Is your salary good in Oklahoma City?
↻ Updated 2026Oklahoma City, OK has a cost-of-living index of 90(US average = 100), so it's about 10% less expensive than the typical US city. Add your household below to see what it really costs to live here — and whether your income is enough.
Comfortable — living costs are about 35% of your gross income in Oklahoma City.
What costs more in Oklahoma City?
Each category indexed to the US average (100). Housing is what makes a city expensive — everyday costs vary far less.
Rents and home prices — the category that drives almost all of the gap between metros.
Groceries and other goods, which vary far less between metros than housing.
Electricity, gas, water and other utility services.
Transportation, health care, dining and the rest of everyday services.
These are the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for the Oklahoma City metro area (2024) — measured government figures, not estimates, indexed so the US average is 100. They cover the metro as a whole; actual costs still vary by neighbourhood, household size and lifestyle. See sources below.
The cost of living in Oklahoma City, at a glance
Oklahoma City runs about 10% below the national average on overall prices, with an all-items regional price parity of 90 against a US average of 100 (BEA, 2024). The biggest driver of that gap is housing, priced roughly 26% below the national average, while utilities are also about 26% cheaper; groceries and other goods run closer to the national norm at 94, and services like haircuts or auto repair sit at 95. As of tax year 2026, Oklahoma's graduated state income tax uses three brackets ranging from 0.25% to a top rate of 4.5%, down from six brackets topping out near 4.75% in tax year 2025, adding to the affordability picture.
For a single adult, SmartAsset's 2026 50/30/20 study puts the gross, pre-tax salary needed to live comfortably in Oklahoma City at about $86,861 a year, well above the median household income of about $68,656 (2024) and far above the MIT living-wage floor of roughly $43,440 a year. Renters benefit from a typical 1-bedroom apartment running under $1,000 a month, and buyers face a metro where the median home price sits in the high $200,000s, both well below coastal or Sun Belt boomtown levels.
Is your salary good in Oklahoma City?
Oklahoma City's median household income was about $68,656 in 2024, up from $66,702 the year before (Census/American Community Survey data via DataUSA). SmartAsset's 2026 comfortable-salary study estimates that a single adult needs a gross, pre-tax income of about $86,861 to comfortably cover needs, wants, and savings here under a 50/30/20 framework — a figure that comfortably clears both the local median household income and the MIT living-wage estimate for a single adult (about $43,440 a year before taxes).
Because the all-items price level is about 10% below the US average, a given salary buys noticeably more in Oklahoma City than the same number would in a higher-cost metro. A household income in the $90,000-$100,000 range comfortably covers a mortgage or rent, a car payment, groceries, and retirement savings for most dual-income couples, while a single filer earning in the $70,000-$85,000 range can live well, even if slightly below SmartAsset's full 2026 comfort benchmark.
Housing — renting and buying
As of 2026, a typical 1-bedroom apartment in Oklahoma City rents for around $962 a month (roughly 707 square feet), while a 2-bedroom runs about $1,132 a month for roughly 990 square feet (RentCafe). These figures are well below the national median rent for comparable units.
On the buying side, the median home listing price was about $284,000 as of September 2025, with the broader Zillow home value index closer to $240,000; prices rose only modestly, around 1.1% year-over-year, and forecasts point to similarly modest, low-single-digit appreciation through 2026 (Norada Real Estate, citing Zillow data). That combination of flat-to-slow appreciation and below-average prices keeps homeownership more attainable here than in most major metros.
Everyday costs
Oklahoma City's BEA regional price parity for goods (groceries, gas, retail purchases) is 94, just slightly below the US average, so day-to-day shopping costs are close to typical national levels rather than dramatically cheaper. Utilities, however, run about 26% below average at a parity of 74, reflecting lower electricity and natural gas costs relative to much of the country.
Other services — dining out, healthcare visits, auto repair, personal care — carry a parity of 95, roughly in line with the national average. Combined with cheap housing and utilities, this means residents see the biggest savings on their largest fixed costs (rent or mortgage, and utility bills) rather than on everyday purchases.
Taxes in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma imposes a graduated state individual income tax that, as of tax year 2026, has three brackets ranging from 0.25% to a top rate of 4.5% (Tax Foundation). This is a simplified structure following a 2025 reform; tax year 2025 still used six brackets that topped out around 4.75%, so filers referencing 2025 income should expect a slightly higher top rate and more brackets than the current 2026 schedule.
The statewide sales tax rate is 4.5%, but within Oklahoma City itself, local add-ons bring the combined state-and-local sales tax rate to 8.625% (4.5% state plus 4.125% city), somewhat below the statewide average combined rate of roughly 8.99% that includes higher-tax jurisdictions elsewhere in Oklahoma. Property taxes are comparatively light, with an effective rate around 0.79% of home value, which helps keep total homeownership costs down.
A living wage vs a comfortable salary
According to the MIT Living Wage Calculator for Oklahoma County, a single adult with no children needs about $43,440 a year ($20.88/hour) before taxes to cover bare necessities like housing, food, transportation, and healthcare. A more comfortable single-adult budget, per SmartAsset's 2026 50/30/20 study, is a gross, pre-tax figure of about $86,861 a year — roughly double the MIT living-wage floor, reflecting the added room for wants and savings that a bare-necessities budget doesn't include.
