Simple Living. Rich Returns.
More space. More time. More oxygen for the stuff you said you’d start when life calms down. From ten-minute commutes to big backyards and extra bedrooms, it’s life undeterred by traffic or price tags.
Whether you’re posted up in a downtown high-rise or strolling down a small town main street, Oklahoma’s people are its real secret sauce. You feel it in the farmers markets, under Friday night lights, and baked into the DNA of food truck festivals and family cookouts.
With state parks, wildlife refuges, walking trails, and award-winning city parks, nature is always on speed dial. River trails wind through cities, lakes sandwich suburban neighborhoods, and greenbelts weave through seemingly every corner.
Life in Oklahoma comes with more.
IF YOU MOVED FROM...
Los Angeles → Tulsa
you’d spend 72.1% less on housing
Chicago → Enid
you’d spend 13.86% less on transportation
New York → Edmond
you’d spend 18.73% less on groceries
Houston → Ponca City
you’d spend 26.12% less on healthcare
Dallas → Oklahoma City
you’d spend 14.88% less on utilities
ELK CITY
ARDMORE OKLAHOMA CITY
NORMAN
TULSA
EDMOND
FORT GIBSON
ALTUS
GRAND LAKE
“I am thriving, not just surviving anymore.”
Laura Landers Tulsa, OK
Dallas Los Angeles Tulsa
For this Texas-born fashion designer, Oklahoma is the perfect fit.
I’m originally from Dallas, but I moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, after living in Los Angeles for about ten years. My husband and I decided that buying a home was the first thing we were going to do when we moved. We have some friends in L.A. who have a condo, which is essentially like living in a glorified apartment. You’re still sharing walls, and that is something that I did not want to do. I had been doing that for almost two decades, and I was exhausted. I wanted my own safe haven. I wanted to be able to sing and yell and not be worried that I’m disrupting my neighbors.
It only took us one day to find the house that we wanted. We looked at around nine, and the one we bought was the very first one that we saw. It was only five minutes away from downtown, but still in a neighborhood that wasn’t too close to all the hub-bub. It was just the perfect balance, because we’re city people. We
wanted to still feel like we were in the city, but live in a single-family home. And the fact that it cost literally 10% of what an L.A. home would cost was mind-blowing.
Since moving here — even from day one — I’ve felt mentally healthy. I wish I would have known that would happen. Maybe I wouldn’t have spent as long in L.A., and I could have started my life here sooner. I could have bought the home sooner. I could have started my business sooner.
I feel successful — I am successful. I’m thriving, not just surviving anymore. Oklahoma is the kind of place where you can make your dreams happen and it doesn’t feel like you’re taking a chance.
It feels like you’re able to live your life by design.
Northwest Oklahoma
The land of big skies, quiet backroads, and enough personal space to make a city-dweller emotional. Life out here moves at a pace that lets you breathe.
Southwest Oklahoma
From the ancient Wichita Mountains to the valor of Fort Sill, it’s a whole other world out here. Come claim your home on the range, John Wayne.
A little bit of everywhere
Oklahoma has range. Sweeping prairies, emerald forests, lush suburbs, and the concrete jungle all share space, meaning there’s a neighborhood prime for your pace no matter where you land. Think of it as America in tasting-menu form — just another perk of life among the most diverse terrain in the country.
Explore Oklahoma’s Regions
Oklahoma City Metro
Weeknight NBA games, jaw-dropping art, and neighborhoods so affordable you can have your steak and the backyard to cook it in, too. All the big city perks, none of the big city nonsense.
Tulsa Metro
Green hills, museums, the best park in the U.S., and dinner spots that’ll make your taste buds do cartwheels. A little bit suburb, a little bit cultured, confidently its own thing.
South Central Oklahoma
Lakes for cruising, hills for hiking, main streets for wandering. As the heart of the Arbuckle Mountains, lush is the word. All with metro access just a playlist away.
