Oklahoma City ranks high for starter homes and affordability in new report

A recent report published by This Old House sings the praises, once again, of Oklahoma City’s desirability as a city in which to live, work and play. 

Using Zillow and Census data, This Old House found OKC is the only city that ranks in the top 10 for both best place to purchase a starter home (No. 4) and affordability (No. 10). The average starter home price in OKC is $111,837. 

It’s no surprise there are a lot of first-time homebuyers in OKC, since Oklahoma ranks No. 6 for the youngest state in the country with a median age of 37.1, according to a report published by The Sacramento Bee. 

There are many desirable neighborhoods — urban, suburban and everything in between — in OKC, all of them close to amenities and workplaces. 

The Council for Community and Economic Research notes that, in the first quarter of 2023, OKC continues to be one of the country’s least expensive cities to live in. The Sooner State has become a high-ranking place of interest for those looking to move out of their current state, per analysis from moveBuddha.com. 

This Old House looked at six metrics to determine OKC’s rankings: average starter home cost, mortgage as percentage of income, young homeownership rate, concentration of restaurants and entertainment, and violent crime rates.