City: Vinita
County: Craig

Population
Data from the 1990 population census place the Vinita population at 5,804. 41.15% of the population of Craig County resides in Vinita.
Area
1970
1980
1990
1996 Est.*
City
5,847
6,740
5,804
5,750
County
14,722
15,014
14,104
14,440
30 Mile Radius
N/A
N/A
115,300
125,300
*U.S. Census Bureau

Percent Distributions of the Population by Race --1990
In Vinita, 75.98% of the population is White, 5.25% is Black, 18.3% is Native American and the remaining .47% is comprised of all other races.

Labor Force
The Craig County labor force was 6,860 in 1997. Participation rate in the county labor force constitutes 61.88% of males and 48.49% of females.
City Labor Force Factor
Male
Female
Total
Civilian Labor Force (1990)
1,176
1,228
2,404
Employed (1990)
1,112
1,172
2,284
Estimated Labor Availability within 30 miles (1997)
1,540
1,190
2,730
Climate
The average January temperature in Vinita is 43 degrees Fahrenheit with a July temperature average of 80 degrees. The area receives an average of 44 inches of rain annually and 6 inches of snow. The average number of flying days is 347.

General Government
Vinita has a Mayor-Council type of government. There is a comprehensive city plan and zoning. The city provides garbage service.

Public Safety
Vinita has 10 full-time fire personnel, 7 volunteer fire personnel and 19 full-time police officers. The city's fire insurance has a 5 classification while the adjacent area has a 7 classification.
Utility Providers
Utility services are provided primarily by the following carriers:
Electric - Public Service Co. of Oklahoma
Natural Gas - Kansas Gas Service Co.
Telephone - Southwestern Bell Telephone Co.

Water System
Storage Capacity
Daily
Consumption
Pressure
In Mains
Source
Capacity
Ground: 3,200,000 GPD
Max:
2,125,000 GPD
83 PSI
Grand Lake of 
9,000,000 GPD
Elevated: 200,000 GPD
Min:
NA GPD
65 PSI
the Cherokees
Sanitation and Sewage Treatment
Vinita has a trickling filter system of treatment. The city's sewage treatment system is currently operating at approximately 67% of capacity.
Sewer Treatment Capacity and Load
Measurement
Capacity
Present Load
Gallons per Day
1,200,000
800,000
Population Equivalent
9,000 
6,000
Express and Motor Freight
More than ten motor freight companies serve Vinita on an as-needed basis. United Parcel Service operates a terminal in the city. Federal Express is also available.

Distance to Major Cities
Oklahoma is centrally located in the U.S. The distance from Vinita to the following cities is:
City
Miles to
 City
Miles to
Atlanta
734
 Memphis
422
Chicago
620
 New Orleans
690
Dallas
302
 New York
1,281
Denver
700
 Oklahoma City
178
Detroit
846
 San Francisco
1,804 
Houston
523
 St. Louis
333
Kansas City
206
 Seattle
1,999
Los Angeles
1,517
 Tulsa
65
Air Transportation
The nearest commercial airport is 56 miles from Vinita at Tulsa, Oklahoma. This airport is a full service field with three runways, the longest having a total runway length of 10,000 feet. There are at least 10 major commercial airlines operating out of Tulsa International. There are several air freight companies operating there.

Water Transportation
The nearest water transportation is the Port of Catoosa. It is 45 miles from Vinita and has a channel depth of 9 feet. It is connected via the Arkansas River to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.

Road System
Vinita is located on I-44, and intersected by SH 66, SH 69, SH 60, and SH 2.

Rail and Bus Availability
Vinita has two bus carriers. Rail service is available from Burlington Northern and Union Pacific Railroads, operating two local trains daily.

Accommodations
The city has 7 motels with more than 110 rooms. The largest banquet room in Vinita seats 300.

Housing
Vinita has 2,617 dwellings; 72% are owner-occupied.

Places of Worship
Thirteen Protestant churches and one Catholic church are located in Vinita.

