While growing up around here, I often heard the talk of how none of the good jobs were in Oklahoma. Over time, I came to realize that was a stereotype strongly held by many.

Is it that things have changed that much, or that the stereotypes are just false? Forbes seems to think Oklahoma City can hold it’s own in business and career world, as evidenced by their ranking of our fair city in their list of ‘Best Places for Business and Careers.’

The Highland Trails addition of Edmond, just north of Kelly & Waterloo, goes all out every 4th of July, and this year, clearly, was no exception. In grand fashion, Brad Stone highlighted the event for all to enjoy:

According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Edmond, OK is one of America’s fastest-growing cities, and the fastest-growing city in the state of Oklahoma. Here are just a few of the reasons that so many are making the move to call Edmond home.

Ever wonder what to do for fun in Edmond on a Saturday morning? Here’s an idea: this is video from last year’s First Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta at Lake Arcadia, held by the City of Edmond.

Want to join in the fun? The 2nd Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta will be August 28th, 2010. Registration begins today so check out the City of Edmond website, or call 405-359-4630.

It’s a question that’s not usually asked as much as it’s assumed. You see, there’s this stigma that Oklahomans don’t earn much in comparison to the rest of the country, and if you’re one that makes that assumption, then the #2 and #4 rankings of a September 2009 report on Portfolio.com might surprise you.

Oklahoma City has been an oasis of stability during the recession. Its midyear unemployment rate of 6.0 percent was vastly better than the nation’s 9.5 percent. And its income growth rate has been solid. Oklahoma City is one of just 12 markets that have doubled their PCIs since 1993. Growth score: 51.7 points.

What else do you not know about Oklahoma’s economic strength?

One of the great things about living in Edmond is the parks system that’s in place, and the support the city continues to give. While many will always argue where the tax money should be spent, parks & recreation are always a great investment for a community. Keep up the great work, Edmond!

The local appeal of Oklahoma City just keeps getting more and more attention these days. Recently, CNNMoney.com ranked Oklahoma City as the #1 Best Place to Launch a Small Business.

An interesting tie-in story is about the Biomedical startups in OKC.

“When I thought of Oklahoma,” the 52-year-old entrepreneur recalls, “I thought of cowboys and Indians.” Two decades and two startups later, he sees his adopted home as a different kind of pioneer state: a place where young, ambitious companies can grow and thrive.

That cowboys and Indians impression of OKC may be the only thing holding some people back, but the smart ones have overcome it and are thriving as a result!

Way back when I moved from OKC to Edmond, there was only one motivating factor… getting my kids into one of the top public school districts in Oklahoma. That was over 10 years ago and I’ve been shown time and again that the standard here in Edmond hasn’t dropped.

Need data to back it up? Check out the latest API scores and you’ll see that four of Edmond’s schools not only met and exceeded goals, but they nailed the highest score possible.

Additionally ALL of the schools in Edmond’s district are ABOVE STATE GOALS.

DeSpain said the outstanding student achievement reflected in the reports provides reason to celebrate and is a direct result of the efforts of the dedicated staff members who work to ensure that each child receives a quality education regardless of the school that they attend within our school district.

When folks are being transferred to Oklahoma, they’re looking for safe cities, great schools, and affordable living. These are three things that make Edmond so attractive, and the FBI just ranked Edmond as the safest city in the state of Oklahoma and among the top safest cities in the US.

Edmond ranked 12th among U.S. cities with a population more than 75,000. Five other Oklahoma towns also were ranked in the FBI report. Broken Arrow and Norman rank 48th and 49th respectively. Oklahoma City ranked 267th, Lawton ranked 314th and Tulsa was 345th.

It’s no shock that OKC has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the US, so wouldn’t it just make sense that it’d also be one of the best cities to look for a new job, too?

With all our local economy has going right, it’s no wonder we’re seeing so many new faces in Oklahoma City and Edmond these days.