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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. And more often than not, only 36 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 4-city ranking for 2026.
#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. And more often than not, only 36 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 4-city ranking for 2026.
Why Broken Arrow ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. That's more or less in line with the region. 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.
Real talk: the ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Broken Arrow (index 100, rent $1,671); Norman (index 92, rent $1,289); Oklahoma (index 89, rent $1,255). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Broken Arrow: high income, low cost — a rare combo. 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. If you're debt-free, those savings go straight to building wealth.
Here's the asterisk: Here's the state-level backdrop: Oklahoma averages a 93 cost index, $1,356/mo rent, and $68,847 income across 4 cities. That's $539 less than the national rent average. Energy economy and persistently low costs — and that context shapes every city in this ranking.
Bottom line: Broken Arrow 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.
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
Broken Arrow comes in at #1. Rent is $1,671 a month. Household income is $85,220. The cost of living index is 100. It lines up with what you'd expect.
130,046 residents · Oklahoma
Norman earns its position at #2 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 92 cost index sits 20 points below the national baseline, and the $65,060 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $257,977 — $209,393 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 81, while Healthcare trails at 95 (that's pre-tax, of course).
702,767 residents · Oklahoma
The #3 spot goes to Oklahoma, and the breakdown explains why. 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.
411,894 residents · Oklahoma
Dive into Tulsa's numbers: cost index 89 (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.
Cities are ranked by overall cost of living index in descending order. High-cost cities are typically driven by housing prices — a city with an index of 150 has overall costs roughly 50% above the national median, with housing often 2-3× that premium. 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.
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.