Me.

No, I'm not re-enlisting (too old for that now anyhow), I've accepted a civilian job with the garrison and will be relocating with my entire family in the next couple of months.  I'd appreciate any advance intel on the local area y'all are able and willing to provide.

Naturally I've been surfing around the web trying to get a sense of the place, and opinions are mixed to say the least.  It's a good career move for me and it's a better geographic location for my family than being stuck in the Midwest for the last 8 years, but I'm getting apprehensive about my impressions of daily life in Lawton--seems there's an awful lot of crime and few amenities.  What can you tell me about where to begin looking for housing?  What shopping is available?  How are food and fuel costs?  What insider info can you pass to a newcomer that will help to ease my relocation?

Any and all information is most welcome.

I am a civilian working on Fort Sill for the past 31 years. I grew up in Lawton, but now live 30 miles away in Duncan. I would suggest that you look for housing outside of Lawton and commute to work.

Thanks, that's what I keep reading.  Seems like Elgin is recommended frequently, so that's where I started looking.  How's the commute from Duncan?

Duncan is nice. So is Chickasha. Both are an easy commute. I just parted ways with Randy Byford. Edmond to Duncan was a b*tch of a daily commute. I definitely don't recommend it!

Drive takes me about 40 minutes. It is 37miles from my driveway to the parking lot at work, almost all of it is highway.

When life gets tough hit up Dragon West

What are you looking as far as living arrangements.  There seems to be a lot of houses on the market right now.  I grew up here, been in and out of Sill over my career, just retired in July and have some acreage North of Sill that we will probably build a house on eventually.

Do you have kids, are you wanting something out in the country or do you want to be in town close to shopping/resturants?  What's your budget for a house buying or renting?

Elgin area is about 20 min drive door to door, you will want to get a pickpass for the tolls.  Not much in Elgin (sonic, McDs, small grocery store, a Chinese place and a Billy Sims BBQ place)

Chickasha is about a 40 min drive, same with Duncan they have more stuff than Elgin but longer drive.  You will also be paying $3 bucks a days for tolls from Chickasha on top of gas.

In the Lawton Area look out on the West side or out by Cache for nice houses.  Lots on new stores out on the West side (target, academy).  It's is not as bad as people want to make it out to be.

Also there are stuff available out by the lake/medicine park area.  Not much out here for stores, got a dollar general, sonic, BK and Loves by Apache Gate on the north side if we need anything more we go to the commissary or into town for it.

Let me know if there is something specific you want to know or if you want an opinion on a house/area you are looking at.  We've been checking out the available housing trying to decide between buying something or building ourselves. So got ideas I could throw at you if I knew more about your wants/ budget.

Cost of living is good here.  Gas is right at $2.05 to 2.15 now.  You got most of the big name shopping here, the mall is still going ok with jCP, Sears, Dillard, Old Navy.  Dicks just moved in on Second Street with Kolhs.  Got the usual chain restaurants Olive Garden, outback, chilis etc.  Kmart, wallmarts, target.  Currently building a new movie theater.

Two lakes nearby for fishing/boating.  Hunting season just kicked off so everyone is talking about that, sill has an Elk heard that everyone is trying to get tags for.  Got the wildlife refuge with some ok trails for hiking.  OKC is 90 min and Dallas is 3 hours away.

There are a lot of worse places that I have been stationed at over the years.  When I was young never planned on coming back to the area but got kids and a family now and retired here now.

Thanks for the write-up, that helps me get a picture of the area.

We're a family of six, so I'm looking for at least a 4-bedroom house to rent under $1400 per month.  I need two living areas in the house so we'll have a dedicated place for school work.  Lot size isn't an issue, but I don't want to have to maintain too much lawn or ornate landscaping.  Proximity to a park would be a plus.  The wife and kids will be at home pretty much full time, so I want something safe, secure, and not too isolated.

Is the commute from the west side of Lawton shorter than from Duncan?  Trulia shows it taking almost an hour, but Google maps says I can do it from Cache in 20 minutes.  What's it like in reality (with morning traffic and all that)?

I see a couple of neighborhoods with available homes east of I-44, around Flower Mound Road.  Is this an area worth considering or should I avoid it?

I'm leaning toward staying near Lawton proper for at least the first year while we get acquainted with the area and plugged in to the community.  I'm also burned out on home-ownership over the last few years, hence the desire for a rental.


That's been my experience pretty much everywhere I've lived, and I've generally gotten on fine.  I just don't want to end up in a place where locals would know to stay away.

Yeah cache is closer than Duncan.  I I've out by lake lawton kea and it is 20 min for me to work.  Traffic won't be bad, you will be on why most of the time and should only have a couple of lights depending on what way you take.  I don't know what the rental market is like out on the West side is like but stuff is constantly coming open and you should be able to find something for you in that price range or maybe alittle cheaper.  Cache schools are supposed to be good

When are you looking at moving down?  I can send you some rental listings that for areas to take a look at (I've got no ties to any of the companies just been looking a lot recently). I can recommend a realtor in the area if you want to talk with someone more about what is available around here.

Well, I've arrived. :)

and just in time for the welcoming ice storm, albeit a baby one.

Yeah, it was much heavier on I-35 coming down from Kansas City and Wichita.  Fun times, and thankfully no interesting highway happenings.  The north part of the state is hauntingly beautiful when it's covered with ice.

Lawton is kind of a thug town.