Cost of Living in Oklahoma
What it costs to live in Oklahoma, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 4,095,393
- Median household income
- $66,148
- State income tax
- Up to 4.5%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 87.8
What a typical paycheck keeps in Oklahoma
The typical Oklahoma worker earns $45,600 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $10,057 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $45,600
- Federal income tax
- −$3,292
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,488
- State income tax
- −$1,507
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$10,968
- Everyday costs
- −$16,288
a year, or $838 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Oklahoma.
Cost of living in Oklahoma
Prices across Oklahoma run 12% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing37% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)6% below the US average
- Utilities26% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)5% below the US average
- All items12% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $914 | $10,968 |
| Food | $463 | $5,556 |
| Transportation | $366 | $4,392 |
| Healthcare | $336 | $4,032 |
| Utilities | $192 | $2,304 |
| Total before taxes | $2,271 | $27,252 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Oklahoma taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 0% |
| $3,750 | 2.5% |
| $4,900 | 3.5% |
| $7,200 | 4.5% |
Taxes on the median household income
$66,148 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$5,758 |
| Payroll taxes | −$5,060 |
| State income tax | −$2,431 |
| Effective tax rate | 20% |
Cities in Oklahoma
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Oklahoma city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Oklahoma
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $166,170 | $90,655 |
| Physician assistant | $136,550 | $71,743 |
| Pharmacist | $135,140 | $70,842 |
| Nurse practitioner | $133,390 | $69,725 |
| Software engineer | $118,100 | $59,888 |
| Occupational therapist | $104,300 | $50,801 |
| Lawyer | $103,060 | $49,985 |
| Mechanical engineer | $101,850 | $49,187 |
| Civil engineer | $98,760 | $47,153 |
| Physical therapist | $98,590 | $47,041 |
| Veterinarian | $98,090 | $46,711 |
| Dental hygienist | $97,580 | $46,375 |
| Data scientist | $86,310 | $38,955 |
| Project manager | $86,240 | $38,909 |
| Speech-language pathologist | $84,470 | $37,743 |
Salary pages in Oklahoma, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Oklahoma
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $361,350 |
| Physicians, All Other | $259,220 |
| Chief Executives | $163,790 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $157,330 |
| Petroleum Engineers | $153,020 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $137,280 |
| Physician Assistants | $136,550 |
| Pharmacists | $135,140 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $133,390 |
| Financial Managers | $132,460 |
| Managers, All Other | $131,870 |
| Sales Managers | $128,920 |
| Marketing Managers | $126,920 |
| Aerospace Engineers | $125,470 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $120,570 |
Living in Oklahoma
Oklahoma against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Oklahoma | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $222,100 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,044 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 14.9% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 29.3% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 22.7 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 8.9% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Oklahoma with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Oklahoma?
Prices in Oklahoma are 12% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $914 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,357 a month.
Does Oklahoma have a state income tax?
Yes. Oklahoma's income tax rate is up to 4.5%. On a typical wage of $45,600, a single filer pays about $1,507 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Oklahoma?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $32,400 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Oklahoma earns $45,600 and keeps $10,057 after those costs.
Where in Oklahoma does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Oklahoma cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Tulsa ($9,406 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Oklahoma City ($9,103).
What jobs pay the most in Oklahoma?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Oklahoma goes to Family Medicine Physicians ($361,350); Physicians, All Other ($259,220); Chief Executives ($163,790) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate