Oklahoma City vs Winston-Salem
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $231,300 in Oklahoma City and $233,800 in Winston-Salem.
- Households earn more in Oklahoma City ($68,656 vs $59,268 median).
- Oklahoma City has more scorching days: 74 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 33.
- Oklahoma City is growing faster: +5.7% since 2020 vs +3.1%.
Side by side
| Oklahoma City, OK | Winston-Salem, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 719,849 | 257,271 |
| Growth since 2020 | +5.7% | +3.1% |
| People per square mile | 1,187 | 1,924 |
| Median age | 35.1 | 35.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35% | 40% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $68,656 | $59,268 |
| Median home value | $231,300 | $233,800 |
| Home value to income | 3.4× | 3.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,130 | $1,087 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 90.4 | 92.0 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 73.9 | 71.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $67,800 | $69,000 |
| Homeowners | 59% | 56% |
| Top state income tax | 4.5% | 3.99% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.06% | 7.1% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.2 | 21.5 |
| Work from home | 11% | 14% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.7% | 5.7% |
| Poverty rate | 15.1% | 17.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 49° / 27° | 49° / 31° |
| July high / low | 93° / 70° | 88° / 69° |
| Precipitation per year | 36 in | 43 in |
| Snowfall per year | 7 in | 3 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 74 | 33 |
| Nights below freezing | 72 | 64 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 97.9 | 91.5 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 44% | 42% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.4% | +3.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +36.4% | +54.9% |
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: Oklahoma City: April and September to October. Winston-Salem: April to June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Oklahoma City weather by month and Winston-Salem 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 Oklahoma City and $69,000 in Winston-Salem. Moving from Oklahoma City to Winston-Salem, you would need about $76,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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