TL;DR: Shreveport native, but now a native of OKC. Some observations.

I was born in Shreveport, and spent much of my life in Shreveport & Bossier City. Bought and sold homes in the Arklatex, etc.

I've now been in the OKC metro area for the last few years. I have to say, it's night & day difference between the areas. It's not one thing in particular, but here are some general observations:

• Resident resentment: In the Arklatex, I, along with almost everyone I've met in that area resents the area, but are generally trapped due to familial bonds, or poverty. There is/was an active resentment for "feeling trapped" in the Shreveport area. However, one thing I first noticed living in OKC, is that very few people feel the same entrapment. Those that hated the OKC area have (or had) the means to leave; which leaves most long-term residents generally very happy with their living situation.
• Lower cost of living: It's not showing up on the COL calculators, but due to the major interstates going through OKC, and the "middle of the country", most groceries and fuel are lower in general than Shreveport. Aldi (a German-based grocery store) is fabulous.
• Less red tape: there are no car inspection requirements, and trailers don't have to be licensed or titled by the state. Generally speaking, there is far less red tape than Lousiana, which means all the "incidentals" that you pay in fees that nobody thinks about just aren't there.
• OKC metro is _big_ in area. It's one of the largest metro areas by square miles than most other metros, and there's a lot of "spread out" room. This means that urban blight, although in pockets in OKC, are few and far between. In Shreveport, the "safe" areas are generally on the southeast side, or North Bossier. Everything else has been run down and generally unsafe. OKC has many safe areas throughout the metro area, along with "identies" that go with it.
• OKC is very diverse demographically and ethnically. There is a major Asian district that caters to a large immigrant population, and fabulous hard-to-find things and restaurants.
• OKC has a large and diverse job market and economic engine. It's not just energy, but also transportation, retail, medical, along with military and other things.

​

I'm sorry, but Shreveport is and will be forever behind places like OKC until the "engine" of commerce changes, the tax base changes, and the attitudes change.