Choctaw is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, with a population of 12,182 at the 2020 census, a 9.3% increase from 2010. It is the oldest chartered town in Oklahoma Territory. The city is located approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) east of Oklahoma City and is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.
Choctaw became a community in 1890, but was not given actual status as a town until 1893 when a territorial governor was appointed for Oklahoma. It officially celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1993.
In 1950, Choctaw was in an agricultural area. It had a population of 355 in that year. Despite its name, the town has no cultural, historical or governmental ties to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. The tribal headquarters and casino are located in the southeastern part of the state in Durant, Oklahoma, and the Choctaw Capitol Building and annual Labor Day Festival are in Tuskahoma, Oklahoma.
Before Choctaw was chartered, the area included a part of William McClure's 7C Ranch and was known for a trading post and a camping spot near a spring.
A community emerged on the east of land John S. Muzzy claimed in the 1889 land run and received a postal designation in early 1890.
Climate
Choctaw has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa) and lies in an area known as Tornado Alley, characterized by frequent interaction between cold and warm air masses producing severe weather. An average of 54 tornadoes strike the state per year.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Choctaw had a population of 12,182. The median age was 41.7 years. 24.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.0 males age 18 and over.
There were 4,585 households in Choctaw, of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 61.3% were married-couple households, 13.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Percent
|-
| White || 78.0%
|-
| Black or African American || 2.8%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 5.1%
|-
| Asian || 0.9%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0.1%
|-
| Some other race || 1.4%
|-
| Two or more races || 11.7%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 5.2%
|}
2000 census
At the 2000 census,
Education
The majority of Choctaw is in the Choctaw-Nicoma Park School District. Choctaw High School is the zoned high school of the district.
Choctaw High School's Varsity Academic Team, coached by Paula Sendall, is ranked 1st in Oklahoma as of 2017 and has been invited to multiple national-level competitions after winning the 6A State Championship in February 2017. Choctaw public schools spend $4,133 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $6,058. There are about 15 students per teacher in Choctaw. Students graduating from Choctaw High School also have the opportunity to take advantage of the "Ticket to Rose" program at Rose State College. Ticket to Rose provides a scholarship for tuition and mandatory fees for all graduates of Choctaw High School.
Other parts of Choctaw are in Jones Public Schools and Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS). and Star Spencer Mid-High School.
Choctaw contains a career technology school, the Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center.
Notable people
- Lyle Boren, father of David L. Boren and former U.S. Congressman
- Gary Haught, former MLB pitcher
- Louis L'Amour, author
- Becka Leathers, wrestler
- Michael Maples, race driver
- Ryan Merriman, actor
- Ashylynn Brooke, adult film actress
- Greg Jennings, musician
- Dusty Pack, actor