Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt has long envisioned and championed Oklahoma as a “Top 10” state.
In his first State of the State address in 2019, he described his goal: “My vision for Oklahoma is very clear and simple. To make Oklahoma Top 10.”
He has maintained that objective during his six-plus years in office. He often folds his “Top 10” tagline into speeches and announcements to highlight the progress he says Oklahoma is making.
But the slogan has been met with much discussion, particularly over its validity. Oklahoma often ranks among the worst states for education, health outcomes and poverty. Two new studies issued by CNBC offer the latest examples. In the news network’s annual quality of life report, Oklahoma sits at the bottom. The state ranks 37th in CNBC’s yearly study on the top states for business.
That result comes despite Stitt’s contention that Oklahoma had become a top 10 state for business, which he declared at his State of the State address in February.
Stitt insisted in a statement to The Oklahoman that the state is moving in the right direction toward his Top 10 goal.
“We’ve worked hard to make the Oklahoma Turnaround happen and the progress is real,” Stitt said. “Our economy is booming, we’ve cut taxes, protected freedom and more families are choosing to call Oklahoma home.”
So, what information is Stitt tracking to measure success, and what do those metrics actually show about how Oklahoma compares to its peers?
Gov. Kevin Stitt said at his State of the State address this past February that in the last six years, Oklahoma has become a top 10 state for business.
The governor keeps a public dashboard of metrics and rankings on his website, outlining how Oklahoma fares in various categories, including commerce, education and health. The information is refreshed frequently, with some metrics being updated every month.
The dashboard has existed since at least July 2020, but some of the metrics have changed over time.
The last time Oklahoma’s violent and nonviolent crime rates appeared on the dashboard was mid-2023. By May 2025, tourism statistics were also no longer available. Before they were removed from the dashboard, the crime and tourism metrics showed Oklahoma had room to grow to become Top 10.
When asked why the statistics were no longer reported on the governor’s dashboard, Stitt’s press secretary, Meyer Siegfried, did not directly say.
“They’re basically just metrics that the governor is interested in tracking along with suggestions from agencies,” Siegfried said.
The dashboard still keeps tabs on dozens of categories. According to that data, Oklahoma does rank in the Top 10 in some metrics, especially those tied to energy production. The state falters in some other categories.
Here’s a look at the some of the areas where Oklahoma rises to the top or falls to the bottom sector:
How is Oklahoma a ‘Top 10’ state?
Unemployment rate
Rate: 3.1%
Oklahoma rank: 7/50
Change since July 2020: Down by 3.5 percentage points
Pre-K enrollment
Rate: 67% of 4-year-olds
Oklahoma rank: 3/50
Change since 2020: Not tracked by dashboard.
Oil Production
Production: 382,000 barrels of oil per day
Oklahoma rank: 6/50
Change since 2020: Not tracked by dashboard.
Electricity generated by wind
Production: 3,147 gigawatt-hours
Oklahoma rank: 3/50
Change since 2020: Not tracked by dashboard.
Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an executive order to launch his “Make Oklahoma Healthy Again” campaign in June as Oklahoma ranks 41st in childhood obesity.
How Oklahoma is not a ‘Top 10’ state
Childhood obesity
Rate: 19.3%
Oklahoma rank: 41/50
Change from 2020: Increase of 1.3 percentage points
Suicide rate
Rate: 22.8 deaths per 100,000 Oklahomans
Oklahoma rank: 47/50
Change since 2020: Up 3.4 deaths per 100,000 Oklahomans
Incarceration rate
Rate: 527 people incarcerated for every 100,000 Oklahomans
Oklahoma rank: 47/50
Change since 2020: Down by 47 people for every 100,000 Oklahomans
Per capita personal income
Income: $64,772
Oklahoma rank: 39/50
Change since 2020: Up $16,857
Gov. Kevin Stitt has made Oklahoma becoming a “Top 10” state his goal since his time in office began.
What is next for Gov. Stitt’s ‘Top 10’ agenda?
Stitt has a little over a year left in his term to fulfill his goals for Oklahoma.
Stitt told The Oklahoman he is proud of how far Oklahoma has come in his seven years.
“I’m proud of our people, our momentum and the fact that Oklahoma’s best days are still ahead,” Stitt said in a statement.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Is Oklahoma a Top 10 state? How the state ranks in Gov. Stitt’s metrics