Small but mighty, the town of Bixby OK ranks as the #4 Best Place to Live in Oklahoma by niche.com. There’s so much that contributes to the appeal of this charming town, home to around 25,000 residents.
Starting as an agriculture-oriented township, thanks to ideal growing conditions that earned it the nickname of “The Garden Spot of Oklahoma”, Bixby flourished even further once natural gas was discovered and residential development began. It became a bedroom community for workers employed in nearby Tulsa in the 1970s, thanks to easy access via US Highway 75. Although a large percentage of residents still commute to Tulsa for their jobs or work at one of the major employers within city limits, many have stayed true to the agricultural roots of the town. Bixby is well-known around the state for its corn, sweet potatoes, pecans, soybeans and grain crops, as well as livestock raising.
This fast-growing city offers attractions and activities for people of all ages and interests. Outdoor enthusiasts will love strolling through the well-maintained parks, including the historical Washington Irving Memorial Park and Arboretum, or fishing at Lake Bixhoma. Anyone can appreciate the locally owned restaurants, serving up southern-style seafood, mouth-watering Mexican food, Chicago-style pizza and satisfying diner food. Residents and visitors alike will enjoy the annual BBQ’n Blues Festival or the Bixby Green Corn Festival. The citizens and community leaders of Bixby focus on proactive growth, and are dedicated to bringing fitting new business to town while also helping existing businesses succeed.
The highly rated public school district is another huge attraction for families in the greater Tulsa area. Bixby Public Schools consistently ranks in the top 15 school districts in Oklahoma, which has 11 schools to provide excellent opportunities for learning, athletics, development and extracurriculars for grades K-12. For grades K-12, there is a student-teacher ratio of 18 to 1, providing great attention for students. Niche.com ranks the district overall with an A- rating, with all elementary, intermediate, middle, and high schools receiving an A or A- rating. Bixby High School earned the College Success Award and is rated a 10/10 for college readiness from Greatschools.com, meaning that it is far above the state average in key measures of college and career readiness. High student test scores play a major role in this achievement.