This article, the thirtieth in a 50-state series, ranks the best places to live in Oklahoma based on three criteria: (1) median household income (adjusted for cost of living); (2) educational attainment (% of residents 25 years and over who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher); and (3) property crime rates per 1,000 residents (burglary and automobile thefts). For purposes of these rankings, “places” are incorporated municipalities with populations greater than 2,000.
Among the twenty best places to live in Oklahoma, eleven are suburbs of Tulsa and nine are suburbs of Oklahoma City. By county, six of the best places to live in Oklahoma are located in or partially in Tulsa County, four in Oklahoma County, three in or partially in Canadian County, two in or partially in McClain County, two partially in Kingfisher, Osage, and Wagoner Counties respectively, one in Custer County, and one partially in Cleveland, Pottawatomie, Rogers, and Washington Counties respectively.
After reading “Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011),” return to this link to read “Largest Cities in Oklahoma (2011).” A collection of similar articles for the remaining 49 states can be found at these links: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
For the culmination of the 50-state series, read “Best Places to Live in America (2011).”
1. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Nichols Hills, OK (Oklahoma County)
Population: 4,033
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $125,788
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 76.1%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 6.2
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 8 miles SSE
Norman, OK: 29 miles S
2. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Piedmont, OK (Canadian and Kingfisher Counties)
Population: 5,186
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $94,500
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 33.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.26
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 22 miles SE
Norman, OK: 43 miles SSE
3. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Edmond, OK (Oklahoma County)
Population: 78,021
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $77,958
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 51.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 5.48
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 14 miles S
Norman, OK: 34 miles S
4. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Jenks, OK (Tulsa County)
Population: 14,741
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $82,930
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 42.6%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 6.14
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 103 miles SW
Tulsa, OK: 12 miles N
5. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Bixby, OK (Tulsa and Wagoner Counties)
Population: 19,519
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $77,762
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 37.9%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 6.27
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 114 miles SW
Tulsa, OK: 22 miles NNW
6. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Broken Arrow, OK (Tulsa and Wagoner Counties)
Population: 90,426
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $73,085
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 31.1%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 5.62
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 117 miles SW
Tulsa, OK: 16 miles NW
7. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Choctaw, OK (Oklahoma County)
Population: 11,087
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $70,024
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 23.4%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 6.05
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 16 miles W
Norman, OK: 30 miles SSW
8. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Owasso, OK (Rogers and Tulsa Counties)
Population: 28,019
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $73,575
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 31.1%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 6.18
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 121 miles SW
Tulsa, OK: 14 miles SW
9. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Yukon, OK (Canadian County)
Population: 23,029
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $72,882
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 28.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 6.12
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 16 miles ESE
Norman, OK: 37 miles SE
10. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Glenpool, OK (Tulsa County)
Population: 9,568
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $67,383
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 18.3%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 5.94
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 104 miles SW
Tulsa, OK: 15 miles N
11. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Bethel Acres, OK (Pottawatomie County)
Population: 2,856
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $67,092
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 16.9%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.42
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 35 miles NW
Norman, OK: 31 miles WSW
12. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Goldsby, OK (Tulsa County)
Population: 2,130
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $65,934
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 19.8%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.8
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 25 miles N
Norman, OK: 8 miles NNE
13. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Kingfisher, OK (Kingfisher County)
Population: 4,316
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $60,065
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 17.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.21
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 46 miles SE
Norman, OK: 66 miles SSE
14. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Norman, OK (Cleveland County)
Population: 109,056
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $52,068
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 40.9%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 8.4
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 20 miles N
Tulsa, OK: 123 miles NE
15. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Bartlesville, OK (Osage and Washington Counties)
Population: 35,283
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $52,688
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 29.3%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 7.63
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 152 miles SW
Tulsa, OK: 46 miles S
16. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Newcastle, OK (McClain County)
Population: 6,969
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $79,095
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 20.4%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 9.23
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 19 miles N
Norman, OK: 16 miles ESE
17. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Mustang, OK (Canadian County)
Population: 17,034
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $66,795
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 19.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 7.37
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 17 miles NE
Norman, OK: 31 miles SE
18. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – The Village, OK (Oklahoma County)
Population: 9,795
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $47,690
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 38.6%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 11.92
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 9 miles SSE
Norman, OK: 29 miles S
19. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Weatherford, OK (Custer County)
Population: 10,075
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $43,640
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 36.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 8.8
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 70 miles E
Norman, OK: 90 miles SE
20. Best Places to Live in Oklahoma (2011) – Sand Springs, OK (Osage and Tulsa Counties)
Population: 18,345
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $60,456
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 21.9%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 8.6
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Oklahoma City, OK: 103 miles SW
Tulsa, OK: 8 miles E
*In some cases, municipalities do not report their crime statistics to the FBI or they contract for services with the state or a county law enforcement agency. For those towns, crime rates are extrapolated from municipal, county, state, or contiguous municipality data.
The sources used in support of this article include the latest 1, 3, and 5-year estimates from the U.S. Census and the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report.
More Articles from J.C. Grant
“Average ACT Scores by State (2010)”
“Average SAT Scores by State (2010)”
“Largest U.S. Cities: Population Size (2011)”
“Most_Dangerous_Cities_in_America – Murder Rates”
State Education Rankings: Graduation Rates for High School, College, and Grad/Professional School
“State Education Rankings: SAT Scores”
Source(s):
“All Cities in Oklahoma,” City-Data.com
“2009 ACS 1-year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
“2007-2009 ACS 3-year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
“2006-2008 ACS 3-year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
“2005-2009 ACS 5-Year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
Uniform Crime Report,” Federal Bureau of Investigation
