What it's like to live in Owasso
Owasso is a small city in Oklahoma with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Owasso deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, larger class sizes than the national average, hot summers, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Fast-growing population
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- Hot summers
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Owasso compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Owasso
Based on Owasso's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,540
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $50,800 a year
- 42% of Owasso renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$48,620
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $24,310
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 10% below US
$1,270/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,270 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $243,100. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $243,100 · 42% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 33% below US
2.9% unemployment
Unemployment here is 2.9%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 63% below US
123 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 1059/100k · Owasso Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 17% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 21.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 30°F and snow a regular occurrence. 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 5.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
35% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 35% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
13 public schools inside the boundary
There are 13 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is George Washington Carver National Monument (95 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Owasso's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and hot summers. A year of median rent ($1,270/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers, and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
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