What it's like to live in Ardmore
Ardmore is a small city in Oklahoma with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Ardmore deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- Hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Ardmore compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Ardmore
Based on Ardmore's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,012
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $40,240 a year
- 43% of Ardmore renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$34,000
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $17,000
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 29% below US
$1,006/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,006 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $170,000. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $170,000 · 43% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.5% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.5%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 219% above US
1050 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 2473/100k · Ardmore Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 35% below US
17 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 16.8 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 34°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 41% below US
21% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 21%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Chickasaw National Recreation Area (20 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Ardmore's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,006/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Ardmore
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