Moving to Tulsa in 2026: Cost of Living, Housing, and What to Know

Tulsa by the Numbers

Tulsa sits along the Arkansas River in northeastern Oklahoma, a city of 413,000 residents and a metro population of roughly 1.02 million. Once known exclusively as the “Oil Capital of the World,” Tulsa has spent the past decade reinventing itself as a destination for remote workers, a hub for aerospace manufacturing, and one of the most affordable mid-size cities in the country. The cost of living runs 15% below the national average, and the median home price of $248,000 gives buyers purchasing power that has all but disappeared in comparable cities.

The Tulsa Remote Effect

Tulsa Remote — the George Kaiser Family Foundation program that offers $10,000 cash grants to remote workers who relocate — has drawn over 3,500 participants since its 2018 launch. The program requires a one-year commitment and proof of full-time remote employment. Recipients also get coworking space at 36 Degrees North in the Tulsa Arts District and access to networking events.

The program has measurably impacted the housing market. About 65% of Tulsa Remote alumni remain in the city after their commitment year ends, and many purchase homes. The influx of higher-earning remote workers — the average Tulsa Remote participant earns $95,000 — has pushed prices upward in Midtown, Brookside, and the Pearl District. Still, even with these increases, Tulsa remains significantly cheaper than the cities most participants leave behind (San Francisco, New York, Denver).

If you’re considering a move and want to see what your remote salary buys here, the affordability calculator breaks down purchasing power by income level.

Housing Market in 2026

Tulsa’s housing stock spans Art Deco mansions from the 1920s oil boom to brand-new subdivisions in Bixby and Jenks. The market moves at a reasonable pace — homes spend a median of 28 days on market, and bidding wars are uncommon outside of the most desirable pockets.

Price Ranges by Area

Entry-level homes in North Tulsa and West Tulsa range from $95,000 to $155,000. These neighborhoods have higher vacancy rates and lower school ratings but offer genuine affordability for first-time buyers. The 74106 and 74127 zip codes contain most of the sub-$120,000 inventory.

Midtown Tulsa — the stretch between downtown and 51st Street along Peoria and Lewis avenues — is the city’s most sought-after urban area. Tudor-style homes, Craftsman bungalows, and renovated mid-century ranches sell for $275,000 to $450,000 depending on condition and lot size. Maple Ridge, a historic district within Midtown, regularly sees listings above $500,000.

South Tulsa, including the 71st and 91st Street corridors, offers newer ranch-style homes and split-levels from $220,000 to $340,000. The Jenks school district covers much of this area and ranks among the state’s best. Union Public Schools, serving southeast Tulsa, is equally well-regarded.

Broken Arrow, Tulsa’s largest suburb to the east, has a median home price of $265,000 and extensive new construction. Bixby, directly south, averages $290,000 and draws families with its school system and small-town feel.

Use the mortgage calculator to estimate monthly payments across these price ranges at current rates.

Best Neighborhoods in Tulsa

Brookside

Brookside runs along Peoria Avenue between 31st and 51st streets. It’s Tulsa’s most walkable commercial strip — two miles of restaurants, shops, and coffee spots. Housing here consists primarily of 1930s–1960s brick homes on tree-lined streets. Prices range from $250,000 to $400,000. Families dominate, and the neighborhood feeds into Edison and Memorial school districts.

Cherry Street and Midtown

Cherry Street (15th Street between Peoria and Utica) anchors Tulsa’s central dining and nightlife corridor. The surrounding Midtown grid contains some of the city’s most architecturally interesting homes — Spanish Colonial Revival, Tudor, and Craftsman styles from the 1920s oil boom. Young professionals and empty-nesters have driven renovation activity, with flipped homes regularly listing at $300,000–$375,000.

Tulsa Arts District and Pearl District

The Arts District, centered on First Street between Boston and Elgin, is Tulsa’s walkable urban core. Loft apartments start at $1,100 per month, and a handful of condo projects have brought ownership options in the $200,000–$350,000 range. The Pearl District, just east, contains the Gathering Place trailhead and a growing number of new townhome developments priced from $280,000.

