Oklahoma City is the cheapest big city in the country to rent, according to a new survey.
The average apartment rent is $839 per month, 46 percent below the national average, data compiled by the Economic and Community Research Council Cost of Living Index presented.
In terms of rental affordability, Oklahoma City, with a population of 1,396,445, came in just ahead of Birmingham, Alabama, and nearby Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The list, compiled by Kiplinger of US metropolitan areas with a population of more than 1 million residents, shows many affordable cities in the South and West.
Oklahoma City has some of the cheapest apartments among large US metropolitan areas.
Typical rents in Oklahoma City average $839 per month, 46 percent below the national average
Earlier this year, it was revealed that it is now cheaper to rent than buy property in the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States, according to rental site Realtor.com. report.
While it was already more affordable to rent than buy in the vast majority of metropolitan areas in 2023, high mortgage rates and skyrocketing home prices have changed the remaining markets.
In Oklahoma City, while the cost of living is similar to any other small city, Oklahoma City has a variety of big-city amenities, including its own Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum, and the Oklahoma City of the NBA. Trueno basketball team.
Several leading oil and gas companies have also made Oklahoma City their home and major employers of oil producers in the region.
There are many cultural activities in Oklahoma City, including the Arts Festival held each April, above
You can even go whitewater rafting on the Oklahoma River in downtown Oklahoma City.
Devon Energy, Chesapeake Energy and Continental Resources are headquartered in the city.
There are currently 12 cities across the state of Oklahoma that are among the cheapest small cities in America, but to get to second place in terms of most affordable rental options, you would have to head further south.
Birmingham, Alabama, with a population of just over 1.1 million, came in second on the list with a median apartment rent of $1,032, a 33 percent discount compared to the national average.
Aside from “cheap” rent, food, transportation and healthcare cost less compared to the national average, reports Kiplinger.
For those looking to buy, housing costs in Birmingham are also affordable, 20 per cent below the national level.
Culturally, Birmingham is the capital of Alabama and has several museums and galleries, along with the Alabama Ballet and the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, which enrich the local arts scene.
Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a population of just over one million and a median apartment rent of $1,059, ranked third on the list, about 31.5 percent below the national average.
Once a cattle town and lately known as the “Oil Capital of the World,” Tulsa is perfect for outdoor lovers who can enjoy the Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area just a short drive from downtown.
The 300-acre area is filled with forests and ponds, with walking and biking trails.
Birmingham, Alabama, with a population of just over 1.1 million, came in second on the list with a median apartment rent of $1,032, a 33 percent discount from the national average.
Tulsa, often considered the “greatest little city in the world,” often evoked images of the “Old West” and there are museums in the city that pay homage to that history.
The Gilcrease Museum has several exhibits on the American West, while the Philbrook Museum of Art, housed in a mansion financed by the oil boom, has been dubbed “the most beautiful place in Oklahoma.”
Tulsa is even offering people to move to the city and will pay for them to live there. $10,000 grants under the ‘Tulsa Remote’ scheme.
Since the program’s inception in 2018, about 2,900 people have been accepted, generating more than $300 million for the city’s rapidly growing job market.
The burgeoning program has also generated an estimated $2.5 million in sales tax revenue for Tulsa County and $3.1 million for the Sooner State, a place where U.S. Route 66 meets the south-central metropolis.
Tulsa, Oklahoma, is often considered the “greatest small city in the world.” Average rents here are
The Philbrook Museum of Art, housed in a mansion financed by the oil boom, has been called “the most beautiful place in Oklahoma.”
Other cities in the top tenAll are priced similarly to St. Louis, Missouri, ranking fourth with an average apartment rent of $1,061. Buffalo, New York, is slightly more expensive at $1,119 and came in fifth.
At just over $100 more per month, Columbus, Ohio, came in sixth, while neighboring Cincinnati, Ohio, comes in seventh with an average rent of $1,381.
Houston, Texas, ranks eighth with median rents of $1,368.
Ninth is Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, with median rents of $1,398, while making the top ten is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with $1,426.