Lumberman

Less than 5 miles from Tinker Air Force Base in southeastern Oklahoma City, within 2 miles of both Interstates 35 and 240, Lumberman’s primary appeal is its convenience. Realtor Angie Baird, with Stellar Realty, explains: “The best thing about this area is that you’re close to the base and to the highways. It’s easy to get wherever you need to go, especially if you work on-base, but you have a little more room around you than you would if you were living in the middle of the city.” She notes that while Lumberman’s location is typically the deciding factor for her clients considering a move here, home prices play a major role, too. “A lot of people move here because it’s one of the more cost-effective neighborhoods in the city these days,” Baird explains.

You’ll find mostly ranch-style homes here, built between the 1980s and early 2000s and ranging in price between $125,000 and $250,000. “It’s getting harder and harder to find homes in the mid-$100,000 to mid-$200,000 range, so people like that you can still find that here,” Baird observes. Some Lumberman homes feature design details recalling the earlier Prairie style of architecture, like deep roof eaves, tall rectangular windows and earth-toned façades. Others feature more rambler-style details, like wide front porches and decorative masonry accents. Homes here also tend to feature all the hallmarks of traditional Oklahoman suburbs, from front-facing, multiple-car garages to tall cedar privacy fencing surrounding spacious backyards. For a classic 1980s brick ranch, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a front-facing two-car garage and a kitchen recently updated with stainless steel appliances and quartz countertops, you can expect to pay around the $230,000 mark. Baird notes: “Of course, homes with more updates, more bedrooms and bigger garages are higher in value. But it’s definitely an area that is still considered quite affordable for Oklahoma City.”

Lumberman students are served by schools in two different districts, depending on whether they live in the northern or southern half of the neighborhood. Students in the northern half tend to go to Bodine Elementary, Webster Middle and Capitol Hill High School, part of the Oklahoma City Public Schools system. The three schools all earned C-minus grades from Niche in 2023. Students in the neighborhood’s southern section go to Sooner Elementary, Central Junior High and Moore High School, part of the highly sought-after Moore Public Schools system. Sooner, Central and Moore all earned B grades from Niche in 2023. Sooner Elementary also earned a 9/10 GreatSchools Summary Rating. Baird notes that many of her clients mention that living in the Moore Public Schools district is important to them. She says: “Moore schools are very popular, and people definitely consider the district when they’re moving to this part of town.”

With Tinker Air Force Base just 4.5 miles northeast down 59th Street off Air Depot Boulevard, Baird notes: “A lot of active-duty service members and veterans love this area because the base is in easy reach.” But even civilians enjoy Lumberman’s proximity to the base. The Tinker Morale, Welfare and Recreation office, or MWR, offers tons of opportunities for fun, from the Tinker Golf Club and Iszard pool to the Tinker Lanes Bowling Center. Those with an active military ID or “CAC” (Common Access Card) can grab everyday essentials and groceries at the Tinker Main Exchange, less than 5 miles away from Lumberman on the east side of the golf course. But even closer to home, bookending the neighborhood less than 4 miles down 44th Street in either direction, you’ll also find two Walmart Neighborhood Markets. The Trosper Golf Club is also close by, just 2.5 miles north of most homes. The thickly forested 18-hole course was redesigned in 2018 to incorporate more pot bunker-style hazards. Baird adds: “With I-35 and 240 nearby, too, you can get downtown in just 10 or 15 minutes, which is great if you want to go out to eat or shopping or anything of that nature.”

Written By

Megan Quintin

Photography Contributed By

Howard Snyder

Video By

Daniel Willingham