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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The income-cost paradox: Broken Arrow pays $85,220 — 6% above the national median — while costing just 100 on the index. Only 36 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 4-city ranking for 2026 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
#1 Ranked: Broken Arrow — cost index 100, rent $1,671/mo, income $85,220
Broken Arrow: high income, low cost — a rare combo
4 of 4 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The income-cost paradox: Broken Arrow pays $85,220 — 6% above the national median — while costing just 100 on the index. Only 36 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 4-city ranking for 2026 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
Value = income ÷ cost index. The national benchmark ratio is 718. Broken Arrow delivers 852 — 19% more purchasing power per dollar earned. This metric catches cities that expensive-but-high-paying rankings miss: a $90K salary in a city with index 80 buys more than $120K in a city with index 150.
A closer look at Broken Arrow: the cost index of 100 breaks down to a Utilities index of 92 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 103 (weakest). Median rent is $1,671/month — 12% below the national median — while household income sits at $85,220, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
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.
Broken Arrow earns above the national median ($85,220 vs $80,367) while keeping costs below average (index 100 vs 112). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 36 of 288 cities share it.
Rent in #1-ranked Broken Arrow has increased from $1,624 to $1,671/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
119,194 residents · Oklahoma
Why Broken Arrow ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 100 on the cost index, residents save roughly 12% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,671/month while the median household pulls in $85,220/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 92, though Healthcare (103) lags behind. Home prices average $283,474 — $183,896 below the national median.
702,767 residents · Oklahoma
Here's Oklahoma by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 89. Rent: $1,255/month. Income: $66,702/year. Home price: $203,329. Population: 702,767. The strongest category is Housing at 73; the most expensive is Healthcare at 92. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $7,680 per year vs. the national median. If you're a planner, this number should anchor your spreadsheet.
130,046 residents · Oklahoma
The #3 spot goes to Norman, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,289/month — saving renters $7,272 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 81, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 95. At a 24% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
411,894 residents · Oklahoma
Why Tulsa ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. At 89 on the cost index, residents save roughly 23% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,207/month while the median household pulls in $58,407/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 73, though Healthcare (92) lags behind. Home prices average $212,757 — $254,613 below the national median.
Broken Arrow ranks #1 in Oklahoma for this analysis with a cost index of 100 and median income of $85,220.
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.
Broken Arrow (ranked #1) has a cost index of 100 and rent of $1,671/mo, while Tulsa (ranked #4) has a cost index of 89 and rent of $1,207/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 Broken Arrow is $1,671/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $224 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Broken Arrow is $283,474, which is 3.3× the local median income. That's within the standard 3.5× affordability rule for most local earners. 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.