Media
Vinita has one daily newspaper. There are 2 local radio stations, and reception of 44 television stations via cable availability.

Tax Structure
Vinita's property tax rate is $80.36 per $1,000 assessed value for the year 1997-98. The fractional assessment percentage for real property is 11.50% and for personal property; 12.00%. The property tax is distributed as follows:
City
County
School
Other
Total
$0.00
$16.50
$53.86
$10.00
$80.36
Bond Indebtedness
School
City
County
$2,175,000
$1,045,000
$0
Sales Taxes
The city has a sales tax rate of 3.0%. In addition, the state levies a 4.5% tax rate on sales. Craig County levies a 1.0% sales tax.

Commercial Services
Within the city there are machine shops, tool and die services, and electric and motor repair services.

Educational Resources
Vinita has 5 primary and secondary schools with approximately 1,425 students and 100 teachers.
Type
Grades
Facilities
Enrollment
Teachers
Public
K-5
2
700
40
Public
6-8
1
352
18
Public
9-12
1
400
34
Total
5
1,452
92
Within a 40 mile radius is Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and Rogers State College. The Northeastern Area Vo-tech is 15 miles from Vinita.

There is a public library in Vinita with nearly 60,000 volumes.

Telecommunications
Vinita has two internet providers and U.S. Cellular.

Medical Facilities and Medical Practitioners
Vinita is home to 2 hospitals with 658 beds. There are 3 nursing homes with 289 beds. Practicing in the Vinita area are nine medical doctors, two osteopaths, two chiropractors, four dentists and three optometrists.

Financial Institutions
Vinita has three banks with assets totaling more than $131,954,000.

Industrial Financing
The Oklahoma Finance Authorities (OFA) provide low interest financing through the issuance of general obligation bonds. The loans are established at 300 basis points over cost. In a first mortgage position the loan can be up to $1.25 million. Many Oklahoma counties have voted approval of General Obligation Limited-Tax Bonds for economic development. The amount of bonds the counties can issue is limited to no more than could be retired by a special tax levy of 5 mills. The proceeds of the bonds are generally used to acquire or build a facility associated with the development project. Lease income from the facility is used to amortize the bonds.

Recreational Facilities
The citizens of Vinita have access to a number of recreational facilities. Nearby lakes and state parks provide many activities.
Parks
Tennis Courts
Country Clubs
Swimming Pools
Golf 
Courses
3
2
1
1
1
Other Attractions
Other community features are the annual Will Rogers Rodeo (held in August) and Calf Fry Festival (held in September). In addition, Vinita residents enjoy Little League Baseball, softball, football, and soccer.

Business
The employment and establishment data reported in the following table is for Craig County.

It should be noted that this employment data excludes some types of employment, namely government and railroad employment. (Government employment in the Oklahoma City area is substantial, including the state capitol, Tinker Air Force Base and the FAA Aeronautical Center. )
Sector
Number of Establishments
Number
Employed
Ag. Serv., Forestry, and Fishing
7
19
Mining
6
58
Construction
23
98
Manufacturing
14
696
Transp. & Pub. Util.
32
621
Wholesale Trade
22
221
Retail Trade
96
852
Fin., Ins., & Real Estate
32
197
Services
116
1,722
Total
360
4,484
Source: Oklahoma County Business Patterns 1995
Major Employers
Major Employers Product/Service
Number Employed
Union Name
Vinita Public Schools Education Services
125
OEA
Heinz Bread
116
Dana Corp. Automotive
160
GRDA State Electric Agency
65
OEA
Cinch Connectors Micro-Connectors
250
Northeast Electric Coop Rural Electricity
100
CWU
Eastern State Hospital Mental Health Services
850
OEA
Local Development Organization
Mr. Don Yarger
c/o First National Bank
P.O. Box 407
Vinita, Oklahoma 74301
Phone: 918-256-2207
Fax: 918-256-8064

Prepared by Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Research and Planning Division, June, 1998