Owasso and Collinsville (North Suburbs)

Owasso, north of Tulsa, has grown from 28,000 residents in 2010 to over 40,000 by 2025. The school district rates well, and new construction starts around $240,000 for a three-bedroom. Collinsville, further north along US-75, offers even lower prices ($195,000–$240,000) with a rural-suburban feel.

Jobs and Economy

Tulsa’s economy has diversified beyond oil and gas, though the energy sector remains significant. American Airlines operates its largest base maintenance facility at Tulsa International Airport, employing roughly 5,500 mechanics and technicians. Spirit AeroSystems manufactures fuselage components for Boeing jets at its Tulsa plant with about 3,000 workers. NORDAM, a Tulsa-based aerospace company, adds another 1,800 jobs in aircraft repair and manufacturing.

The energy sector still anchors the economy through companies like Williams Companies (natural gas), ONE Gas, and Helmerich & Payne (drilling). The BOK Financial Center — the tallest building in Tulsa at 52 stories — houses the banking firm that employs 2,400 locally.

Healthcare is the metro’s largest sector by total employment. Saint Francis Health System, the state’s largest privately held hospital system, employs over 10,000 in Tulsa. Ascension St. John and Hillcrest Medical Center add thousands more. The OU-Tulsa medical campus trains physicians and contributes to the healthcare employment pipeline.

Tech remains small but growing. Tulsa Innovation Labs, a venture capital-backed effort to build a tech ecosystem, has invested in cybersecurity and data analytics training programs. The average software developer salary in Tulsa is $88,000 — lower than coastal markets but stretching considerably further against the local cost of living.

Weather and Tornado Risk

Tulsa experiences the full range of Great Plains weather. Summers run hot (average July high of 95F) with humidity higher than western Oklahoma due to the Arkansas River corridor. Winters are mild overall but interrupted by occasional ice storms — the December 2007 event left 600,000 Oklahomans without power.

Tornado risk is real but lower than in the OKC metro. Tulsa County averages 2.5 tornadoes per year, compared to 4.1 in Oklahoma County. The last significant tornado to strike urban Tulsa was an EF2 in August 2017 that damaged 80 homes near 41st Street and Highway 75. Most tornado activity tracks through the rural areas south and west of the metro.

Tulsa also faces flood risk along the Arkansas River and its tributaries. The Keystone Dam upstream controls river levels, but severe rainfall events can overwhelm the system — the May 2019 flood brought the Arkansas to its highest level in recorded history. FEMA flood maps cover significant portions of West Tulsa and the Riverside area. Buyers should check flood zone status before purchasing, as flood insurance adds $800–$2,400 annually.

Cost of Living Breakdown

Daily expenses in Tulsa run well below national benchmarks. Groceries cost about 10% less than the national average, with a gallon of milk at $3.10 and a loaf of bread at $3.30. Reasor’s, a regional chain, competes with Walmart and Aldi for the lowest prices.

Utilities average $155 per month for a standard three-bedroom home, though summer cooling bills push that to $230–$270 in July and August. PSO (Public Service Company of Oklahoma) and Oklahoma Natural Gas serve most residential accounts. Electric rates average $0.093 per kWh — among the lowest in the nation.

Healthcare costs in Tulsa run 6% below the national average. A routine doctor visit costs $115 on average, and health insurance premiums through the ACA marketplace start at $320 per month for a 40-year-old individual on a silver plan.

For a full picture of upfront home buying expenses, the closing cost calculator estimates what you’ll pay beyond the purchase price. Oklahoma closings typically run $4,500–$8,000 on a median-priced home.

Transportation

Tulsa is a driving city. The highway system — I-44, US-75, the Broken Arrow Expressway (Highway 51), and the Creek Turnpike — moves traffic efficiently for a metro of its size. Rush-hour congestion exists on the inner dispersal loop and the BA Expressway but rarely adds more than 10–15 minutes to a commute.

Tulsa Transit operates 17 bus routes, but frequency is limited (30–60 minute headways on most lines). The Aero Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line, launched in 2019, connects the Tulsa Hills shopping district to downtown in 45 minutes and runs every 15 minutes during peak hours. Bike infrastructure has improved with the addition of protected lanes on Archer Street and the expansion of the River Parks Trail system to 25 miles along both banks of the Arkansas River.

