The 10 Best Places To Retire In Oklahoma For 2024


The best places to retire in Oklahoma are Guthrie and Okmulgee for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

Don’t run out and buy a condo on wheels just yet; you should check out Oklahoma’s best places to retire before you put any wheels in motion.

If you’re looking for the top ten best places to retire in Oklahoma for 2024, you’re going to have to take a look below at our list of the best places to retire in Oklahoma for 2024.

Here’s how we identified the best places to retire in the Sooner State. We looked at the 39 Oklahoma cities with at least 10,000. We then considered factors including affordable housing, proximity to an international, crime, and things to do.

If it’s safety that’s important to you, many of Oklahoma’s best places to retire are also some of the state’s safest places to live. And if it’s first class, easily accessible amenities that you’re looking for, you can play 18 holes of golf at the Golf Club in Muskeego one weekend and be fishing on the Okmulgee Creek the next.

So, want to know where the 65 and older crowd is best served in Oklahoma? Keep reading.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


The 10 Best Places To Retire In Oklahoma For 2024

  1. Guthrie
  2. Okmulgee
  3. Duncan
  4. Bartlesville
  5. Claremore
  6. Muskogee
  7. Sapulpa
  8. El Reno
  9. Tahlequah
  10. Miami

There might not be a white sandy beach to kick up your feet in Oklahoma, but it is quiet. And if you choose to live in these Oklahoma places, you won’t have to worry about high crime either.

So, where is the best place to retire in Oklahoma located? According to the latest data, the best place to retire in Oklahoma is Guthrie.

Look below for a list of the other great Oklahoma places that made this list.

Why did Guthrie take the top spot? And where are Tulsa and Norman?

For more Oklahoma state reading:

The 10 Best Places To Retire In Oklahoma For 2024

Guthrie, OK

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 10,872
Median Income: $55,405
Median Home Price: $218,592
Median Rent: $871
Distance to Closest Airport: 88 miles
More on Guthrie: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Okmulgee, OK

Source: Wikipedia User Caleb Long | CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0
Overall SnackAbility

1
/10

Population: 11,366
Median Income: $38,311
Median Home Price: $92,537
Median Rent: $732
Distance to Closest Airport: 39 miles
More on Okmulgee: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Duncan, OK

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 22,759
Median Income: $55,162
Median Home Price: $113,467
Median Rent: $837
Distance to Closest Airport: 122 miles
More on Duncan: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Bartlesville, OK

Source: Wikipedia User Justin Cozart from Dallas, TX, USA | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 37,314
Median Income: $58,230
Median Home Price: $166,447
Median Rent: $892
Distance to Closest Airport: 37 miles
More on Bartlesville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Claremore, OK

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 19,724
Median Income: $56,257
Median Home Price: $245,916
Median Rent: $957
Distance to Closest Airport: 17 miles
More on Claremore: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Muskogee, OK

Source: Wikipedia User Valis55 | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 36,933
Median Income: $46,825
Median Home Price: $123,006
Median Rent: $799
Distance to Closest Airport: 43 miles
More on Muskogee: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Sapulpa, OK

Source: Wikipedia User Melodibit | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 22,030
Median Income: $62,168
Median Home Price: $183,005
Median Rent: $979
Distance to Closest Airport: 18 miles
More on Sapulpa: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

El Reno, OK

Source: Wikipedia User katsrcool | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 17,474
Median Income: $49,988
Median Home Price: $158,475
Median Rent: $848
Distance to Closest Airport: 124 miles
More on El Reno: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Tahlequah, OK

Source: Wikipedia User Caleb Long | CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 16,389
Median Income: $49,444
Median Home Price: $179,457
Median Rent: $783
Distance to Closest Airport: 54 miles
More on Tahlequah: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Miami, OK

Source: Wikipedia User TheWhitePelican | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 12,995
Median Income: $44,010
Median Home Price: $105,612
Median Rent: $790
Distance to Closest Airport: 73 miles
More on Miami: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Sooner State for 2024

To create our ranking of the best places in Oklahoma to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Sooner State — 728 cities and towns.

We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 39 places from across the state.

For these 39, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:

  • Low cost of living as measured by rent
  • Low crime
  • Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
  • Nice weather
  • Distance to the closest international airport
  • Other retirees (High median age)

We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 39, with the lowest number being the best.

Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Guthrie, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.

The report has been updated for 2024. This list reflects our tenth time ranking the best places to retire in Oklahoma.

Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Oklahoma Yet…

So there you have it, the best place to retire in Oklahoma goes to Guthrie.

The best places to retire in Oklahoma are Guthrie, Okmulgee, Duncan, Bartlesville, Claremore, Muskogee, Sapulpa, El Reno, Tahlequah, and Miami.

If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:

  1. Warr Acres
  2. Moore
  3. Lawton

For more Oklahoma reading, check out:

Best Places To Retire In Oklahoma

Rank City Population Median Income Average Home Prices Median Rent
1 Guthrie 10,872 $55,405 $218,592 $871
2 Okmulgee 11,366 $38,311 $92,537 $732
3 Duncan 22,759 $55,162 $113,467 $837
4 Bartlesville 37,314 $58,230 $166,447 $892
5 Claremore 19,724 $56,257 $245,916 $957
6 Muskogee 36,933 $46,825 $123,006 $799
7 Sapulpa 22,030 $62,168 $183,005 $979
8 El Reno 17,474 $49,988 $158,475 $848
9 Tahlequah 16,389 $49,444 $179,457 $783
10 Miami 12,995 $44,010 $105,612 $790
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.