For a family of four with two adults and two children and only one working parent, MIT estimates a required income of about $77,224 a year ($37.13/hour) just to meet basic needs. A genuinely comfortable income for that same family, allowing for savings and some discretionary spending, would generally need to be well above $100,000-$120,000 combined.
Who Oklahoma City suits
Oklahoma City tends to work well for remote workers, new grads, and early-career professionals who want low housing costs and a manageable cost of living without sacrificing salary from a higher-paying remote job. Retirees also benefit from cheap housing, low property taxes, and modest utility costs, though they should weigh Oklahoma's income tax on retirement income against states with none.
It can be harder for households relying solely on Oklahoma City-scale local wages while carrying big-city expectations for amenities, since some services and goods sit close to the national average despite the low headline cost of living. Buyers hoping for rapid home-price appreciation may also be disappointed, since price growth has been modest recently.
How Oklahoma City compares
Against nearby Tulsa, Oklahoma City is broadly similar in cost of living, with both metros benefiting from low housing costs and Oklahoma's statewide tax structure, though Oklahoma City's slightly larger economy and job market can command marginally higher salaries.
Compared to Kansas City or Wichita, Oklahoma City is generally competitive to slightly cheaper on housing, while all three sit well below higher-cost Sun Belt metros like Dallas or Austin, where median home prices and rents run substantially higher. For someone weighing a move or a remote-work relocation, Oklahoma City offers a cost-of-living discount similar to other secondary Midwest and South-Central metros rather than the ultra-low cost of the most affordable small markets.
Frequently asked questions
Is $70,000 a good salary in Oklahoma City?
Yes, roughly $70,000 is a solid salary for a single adult in Oklahoma City as of 2026, though it now sits below SmartAsset's 2026 comfortable-salary benchmark of about $86,861 pre-tax for a single adult in the metro.
It still clears the local median household income of about $68,656 (2024) and comfortably clears the MIT living-wage threshold for a single adult (about $43,440 a year before taxes).
At $70,000, a single renter can typically cover a 1-bedroom apartment (around $962 a month), transportation, groceries, and some savings without major strain, even if it falls short of the fuller 50/30/20 comfort cushion SmartAsset models for 2026.
How much do you need to live comfortably in Oklahoma City?
According to SmartAsset's 2026 salary study, a single adult needs a gross, pre-tax salary of about $86,861 a year to live comfortably in Oklahoma City under a 50/30/20 budget (50% needs, 30% wants, 20% savings).
That figure sits well above MIT's bare-necessities living wage of about $43,440 a year (roughly $20.88/hour) and above the metro's median household income of about $68,656 (2024), since it's designed to leave meaningful room for wants and savings rather than just covering basics.
Families need considerably more: MIT estimates a family of four with one working adult needs about $77,224 a year just to cover essentials, before factoring in savings or discretionary spending.
Does Oklahoma have state income tax?
Yes, Oklahoma levies a graduated state individual income tax. As of tax year 2026, it has three brackets ranging from 0.25% up to a top rate of 4.5%, following a 2025 reform that simplified the code from six brackets (which topped out around 4.75% in tax year 2025) down to three.
That's meaningfully lower than the income tax burden in many other states, and it compounds with a below-average cost of living to help take-home pay stretch further in Oklahoma City.
Property taxes are also modest, with an effective rate around 0.79% of home value, while the combined state-and-local sales tax rate within Oklahoma City itself is about 8.625% (4.5% state plus 4.125% city), somewhat below the statewide average combined rate.
Is it expensive to buy a house in Oklahoma City?
No, Oklahoma City remains relatively affordable for homebuyers compared to national and many regional benchmarks.
As of late 2025, the median home listing price was around $284,000, with Zillow's broader home value index closer to $240,000, and BEA data puts the local housing price parity at 74, meaning housing runs about 26% below the US average overall.
Price growth has also been modest, around 1.1% year-over-year, so buyers aren't facing the rapid appreciation seen in many other metros.
- ·U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by metro — All-items and category price levels vs the US average, 2024
- ·MIT Living Wage Calculator — Oklahoma County, OK — Current living-wage figures for 1 adult (0 children) and for a family of four with one working adult, used unchanged from the original write-up and confirmed current.
- ·SmartAsset, Salary Needed to Live Comfortably in U.S. Cities — 2026 Study — Source for the corrected, gross/pre-tax 2026 comfortable-salary figure of about $86,861 for a single adult in Oklahoma City, replacing the prior after-tax-implied range.
- ·Tax Foundation, 2026 Oklahoma Tax Rates & Rankings — Source for the corrected 2026 state income tax structure (three brackets, 0.25%-4.5%) and the note on the six-bracket, ~4.75%-top-rate structure that applied in tax year 2025.
- ·SalesTaxHandbook, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Sales Tax Rate — Source for the corrected Oklahoma City-specific combined sales tax rate of 8.625% (4.5% state + 4.125% city), replacing the statewide average of 8.99%.
- ·U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by State and Metro Area — Source for the unchanged, correct-by-definition regional price parity figures (all-items 90, housing 74, goods 94, utilities 74, other services 95).
- ·DataUSA, Oklahoma City, OK — Source for median household income figures ($68,656 in 2024, up from $66,702), unchanged from the original write-up.
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