Tulsa International Airport (TUL) offers nonstop flights to 17 cities, including Dallas, Denver, Chicago, Atlanta, and both New York-area airports through American, United, Southwest, and Allegiant.

Arts, Culture, and Why Tulsa Punches Above Its Weight

Tulsa’s Art Deco architecture — a legacy of the 1920s oil wealth — rivals Miami Beach for density and quality. The Philbrook Museum of Art, housed in a 1927 Italianate villa with 25 acres of gardens, holds a collection spanning Renaissance to contemporary. The Gilcrease Museum focuses on American West art and history, with the world’s largest collection of Remington and Russell bronzes.

Gathering Place, a $465 million park on the Arkansas River that opened in 2018, has reshaped Tulsa’s national image. The 100-acre park includes adventure playgrounds, a boathouse, wetland areas, and walking trails. It was named the nation’s best new attraction by USA Today in 2019 and draws 3 million annual visitors.

Music runs deep in Tulsa. Cain’s Ballroom, where Bob Wills popularized Western Swing in the 1930s, still hosts live music. The Woody Guthrie Center preserves the folk singer’s archives. The city produces a disproportionate number of musicians — Leon Russell, J.J. Cale, and The Gap Band all emerged from Tulsa’s North Side.

Is Tulsa Right for You?

Tulsa rewards people who value affordability, a genuine sense of place, and a city that’s actively improving without pricing out the people who live there. The Art Deco architecture, the Gathering Place, Brookside’s walkability, and the aerospace job market add up to something more interesting than most cities at this price point. The tradeoffs are familiar — tornado risk, car dependence, and a smaller metro economy than OKC or Dallas. But if you’re earning a remote salary or working in energy, healthcare, or aerospace, Tulsa offers a quality of life that’s hard to match at $248,000 for a median home.

Start your home search by estimating annual property taxes on Tulsa homes, then use the net proceeds calculator if you’re selling a home elsewhere to fund the move.

Compare With Other States

Considering other markets? Here’s how other states compare:

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• Moving to Pittsburgh in 2026: Cost of Living, Housing, and What to Know
• Moving to Boston in 2026: Cost of Living, Housing, and What to Know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Tulsa Remote program still active in 2026?

Yes. Tulsa Remote continues to accept applications on a rolling basis, offering $10,000 over the first year to qualifying remote workers who relocate. The program has expanded to include community-building events and access to coworking spaces. About 600–800 new participants join annually, and the application process takes 4–8 weeks from submission to decision.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Tulsa?

South Tulsa (between 71st and 101st streets), Jenks, Bixby, and Broken Arrow consistently report the lowest crime rates in the metro. Within urban Tulsa, Brookside, Maple Ridge, and the Florence Park area maintain low crime while offering walkable, established neighborhoods. North Tulsa and parts of West Tulsa have higher crime rates, though neighborhood-by-neighborhood variation is significant.

How does Tulsa compare to Oklahoma City for housing?

Tulsa’s median home price ($248,000) runs about $20,000 higher than OKC’s ($228,000), but Tulsa offers more architectural character in its older neighborhoods. OKC has more new construction inventory and a larger job market. Property tax rates are similar (0.87%–0.96% effective). Tulsa’s stronger walkable neighborhoods (Brookside, Cherry Street) give it an edge for buyers who dislike suburban sprawl.

What’s the job market like in Tulsa compared to OKC?

OKC’s job market is roughly 40% larger by total employment. Tulsa’s strengths are aerospace (American Airlines maintenance, Spirit AeroSystems) and healthcare (Saint Francis), while OKC leads in energy company headquarters, federal employment (Tinker AFB), and tech (Paycom). Tulsa Remote has created an informal tech-adjacent community of remote workers that doesn’t depend on the local job market.

Should I worry about flooding when buying a home in Tulsa?

Flood risk is concentrated along the Arkansas River, Mingo Creek, and Joe Creek corridors. Before making an offer, check the FEMA flood maps for the specific address. Properties in designated flood zones (Zone A or AE) require flood insurance if you carry a federally backed mortgage, adding $800–$2,400 per year to housing costs. Use our amortization schedule calculator for detailed numbers. Homes on higher ground in South Tulsa, Midtown, and the suburbs face minimal flood risk.