OKC jumps 86 spots in Milken Institute’s Best-Performing Cities list

Oklahoma City recorded the second-largest jump in rankings on the Milken Institute’s 2025 Best-Performing Cities list, rising 86 spots from 144th to 58th. 

The Milken Institute, a nonprofit research group funded by financier Michael Milken, evaluates 403 U.S. metro areas based on factors such as job growth and housing affordability. The rankings highlight economic trends and provide insight into the strengths and challenges of different cities. 

In 2023, U.S. metro areas contributed 91.1% of the nation’s total economic growth, with a combined real gross domestic product (GDP) increase of 2.6%. The Best-Performing Cities index measures economic progress across these regions. 

OKC outpaced Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Merced, California, which ranked as the next most improved cities. 

Key factors behind OKC’s rise included a significant increase in GDP, which grew 18.9% between 2022 and 2023, and wage growth of 8.5% during the same period. Wages climbed 28.9% over five years, reflecting steady economic gains. The city’s job market expanded 7.3% since 2018, including a 3.6% increase from 2022 to 2023. 

Broadband access reached 92.6% of households, and the city’s community resilience rating stood at 79.6%. Affordable housing was available to 70.1% of households, while the city recorded a 47.4 on the Gini index, a scale measuring income inequality.