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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 4 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. We ran the numbers on 4 cities in Oklahoma using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Tulsa…
411,894 residents · Oklahoma
Dive into Tulsa's numbers: cost index 89 — we had to double-check this one — (23 points below national average), rent $1,207/month, income $58,407, and a home price of $212,757. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 73, while Healthcare runs 92. With 411,894 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
702,767 residents · Oklahoma
The #2 spot goes to Oklahoma, and the breakdown explains why. And for many people, renters here pay $1,255/month — saving renters $7,680 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 73, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 92. At a 23% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
130,046 residents · Oklahoma
No sugarcoating: a closer look at Norman: the cost index of 92 — and that's before you even look at taxes — breaks down to a Housing index of 81 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 95 (weakest). That alone makes it worth considering. Median rent is $1,289/month — 32% below the national median — while household income sits at $65,060, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
119,194 residents · Oklahoma
Look, at $1,671/month — for better or worse — for rent and a cost index of 100, Broken Arrow is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. Income is $85,220. That's more or less in line with the region.
#1 Ranked: Tulsa — cost index 89, rent $1,207/mo, income $58,407
4 of 4 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K
4 of 4 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 4 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. We ran the numbers on 4 cities in Oklahoma using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Tulsa comes out on top — here's the full ranking and analysis.
4 of 4 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K. And from what we can tell, the 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 4 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. Nothing too surprising there (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
In plain English: the #1 spot goes to Tulsa, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,207/month — for better or worse — — saving renters $8,256 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 73, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 92. A 25% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
Here's the thing: on a $150K salary, the key number is $3,750/month — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. And most of the time, tulsa ($1,207/mo, 10%), Oklahoma ($1,255/mo, 10%), Norman ($1,289/mo, 10%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $102,358 to $102,358/year across these top picks.
Below the radar, but not for long.
Real talk: Keep reading — the next section adds critical context. And most of the time, across Oklahoma, the average cost of living index is 93 — 19 points below the national median. Known for energy economy and persistently low costs, the state offers 4 tracked cities with median rents averaging $1,356/month. That's $539 less than the national average of $1,895. This is one of those rare cities where the math works from every angle (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
No sugarcoating: What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers (that's pre-tax, of course).
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Tulsa | 4.75% | 8.97% | 0.82% | $102,358 |
2Oklahoma | 4.75% | 8.97% | 0.82% | $102,358 |
3Norman | 4.75% | 8.97% | 0.82% | $102,358 |
4Broken Arrow | 4.75% | 8.97% | 0.82% | $102,358 |
Tulsa ranks #1 in Oklahoma for this analysis with a cost index of 89 and median income of $58,407.
Yes. On a $150K salary in Tulsa, rent would consume about 10% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. You're well within that guideline.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Tulsa (ranked #1) has a cost index of 89 and rent of $1,207/mo, while Broken Arrow (ranked #4) has a cost index of 100 and rent of $1,671/mo — a 11-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Tulsa is $1,207/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $688 below the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 4.75% state income tax, estimated take-home on $150K in Tulsa is approximately $102,358/year ($8,530/month). After median rent of $1,207/month, you'd have roughly $87,874/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Tulsa is $212,757, which is 3.6× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Oklahoma has a 4.75% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.97%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.82%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.