Southeast Oklahoma
If you’ve ever dreamt of your own mountainside chalet, this one’s for you. Best for campfire lovers, outdoorsy types, and anyone who shudders at the thought of concrete.
Space, State Parks & Wide Open Skies
Liz Leaming is living large in small-town Oklahoma.
Ponca City, OK
Liz Leaming
“The western plains feel timeless, while the eastern bluffs offer rugged charm.”
When I moved from Portland, Oregon, to Ponca City, Oklahoma, many of my friends and coworkers were surprised and questioned why I’d make that move. Their misconceptions were typical: concerns about good cuisine, entertainment, landscape, and especially opportunities. But the reality couldn’t be more different.
I’m a native Michigander, and I’ve lived in Wisconsin and the Pacific Northwest before settling in Oklahoma. Each place had its appeal — Wisconsin’s lakes, the Pacific Northwest’s lush landscapes — but I don’t miss owning a snow blower! Oklahoma’s mild winters and stunning skies have been a welcome change.
What sets Oklahoma apart is its diverse beauty. The western plains feel timeless, while the eastern bluffs offer rugged charm. And the sky here? Always breathtaking, whether it’s a vivid sunset or a dramatic storm. The variety keeps things fresh and captivating.
As a family, we enjoy exploring Oklahoma’s natural beauty through hiking and camping. The state parks offer incredible diversity depending on where you go, from the serene landscapes of Osage Hills State Park to the unique terrain of the Gloss Mountains and the lush beauty of Chickasaw National Recreation Area.
Most importantly, Oklahoma is full of opportunity. Whether you’re starting a business, raising a family, or growing a career, the state provides a supportive environment where hard work and community connection make anything possible. The grit and determination of the people here create a place where dreams are within reach.
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TURNER FALLS
Fresh air by the fistful.
If your outdoorsy side needs room to roam, you’re in the right place. Oklahoma boasts the most diverse terrain in the country, with 13 distinct ecoregions spanning prairie and cross timbers to rugged mountains, pine forests, wetlands, and red rock canyons.
Across the state, dozens of state parks and wildlife refuges give you ample ways to play. One weekend might mean hiking with the bison of the Wichita Mountains. The next, paddling the cypress-lined rivers of Beavers Bend State Park or taking the kids tubing on Lake Eufaula. For the outdoorsman, whitetail and waterfowl run wild in over 1.6 million acres of public hunting land.
And the best part? It’s all close enough to get home by dinner.
LITTLE SAHARA STATE PARK
FOSS LAKE
Culture you won’t see coming
Tulsa Metro
Picture tropical fish, sea turtles, and the world’s largest collection of bull sharks — but over 600 miles from the closest ocean. A family favorite you’re sure to frequent again and again.
Chickasaw National Recreation Area
South Central Oklahoma
Once a national park, it still very much feels like one — but free. Cold springs, shaded creeks, and limestone edges feel more like a natural spa than Oklahoma’s favorite place to cool down.
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
Oklahoma City Metro
Imagine Degas, Monet, Hopper, and O’Keeffe as your neighbors. Boasting a 20,000-piece permanent collection, FJJMA ranks among the finest art museums in the country.
Museums and murals, award-winning restaurants, parks, pro sports, cathedrals of music, and bucket list festivals. It’s all here, minus the headache to actually enjoy it. Here’s a taste of what your weekends could look like.
Endangered Ark Foundation
Southeast Oklahoma
Home to the second-largest Asian elephant herd in the country. Families love it for its elephant selfies, educational fun, and staycations with breakfast delivered by trunk.
Stafford Air & Space Museum
Southwest Oklahoma
The only museum in the world with test-fired engines from the U.S. Saturn V and the Soviet N-1 moon rockets, this kid-friendly museum delivers an out-ofthis-world afternoon.
Oklahoma Aquarium
E.W. Marland Mansion
Northwest Oklahoma
An oil-baron dream with Italian Renaissance swagger, unexpectedly dropped right onto the prairie. Weddings, parties, and picnics are the norm on this villa’s lawn.
