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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Finding the right city for a family isn't just about cheap rent — it's about income, healthcare, schools, and room to grow. And for many people, we scored 4 cities in Oklahoma on the metrics families care about, and Oklahoma City comes out on top with a cost index of 89, median income of $66,702, an…
#1 Ranked: Oklahoma City — cost index 89, rent $1,255/mo, income $66,702
Family-weighted scoring: income $66,702, healthcare index 92, population 702,767 — balancing career, care, and schools
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma City | 89 | $1,255 | Details |
| 2 | Norman | 92 | $1,289 | Details |
| 3 | Tulsa | 89 | $1,207 | Details |
| 4 | Broken Arrow | 100 | $1,671 | Details |
Finding the right city for a family isn't just about cheap rent — it's about income, healthcare, schools, and room to grow. And for many people, we scored 4 cities in Oklahoma on the metrics families care about, and Oklahoma City comes out on top with a cost index of 89, median income of $66,702, and a healthcare index of 92.
Oklahoma City comes in at #1. Rent is $1,255 — and that's before you even look at taxes — a month. Household income is $66,702. The cost of living index is 89. It lines up with what you'd expect.
Bottom line: Oklahoma City leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
702,767 residents · Oklahoma
Oklahoma City earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 89 cost index sits 23 points below the national baseline, and the $66,702 — though some people might weigh that differently — median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $203,329 — $264,041 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 73, while Healthcare trails at 92.
130,046 residents · Oklahoma
Dive into Norman's numbers: cost index 92 (20 points below national average), rent $1,289/month, income $65,060, and a home price of $257,977. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 81, while Healthcare runs 95. With 130,046 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
411,894 residents · Oklahoma
What does daily life actually cost in Tulsa? Start with the 25% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 73) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 92) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $58,407 and homes at $212,757 round out a profile that ranks #3 for clear reasons.
119,194 residents · Oklahoma
Dive into Broken Arrow's numbers: cost index 100 (12 points below national average), rent $1,671/month, income $85,220, and a home price of $283,474. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 92, while Healthcare runs 103. With 119,194 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
Our persona scoring model weights cost, income, rent, healthcare, taxes, and city size based on what matters most to families. Each factor scores 10-25 points out of a 100-point composite. The guide ranks every tracked city in Oklahoma by this personalized metric. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Oklahoma City ranks #1 in Oklahoma for this analysis with a cost index of 89 and median income of $66,702.
Oklahoma City scores highest for families due to its below-average cost of living, median rent of $1,255/mo, and competitive median income of $66,702.
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.
Oklahoma City (ranked #1) has a cost index of 89 and rent of $1,255/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 Oklahoma City is $1,255/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $640 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Oklahoma City is $203,329, which is 3.0× 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.