What it's like to live in McAlester
McAlester is a small city in Oklahoma with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. McAlester deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, college degree attainment below the national average, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
- Hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How McAlester compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to McAlester
Based on McAlester's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,830
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $36,600 a year
- 45% of McAlester renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$30,320
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $15,160
- Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 35% below US
$915/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $915 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 $151,600. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $151,600 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Pittsburg County is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Pittsburg County (county-wide)
SafetyNear US average
304 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 2006/100k · McAlester Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 37% below US
16 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 16.3 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; 6% work from home.
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 32°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 42% 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
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Chickasaw National Recreation Area (77 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
McAlester'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 air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($915/mo) equals 21% 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 McAlester
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