Little Italy
Southeast Oklahoma
You don’t have to go to the coast for a taste of the Old Country. Since Italian immigrants settled nearby coal mines in the 1800s, hearty pasta and handcrafted cheeses have flowed like nonna’s Sunday gravy.
Choctaw Cultural Center
Southeast Oklahoma
Experience Oklahoma’s Native American culture through the lens of one of the country’s largest tribes, with daily stickball, beadwork, and dance demonstrations.
Gathering Place
Tulsa Metro
Twice voted the Best City Park in the U.S., the Gathering Place is less public park and more riverfront masterpiece.
Illinois River
Tulsa Metro
An Oklahoma summer isn’t complete without a sunsoaked float trip down the Illinois. Expect water so clear and vibes so high you might forget you’re not at summer camp.
Cain’s Ballroom
Tulsa Metro
If a room could talk, this one would still be ringing. For over 100 years, these wood floors have rocked with everyone from Wills to Willie to Wilco.
Science Museum
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City Metro
Part playground, part brain gym, all-out fun. Get handson with nearly 400,000 square feet of exhibits and one of the premier planetariums in the country.
Mabee Gerrer Museum of Art
Oklahoma City Metro
Egyptian mummies, Mesoamerican stone carvings, African masks, and papal portraits sit side by side. An unlikely global lineup of wonders, hidden in small town Oklahoma.
“Whatever expectation you had before visiting Oklahoma, just get rid of it.”
Malcolm Tubbs Oklahoma City, OK
That Hometown Sound
Why the man cranking OKC Thunder crowds to 11 wants to be your neighbor.
Oklahoma makes it easy for you to have the foundation. Family, friends, finances are usually met. From there, you can go crazy with the rest, because you probably have extra time and maybe a little extra money if you’re doing the right things.
Oklahomans are excited about sports.
There’s so much pride behind these organizations, whether it’s football, basketball, wrestling, equestrian sports, softball, gymnastics. I could go on and on. There’s this camaraderie of people galvanizing together no matter where they come from. When they’re wearing the same colors, crazy things happen.
There are so many people who I can ask, “Hey, man, what are you doing this weekend?” And they’ll say “Oh, I’m going
fishing with the guys,” or a “I’m going up to Tulsa.” They’re maybe going to Mount Scott in Southwest Oklahoma or they’re going down south to Beavers Bend State Park. You can get an otherworldly type of Oklahoma outdoor experience, and it’s only a few hours drive away.
We’re in the middle of the map, so you can take vacations or really quick twoand three-day vacations to New York or to L.A. or to the Pacific Northwest or Florida and be there and back for a fraction of the price.
Whatever expectation you had before visiting Oklahoma, just get rid of it. Come experience it, then have your mind blown with possibilities of how cool this place is.
Named the number one Oktoberfest in America by USA Today, this annual party is one of the most authentic Bavarian celebrations around.
Modeled after Munich’s original festival, dozens of massive tents and over 300 taps of German and local bier take over the Tulsa Riverfront. Expect stein-hoisting competitions, dachshund races, polka music, and plenty of brats, pretzels, and lederhosen.
What started as a small holiday display is now one of the top Christmas light festivals in America. Each winter, Chickasha’s Shannon Springs Park becomes a winter wonderland with more than 3.5 million bulbs twisted into tunnels, arches, and glowing sculptures, all anchored by a 172-foot Christmas tree. Carriage rides, ice skating, and seasonal treats make it an all-ages tradition worth a road trip.
Zeeco Oktoberfest Chickasha Festival of Light
One of the country’s largest free music festivals, NMF turns downtown Norman into a three-day sonic playground. Each April, hundreds of acts take over Main Street, ranging from indie and surf rock to hiphop, punk, folk, and R&B. Japanese Breakfast, Portugal. The Man, Omar Apollo, and Leon Russell are just a few of the names that have headlined its stages, along with numerous up-and-coming national and local acts.
