Norman vs Wichita Falls
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $156,800 in Wichita Falls and $250,100 in Norman.
- Households earn more in Norman ($67,704 vs $60,177 median).
- Wichita Falls has the warmer winter: January highs of 55°F vs 50°F.
- Wichita Falls has more scorching days: 105 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 69.
- Norman is growing faster: +2.3% since 2020 vs -0.3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Wichita Falls (14 vs 23 minutes each way).
- Texas has no state income tax on wages; Oklahoma's top rate is 4.5%.
Side by side
| Norman, OK | Wichita Falls, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 130,943 | 101,951 |
| Growth since 2020 | +2.3% | -0.3% |
| People per square mile | 733 | 1,412 |
| Median age | 32.5 | 33.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46% | 25% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $67,704 | $60,177 |
| Median home value | $250,100 | $156,800 |
| Home value to income | 3.7× | 2.6× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,090 | $1,022 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 90.4 | 89.5 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 73.9 | 68.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $67,800 | $67,100 |
| Homeowners | 53% | 56% |
| Top state income tax | 4.5% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 9.06% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.6 | 14.3 |
| Work from home | 12% | 7% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.7% | 3.8% |
| Poverty rate | 16.8% | 17.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 50° / 28° | 55° / 30° |
| July high / low | 93° / 71° | 97° / 72° |
| Precipitation per year | 38 in | 28 in |
| Snowfall per year | 4 in | 3 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 69 | 105 |
| Nights below freezing | 76 | 58 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 91.3 | 81.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 44% | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +2.4% | +0.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +36.4% | +34.2% |
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: Norman: April and September to October. Wichita Falls: April to May and October.
Full monthly tables: Norman weather by month and Wichita Falls weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $67,800 in Norman and $67,100 in Wichita Falls. Moving from Norman to Wichita Falls, you would need about $74,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Norman and Wichita Falls
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Norman and Wichita Falls.
Which would you pick?
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