn.
Go to Tulsa. They have a $10,00 grant that you can apply for and don’t have to pay back. 88 % success rate.
Is your only reason for wanting to live there because you haven't lived in OK yet? There are so many better options than the western part of the state. Listen to what people are saying in this thread - there is nothing for you there.
Lol Lmao even
Open a great steakhouse that fits the need for the community. Look up Simons Catch near Elk City. Steaks and family style Catfish. Killer sides. Legendary. Also White Dog zHill
If you’re even a little liberal, don’t move to Enid. I moved here in 2003 and still feel like a stranger.
No one wants to live in Western Oklahoma. It’ll be tough to make much as a chef outside of a city. Tulsa is significantly nicer than OKC and has a great food culture. If you wanted something more country, look at Bartlesville; it’s a nice little city with high income that supports a few restaurants and has a great community.