Dallas vs Oklahoma City
The short version
- Oklahoma City is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 12% lower than in the Dallas area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $231,300 in Oklahoma City and $320,700 in Dallas.
- Dallas has the warmer winter: January highs of 58°F vs 49°F.
- Dallas has more scorching days: 108 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 74.
- Oklahoma City is growing faster: +5.7% since 2020 vs +1.9%.
- Commutes are shorter in Oklahoma City (22 vs 26 minutes each way).
- Texas has no state income tax on wages; Oklahoma's top rate is 4.5%.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Oklahoma City, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 1,329,491 | 719,849 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.9% | +5.7% |
| People per square mile | 3,914 | 1,187 |
| Median age | 33.4 | 35.1 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38% | 35% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $70,518 | $68,656 |
| Median home value | $320,700 | $231,300 |
| Home value to income | 4.5× | 3.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,472 | $1,130 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.1 | 90.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 117.9 | 73.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,300 | $67,800 |
| Homeowners | 42% | 59% |
| Top state income tax | None | 4.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 9.06% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 25.7 | 22.2 |
| Work from home | 16% | 11% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.9% | 4.7% |
| Poverty rate | 16.7% | 15.1% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 58° / 38° | 49° / 27° |
| July high / low | 97° / 78° | 93° / 70° |
| Precipitation per year | 38 in | 36 in |
| Snowfall per year | 2 in | 7 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 108 | 74 |
| Nights below freezing | 23 | 72 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.7 | 97.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 28% | 44% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.5% | +2.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +35.4% | +36.4% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Dallas: March to April and November. Oklahoma City: April and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Dallas weather by month and Oklahoma City weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $77,300 in Dallas and $67,800 in Oklahoma City. Moving from Dallas to Oklahoma City, you would need about $65,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Dallas and Oklahoma City
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Dallas and Oklahoma City.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.