Moving to Altus: Pros, Cons & What to Know
Moving to Altus means moving to a real, independent southwestern-Oklahoma anchor built around Altus Air Force Base, weighing genuine affordability and safety against real base-driven housing-market volatility.
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Learn moreA real, singularly defining Altus AFB military identity
Altus Air Force Base hosts the real 97th Air Mobility Wing (19th Air Force, AETC), training up to 3,000 flight crew and maintenance students annually on the C-17 Globemaster III, KC-135 Stratotanker, and KC-46 Pegasus -- a real, substantial presence of more than 2,000 troops, ~1,000 family members, and more than 2,500 civilian employees (base record).
A real, disclosed, genuinely wide housing-price spread
Zillow's own typical home value ran approximately $100,088 -- among the lowest documented in this project's Oklahoma buildout -- while a separate source cited a substantially higher $214,783 median estimated value. Confirm current comparables directly with a local agent (base record).
A real, substantially below-average crime rate
Altus's overall crime rate ran approximately 17.48, genuinely, substantially below the national rate of approximately 33.37, even as one source separately assigned an overall 2026 crime-score letter grade of 'C' -- both figures disclosed honestly (base record).
A real, genuinely young, base-influenced population
Altus's median age (33.7) reflects Altus AFB's own defining military presence and PCS-driven population turnover, a real factor for movers weighing community stability (base record).
Key takeaways
- Altus's real identity centers on Altus AFB's own defining military and economic presence.
- Housing carries a real, disclosed, genuinely wide cross-source spread ($100,088-$214,783).
- Altus's crime rate runs substantially below the national average.
- Altus's genuinely young median age (33.7) reflects the base's own military demographic.
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