Just as the fall foliage starts to show off, the skies of southeast Oklahoma come alive at the longest-running balloon festival in Oklahoma. Each October, dozens of hot air balloons launch in early morning flights and glow in the evening, painting the Ouachita horizon in technicolor. On the ground, you’ll find monster trucks, live music, craft vendors, carnival games, and enough food to keep you full for a week.
Norman Music Festival Poteau Balloon Fest
Always something to celebrate.
Oklahoma knows how to have a good time, and its festival calendar reflects it. All year long, towns and cities transform into stages for music, food, art, and traditions you won’t find anywhere else. Whether you’re into loud music lineups, gravel bike races, or watermelon eating contests, Oklahoma’s festivals are sure to take over your camera roll.
Paychecks with wiggle room.
Whether you’re building something new or leveling up in your field, Oklahoma offers room to move, lead, and breathe — without sacrificing the rest of your life. Short commutes, lower costs, and communities that still show up for each other make it easier to focus from 9 to 5 and still have energy left when the day’s done.
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Cleared for Landing
Why Alex Bethune made a 2,000-mile move for Oklahoma’s aerospace industry.
I came to Oklahoma as a transition in my career. When I started at Boeing after I graduated college, I was living in the Seattle, Washington, area. With Boeing also being in Oklahoma, it was as easy as transferring to the site location here.
I think there’s a lot of opportunity at Boeing in Oklahoma, because we work on so many different programs — including up-and-coming ones, like the B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program and radar modernization programs. Depending on what you’re interested in, you can go into either the surveillance or the weapons side of things. There are great career opportunities for anyone looking for a place to land.
Since moving to Oklahoma, I’ve bought a house. Doing that in Washington is outright unattainable for me at this point. I love that I could come here and achieve one of the things that I always wanted. I also love how many opportunities there are for women. I’m the chair for the Boeing
Women Inspiring Leadership Resource Group, and it’s been a great learning opportunity for me. I don’t know that I would have had the same opportunities anywhere else.
“There are great career opportunities for anyone looking for a place to land.”
People think of Oklahoma as a “no-name state,” but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t great things going on here. I kind of like it more for that. It’s kind of like this underdog state — a land of opportunity. I ended up really loving it here.
Alex Buthune Oklahoma City, OK
Ready to Make the Move?
Maybe it started as curiosity. Maybe it was the idea of owning a home without winning the lottery. Maybe it was a sudden realization that the math might actually work better here. However it began, your path to Oklahoma starts with small, practical steps. Here are just a few steps you can take to turn “what if” into “why not.” Now that’s rich.
Follow these simple steps.
GET TO KNOW OKLAHOMA
By reading this guide, you’ve already gotten a head start. Now go deeper. Explore the regions, culture, and day-to-day details, run the numbers with our cost-of-living calculator, and, if time allows, come get the lay of the land. Literally. The fastest way to understand Oklahoma is to experience it.
HELLO
my name is
FIND YOUR NEXT JOB
Oklahoma’s doing serious work across aerospace, energy, tech, healthcare, manufacturing, and whatever industry you want to grow in. Browse open roles, explore top industries, and see where your skills fit in a place where careers blossom without taking over your life.
FIND A PLACE TO MOVE
Go ahead and Zillow spiral — but this time, with optimism. You’ll notice something quickly: your dollar stretches a whole lot further. Look into neighborhoods with character, houses with acreage, and price tags that feel polite are the norm. The space is real. So are the options, and the Pinterest board you won’t be able to stop adding decor ideas to.
PACK YOUR BAGS
Now for the fun part. Oklahoma makes the move surprisingly manageable, from cost to commute to community. Fewer tradeoffs, more ease, and a better day-to-day awaits on the other side of all those boxes. We can’t wait to welcome you to our favorite state!