Southwest · Updated October 2026
Oklahoma in numbers, from the same public data Locustep uses to rank all 50 states: rent, pay, taxes, safety, disaster risk and weather, plus the cities worth a look.
Two-bedroom rent
$1,127/mo
U.S. average $1,759
HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (40th percentile, population-weighted across the state)
Rent vs. income
20.4%
of median household income for a year of two-bedroom rent
HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 ÷ 2024 ACS 1-year estimates (Census B19013)
State income tax
4.5%
top marginal rate, single filer
State revenue departments, 2026 income tax rates (sources listed per state)
Property tax
0.75%
effective rate on owner-occupied homes
Everyday costs
94.8
index, housing excluded (U.S. = 100)
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (released February 2026), housing and utilities removed
Natural disaster risk
49th
percentile, FEMA expected annual loss (lower is safer)
Where Oklahoma stands out: the 7th cheapest two-bedroom rent and the 7th lowest everyday costs among the 50 states.
What to weigh: the 6th lowest median household income.
Overall, a married couple on the U.S. median household income would pay about 6.7% of it in state and local income, property and sales tax here, the 20th lowest of the 50 states.
Average afternoon highs and overnight lows in Oklahoma City (Oklahoma City Will Rogers Airport station), NOAA 1991–2020 normals.
| Season | High | Low |
|---|---|---|
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | 51°F | 29°F |
| Spring (Mar–May) | 71°F | 48°F |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | 91°F | 69°F |
| Fall (Sep–Nov) | 72°F | 50°F |
$1,264/mo two-bedroom · $1,040 one-bedroom (Oklahoma City, OK HUD Metro FMR Area)
Oklahoma City has reinvented its downtown with a river boathouse district and an NBA team, backed by very cheap housing and short commutes. Flat, sprawling, hot in summer, and squarely in tornado country.
$1,229/mo two-bedroom · $1,007 one-bedroom (Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area)
Tulsa has striking Art Deco architecture from its oil boom, a strong arts scene and a well-known remote-worker relocation incentive. Cheap, greener and hillier than Oklahoma City, with a slower pace.
$1,264/mo two-bedroom · $1,040 one-bedroom (Oklahoma City, OK HUD Metro FMR Area)
Norman is the University of Oklahoma's town just south of Oklahoma City — young, affordable, with a walkable campus corner and a football-dominated autumn.
$1,264/mo two-bedroom · $1,040 one-bedroom (Oklahoma City, OK HUD Metro FMR Area)
Edmond is Oklahoma City's affluent northern suburb, with well-rated schools, newer housing and a quiet, family-oriented character. More expensive than the city, still cheap nationally.
$1,229/mo two-bedroom · $1,007 one-bedroom (Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area)
Broken Arrow is a fast-growing Tulsa suburb with good schools, new subdivisions and a revitalised main street. Safe, affordable, thoroughly suburban and car-dependent.
$974/mo two-bedroom · $763 one-bedroom (Lawton, OK HUD Metro FMR Area)
Lawton is southwest Oklahoma's army city, built around Fort Sill, with the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge nearby. Very cheap and transient, with hot summers and tornado season.
$1,010/mo two-bedroom · $829 one-bedroom (Payne County, OK)
Stillwater is the home of Oklahoma State University, a college town between Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Cheap and friendly, with tornado exposure and a small job market beyond the university.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (40th percentile, population-weighted across the state) (metro areas). City notes: Locustep.
Closest on Locustep’s match factors: cost, housing, taxes, safety, jobs, schools, healthcare, outdoors, disaster risk and climate.
Ranks compare the 50 states. Locustep updates these figures when the agencies publish new data.
Yes. Oklahoma’s top marginal income-tax rate for a single filer is 4.5% (Oklahoma tax law, 2026). Counting property and sales tax too, a married couple on the U.S. median household income would pay about 6.7% of income in state and local taxes (Locustep estimate, 2026).
A typical two-bedroom rents for about $1,127 a month and a one-bedroom for about $914, using HUD’s FY2027 Fair Market Rents averaged across the state by population. That is $632 less than the U.S. average of $1,759. Rent in the bigger metros can be well above the state figure.
Leaving housing aside, everyday prices (goods and services other than housing) index at 94.8 against a U.S. average of 100 (BEA, 2024), and the median home value indexes at 61.6 against the U.S. median (Census, 2024). Two-bedroom rent takes 20.4% of the state’s median household income of $66,148.
Oklahoma recorded 422.8 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024 (FBI), the 13th highest rate of the 50 states. Crime varies a lot between and within cities, so check the specific area you’re considering.
The main hazards are tornadoes. On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Oklahoma’s expected yearly loss from natural hazards sits at the 49th percentile nationally (lower is safer). Risk differs sharply by county, so look up the county too.
Places people most often weigh include Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman, Edmond and Broken Arrow. Each has a different cost, climate and character; Locustep compares their rent, disaster risk, weather and pay side by side.