Rich heritage and growth on the horizon for the seat of Caddo County
The small city of Anadarko came by its name honestly. Home to seven federally recognized Native American tribes, this community of just under 6,000 is – as some say its name means – a “city of indigenous peoples.” Nearly half of Anadarko’s population is made up of the following tribes: the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, Comanche Nation, Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, Wichita & Affiliated Tribes, Caddo Nation, Delaware Nation and Fort Sill Apache Tribe.
“Most of Anadarko, at one time, was Indian land allotments,” says Charles Wells, the Comanche Nation’s director of Anadarko Outreach. “But now the town’s grown up around it and the Indians have sold off their properties.” The Census Bureau reports that the city’s population shrank by more than 1,000 people between 2010 and 2020, but Wells says there’s hope for future growth. “A lot of tribes have programs for prevention and recovery. We’ve taken a step forward in helping put the city back on its feet. Anadarko is unique because it kind of recreates itself on a cycle. It goes through an evolution about every five years.”
Modest single-family homes sell for less than $300,000
Cottages, Craftsmans and ranch-style homes are common. Condition varies. Some properties are neatly maintained; others are being reclaimed by nature. “Some homes have been torn down, so there’s just a vacant lot. A lot of the tribes have put money into fixing homes up for their elders, and the town uses a lot of tribal and federal grant funding to sustain itself housing-wise,” Wells says. Sale prices typically range from under $100,000 to nearly $260,000, about $175,000 below the national median.
Summers here are hot, while winters are chilly with minimal snowfall. The Washita River and Tonkawa Creek are prone to flooding. Caddo County is vulnerable to tornadoes.
Recreation, annual events at Anadarko parks, Caddo County Fairgrounds
Anadarko has five public parks: Downtown Pocket Park, Old Town Park, Randlett Park, Rotary Park and Unity Park. They have outdoor recreational amenities like splash pads, playgrounds, trails, baseball fields and tennis courts. Randlett Park also hosts events, including the Hoppy Days Easter festival and the Honor America July 4th celebration. Museums, including the Anadarko Heritage Museum, the National Hall of Fame for Famous American Indians and the Southern Plains Indian Museum, pay homage to regional history and display artifacts and art of western Oklahoma tribal peoples. The Southern Plains Indian Museum is currently closed for maintenance.
The Caddo County Fairgrounds hosts events like the annual American Indian Exposition. “The Indian Exposition is dancing, arts and crafts, vendors and rides for kids. It’s a big, big thing. About 15 tribes get together for it,” Wells says. “We’re very proud of who we are. We’ve persevered through many, many years of being left to fend for ourselves, and we’ve done an incredible job keeping our tribal traditions alive. That’s where the Exposition comes in, showing people our traditions.”
Anadarko High offers concurrent enrollment classes
Anadarko Public Schools earns a B-minus from Niche. The district serves over 1,300 students across five schools: B-minus-rated Anadarko East Elementary, C-rated Anadarko Mission Elementary, B-rated Anadarko Sunset Elementary, C-rated Anadarko Middle and B-minus-rated Anadarko High. The high school offers concurrent enrollment classes at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Oklahoma allows out-of-district transfers by application, subject to enrollment limits. Riverside Indian School, located on Wichita, Caddo and Delaware land just north of Anadarko, serves students between fourth and 12th grade. The public school’s curriculum focuses on Native American cultural studies in addition to traditional academic subjects.
Slow, steady growth in downtown Anadarko
The low-slung, vintage brick buildings along Main Street, Broadway Street and Oklahoma Avenue in downtown Anadarko are banks, small businesses, boutiques and restaurants. “A lot of the downtown urban renewal happening right now is because the Indian nations are taking an interest in bringing businesses there. We’re not growing by leaps and bounds, but we are growing,” Wells says. He recommends The Soda Fountain Eatery for lunch. “We just call it The Eatery. You can’t find a parking space during the noon hour because it’s so packed in there," he says. Close to downtown, there’s a Dollar General and a Family Dollar. There’s also a Dollar Tree and a Walmart Supercenter off Petree Road, a few miles away.
Quick access to healthcare and highways
Healthcare facilities, including Anadarko Indian Health Center and Rural Wellness Anadarko, formerly known as The Physician’s Hospital in Anadarko, are within about 5 miles of most homes. U.S. Route 62 connects east to Chickasha, less than 20 miles away. Downtown Oklahoma City is about 60 miles away via Route 62 and Interstate 44. OKC’s Will Rogers International Airport is just under 55 miles away. Red River Public Transportation Service operates a demand-response bus service in Caddo County.
